Anti-Vax Protestors Marched Through Toronto Today & Took Over The Eaton Centre (VIDEOS)
They chanted "hands off our kids" during the rally.
A group of protesters marched through downtown Toronto Monday morning in what appeared to be a stand against vaccine mandates and Ontario's recent COVID-19 restrictions.
The event, which started around 9:00 a.m. at Nathan Phillips Square, was organized by 110 Million Moms, a group who, according to their website, does not "consent to forced medical intervention."
People shared footage of the controversial event via social media, showing protestors chanting slogans such as "hands off our kids" and "freedom."
'Hands off our kids!'\n\nAnti-vax protest makes its way through Toronto's malls\n\n#Omicron #TrudeauHasGotToGopic.twitter.com/PJXSia2rng— Mark Slapinski (@Mark Slapinski) 1641838017
The march was led through the Eaton Centre, where one of the event's protestors gave a speech, accusing residents complying with lockdown restrictions of allowing children "to starve to death" and "be pumped full of poison."
Jody Ledgerwood and her crew have overtaken the Eaton Centre to spread anti-vaxx misinformation.\n\nVAERS is not a reliable source because there\u2019s no vetting, and zero distinction between causation & correlation.\n\nHer numbers are imaginary. \n\n#cdnpoli #antivaxxers #EatonCentrepic.twitter.com/uusMjmIlt3— Caryma Sa'd - Lawyer + Political Commentator (@Caryma Sa'd - Lawyer + Political Commentator) 1641836032
The speaker also references several statistics reported by the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), an information tool that McGill University claims is often misused by anti-vaxxers as a scare tactic.
Health Canada has been steadfast in its messaging around vaccine safety, ensuring residents that only those which have been carefully reviewed are being administered.
"Only vaccines that are proven to be safe, effective and of high quality are approved for use in Canada. The COVID-19 vaccines have been tested according to international standards during their development and then carefully reviewed by Health Canada," a statement on the Government of Canada's website reads.
Toronto police tweeted an advisory ahead of the demonstration, warning residents to expect traffic delays in the area due to the protest while citing their "right to peacefully protest."
They are all in the mall now. #eatoncentrepic.twitter.com/1viBWsUDok— Renny Ronson (@Renny Ronson) 1641833237
This isn't the first time that the Eaton Centre has become the site of a massive anti-lockdown protest. In September of 2021, a group of protestors made their way to the shopping mall, where they violently clashed with security staff.
Health Canada has a robust website with all the latest information on COVID-19 vaccines and can answer any questions you may have.