Man Faces Charges for Inciting Hatred at Hindu Temple Protest in Brampton, Ontario

Another arrest has been made by the police with two other suspects being sought following intense and at times violent protests at a Hindu temple in the Greater Toronto Area.

Violence erupted on Sunday at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton after protesters seeking a separate Sikh nation called Khalistan clashed with Indian officials visiting the temple.

The protest spread to two other locations in Mississauga, Ontario, and continued into Monday with opposing groups of hundreds of demonstrators gathering outside the Brampton temple before being dispersed by law enforcement.

Peel Regional Police reported several offenses during the demonstrations, many of which were caught on video, including one incident where an individual used a loudspeaker to call for violence by urging people to attack Sikh temples.

A 57-year-old man from Toronto was arrested on Wednesday and charged with public incitement of hatred, scheduled to appear in a Brampton court at a later date.

Three individuals were previously apprehended, and a Peel police officer was suspended following the Sunday events, with social media videos showing apparent physical altercations and the use of poles to hit one another on the temple grounds.

Related Stories

Authorities have issued arrest warrants for a 24-year-old from Kitchener, Ontario, and a 22-year-old of unknown residence, wanted for charges of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, conspiracy to commit assault with a weapon, and conspiracy to commit mischief.

In British Columbia, there was unrest on Sunday as pro-Khalistan protesters congregated outside a temple in Surrey during a visit by Indian consular officials, resulting in three arrests by the Surrey RCMP after violence erupted.

In light of the recent events, the Indian Consulate in Toronto announced a suspension of some diplomatic visits to process paperwork at locations like religious temples.

The clashes have heightened tensions between Canada and India following the expulsion of six Indian diplomats in October when the RCMP identified them as individuals of interest in alleged crimes against Canadians.