3 men charged after violent protests outside GTA Hindu temple, Sikh gurdwara

Three men have been charged after violence erupted between groups of protesters at a series of demonstrations in Brampton and Mississauga on Sunday, including outside a Hindu temple and Sikh gurdwara, Peel police say.

The accused and the charges against them include:

• A 23-year-old man from Brampton charged with assault with a weapon.
• A 31-year-old man from Mississauga charged with mischief over $5,000.
• A 43-year-old man from Mississauga charged with causing a disturbance and assaulting a peace officer.

In a news release Monday, Peel police said a fourth person was arrested on an unrelated and outstanding warrant and released. A police officer was also treated in hospital for minor injuries, according to the release.

The violence initially broke out at the Hindu Sabha Mandir temple in Brampton, where Indian consular officials were visiting. Officers were dispatched to the property around noon Sunday, police said.

Videos circulating on social media show demonstrators holding banners in support of Khalistan, a proposed independent Sikh homeland in northern India, and clashing with other individuals, including some holding India’s national flag.

The various videos include fist fights and people striking each other with poles. CBC News has verified the authenticity of two videos that captured the violence.

Later in the day, demonstrators made their way to the Westwood Mall in neighbouring Mississauga, according to the World Sikh Organization of Canada. A short time after, a third protest was held outside the Malton gurdwara, a Sikh place of worship on Airport Road in Mississauga.

Social media posts from the third event appear to show several dozen people gathered nearby the gurdwara, some of them waving the Indian national flag.

“Although these demonstrations occurred at three different locations, they appear to be related to one another. Several incidents between protestors and worshippers broke out,” police said in the release.

It is not clear from the release where the three arrests took place. All of the men facing charges are scheduled to appear at the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton at a later date.

Peel police also confirmed Monday that one of their officers had participated in the demonstration outside the Hindu temple while off duty. The officer has been suspended while the service investigates his actions further, a spokesperson said.

The violence drew denunciations from Canadian political leaders at all levels of government and also prompted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to issue a rare comment at a time of escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

In a statement on his social media channels, Modi condemned the “deliberate attack” at the Hindu temple and said he expects Canadian authorities to uphold rule of law. He added that any attempts to intimidate Indian diplomats in Canada were “equally appalling.”

Meanwhile, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said those responsible for the violence should be punished to the greatest extent of the law. 

“Religious freedom is a foundational value in Canada. Everyone should feel safe in their place of worship,” he said.

Brown later added he intends to introduce a motion at Brampton city council to explore the possibility of prohibiting protests outside places of worship in the municipality.

On Sunday evening, Premier Doug Ford called the incident “unacceptable” in a post on X.

Graham McGregor, Ontario’s acting Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, said reports of what took place at the temple were “disturbing.”

“Nobody likes to see that kind of violence or those kind of intimidations happening outside of place of worship,” McGregor said.

Other politicians echoed that condemnation on social media, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. 

Relations between the Canadian and Indian governments have grown tense over allegations of violence against Canadian Sikhs. Ottawa has accused India’s home minister of being behind several attacks on Sikh activists on Canadian soil. The Indian government denies the accusations.

The group Sikhs for Justice says that the Khalistan supporters had been protesting Indian consulate officials undertaking an announced visit to provide administrative services such as helping seniors access pensions.

Sikhs for Justice alleged Hindu nationalists had provoked the fighting and has claimed Indian officials use visits to religious sites to find informants to target Sikh separatists.

The group is asking that Indian consular officials be barred from undertaking work outside of their diplomatic premises, arguing external site visits “directly endanger the safety and security of pro-Khalistan citizens in Canada.”

The World Sikh Organization of Canada echoed the request. 

“The organized forays of Indian diplomats into Canadian communities appear designed to incite conflict and must cease,” it said in an emailed statement, which also called for Canadian officials to take “decisive action” against demonstrators who incited violence or disrupted peaceful protests on Sunday. 

On Monday, India’s external affairs ministry condemned “the acts of violence perpetrated by extremists and separatists” at the temple, and said it would continue its consular outreach in Canada.

“The outreach of our consular officers to provide service to Indians and Canadian citizens alike will not be deterred by intimidation, harassment and violence,” read a statement from ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, who called on Canada to prosecute “those indulging in violence” and protect all places of worship.

The Indian high commission in Ottawa also condemned the violence and said it is disappointing to see the protests during “routine consular work.” Plans for further visits to temples would only happen if adequate security arrangements were made by local authorities, it added.

That would ensure the safety of officials, organizers and attendees, it said.

Liberal MP Chandra Arya accused “Canadian Khalistani extremists” of attacking Hindus, saying they are “getting a free pass in Canada.”

The clashes come as Hindus celebrate the Diwali holiday and amid mounting tensions between Canada and India.

Last month, Canada expelled six Indian diplomats over allegations they used their positions to collect information on Canadians in the pro-Khalistan independence movement and then passed the details on to criminal gangs who targeted the individuals directly.

India has long accused Canada of harbouring pro-Khalistan terrorists that New Delhi has asked Ottawa to extradite, though Canadian officials say those requests often lack adequate proof.

Tensions have not been confined to Ontario.

This past Friday, a judge with British Columbia’s Supreme Court granted an order to establish a buffer zone around one of the province’s largest Sikh temples in advance of expected confrontations between protesters and Indian consular officials this weekend.

The request came from leaders of a Sikh temple who said they expected “intense protests” at two Indian consular events, commonly known as “consular camps.”