A dozen charges were laid on the long weekend in connection with a pair of illegal gatherings in Brantford, according to police.
Investigators say two organized rallies drew hundreds to a patch just outside of John Noble Home on Mt. Pleasant Street on Good Friday and a parking lot in a shopping plaza Saturday at the corner of Wayne Gretzky Parkway and Henry Street.
Brantford police say the charges were laid against organizers under a section of the Reopening Ontario Act that regulates public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read more: Ontario issuing stay-at-home order, declares 3rd state of emergency amid COVID-19 pandemic
“Any gathering, regardless of its intended purpose, which is over the legal limit, will merit an appropriate police response in order to enhance community safety concerns,” the service said in a release following the gatherings.
“Large gatherings of more than five people are not permitted under emergency orders.”
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The charges coincide with an event acknowledged on social media by advocacy group “No More Lockdowns Canada” which thanked a Brantford group for photos from a large gathering that appeared to be in a lot near Wayne Gretzky Parkway and Henry Street.
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Brantford police would not confirm the connection between the post and the charges laid on Saturday.
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