A 29-year-old Toronto man has been charged after a demonstration near Kitchener turned violent on Saturday night.
It happened near Victoria Street North and Shantz Station Road in Woolwich Township.
Waterloo Regional Police said that around 7 p.m. officers responded to reports of a demonstration involving roughly 100 people “in relation to a planned event with approximately 200 attendees.”
Police said that the protest was between members of the Eritrean community and that protesters “retrieved sticks and projectiles from vehicles and confronted police.”
They also said that the protesters, who continued to arrive and enter the area through surrounding fields, allegedly blocked the roadway and threw projectiles at officers.
“Physical altercations ensued between the protesters and the attendees and non-life-threatening physical injuries were reported as a result of the incident, WRP said in a Feb. 25 news release.
Paramedics attended the scene and provided medical treatment to an unknown number of injured individuals, police said.
Roads in the area were closed for about four hours to ensure public safety.
An unnamed 29-year-old man from Toronto was arrested and charged with assault with a weapon.
With files from CTV News Kitchener.
