Brampton 'out of control': Hindus hold massive protest after Khalistani attack on temple
Thousands of Hindu community members gathered at Gore Road in Canada's Brampton on Monday evening to protest the recent violent clash between Khalistani supporters and devotees at the Hindu Mahasabha Temple.
As night fell, the Peel police declared the protest an “unlawful assembly", instructing demonstrators to disperse or risk arrest.
Carrying Indian and saffron flags, the protesters chanted slogans against Khalistani extremism and expressed dissatisfaction with the Justin Trudeau government.
Tensions flared as some participants shouted provocative slogans aimed at a specific community and called for marching to nearby places of worship in protest.
Social media platforms were quickly filled with videos of the large crowd.
A user named @truckdriverpleb posted on X saying “Brampton is completely out of control,” with a video showing protesters attempting to block vehicles. The post gained over 55,000 views within an hour.
RIOT squads are brought in to breakup the chaotic protests in BRAMPTON pic.twitter.com/JAkGwIv6tf
— The Pleb 🇨🇦 Reporter (@truckdriverpleb) November 5, 2024
Journalist Jagdeep Singh, under the handle @NyJagdeepsingh, posted another video, captioning it: “Videos have surfaced showing Hindu organisers urging pro-India protesters to ‘storm Sikh temples,’ rallying the crowd with anti-Sikh calls that were met by loud cheers as they took to the streets.”
Jeff Lal, a Conservative candidate for Brampton East, told The Tribune that the protest was organised by the Hindu community rather than by any specific temple. Lal, who runs the Bharat Mata Mandir on Gore Road and joined the protest, described the gathering as peaceful and aimed at expressing solidarity with Hindus who were attacked at the temple on Sunday. He reported that about 10,000 people attended the protest that began around 6 pm, with a small march to the Ebenezer/Gore Road intersection before returning.
Condemning the violence as “totally unacceptable", Lal advocated for a complete ban on protests at places of worship to protect their sanctity. He shared that he has written to Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, urging the city to pass a bylaw prohibiting protests near religious sites.
Lal criticised political leaders for fostering divisions, stating, “Hindus and Sikhs are not divided, but politicians are trying to create a wedge for their own gain.”
He condemned figures like Gurpatwant Singh Pannun of Sikhs for Justice, whom he accused of pushing a personal agenda from abroad. “Pannun, sitting in the US, is asking Hindus to leave Canada. If he has concerns, he should come to Canada and speak here,” Lal added, lamenting that most leaders, including Prime Minister Trudeau, have avoided directly condemning figures like Pannun or other aggressive Khalistani sympathisers.
In response to reports of weapons among the crowd, Peel Regional Police deployed a Public Order Unit to the scene near Tyler Avenue. They advised the public to avoid the area, declaring, “This is now an unlawful assembly, and we will be clearing the area. All individuals are to disperse immediately or face arrest.”
