A 57-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman, both from Aylmer, Ont., are the latest to face charges in connection with an anti-lockdown rally in Victoria Park in March amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The City of London says its bylaw officers, with assistance from police in London and Aylmer, have served a summons to the “two individuals for participating in a gathering, contrary to the Reopening Ontario Act.”
Photos from the March 20 rally appeared to show hundreds of unmasked people standing less than two metres apart,
Several speakers including Henry Hildebrandt, pastor at Aylmer’s Church of God, attended the rally and spoke to attendees.
“This is why we speak against oppression,” Hildebrandt, 57, told the crowd. “It’s not just about me and my church. It’s about everyone else … It’s about all of us.”
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The so-called Worldwide Rally for Freedom also saw rallies in Sarnia and Windsor. Nationwide, rallies were also held in Kelowna, B.C., and Calgary.
At the time of the rally, the third wave of the pandemic was just beginning in the region.
Last month, city officials announced the first charges in connection with the rally.
On April 19, the city said a 24-year-old woman and a 38-year-old woman had been charged with organizing an outdoor gathering that exceeded provincial COVID-19 limits.
The two women may each face a fine of at least $10,000 if convicted.
The city has not released the names of any of the four people charged.
–With files from Global News’ Andrew Graham.
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