lockdown protest

There's a rally to end the shutdown planned for Toronto

Though the pandemic has spurred plenty of inspirational acts and stories that can restore one's faith in humanity, there is also, unsurprisingly, still a whole lot of the opposite, too.

Along with people getting into fist fights over toilet paper, purposely coughing on others and completely disregarding the social distancing directives that are in place to keep us all safe, there are also groups who are protesting against the relative lockdown that various levels of government have implemented.

South of the border, people have been taking to the streets in cities all over the U.S. to demand that they be allowed to return to work and get haircuts again, holding signs with statements like "Don't cancel my golf season" to show how their human rights are being trampled upon.

Similar civil action took place in Vancouver and Calgary earlier this month, and is now also planned for Toronto.

Signs for an upcoming peaceful rally against the provincial shutdown, due to take place at Queen's Park at noon on this Saturday, April 25, have been popping up around the city, showing an image of birds flying free from a cage.

Though the posters don't indicate a specific motivation for opposing the lockdown measures, recent protests have drawn individuals who are worried about the fate of the economy, who think that the current situation is an oppressive form of governmental control and/or who believe the health crisis (or at least its severity) is a complete lie.

While the rest of us continue with safe self-isolation and social distancing, and our healthcare workers risk their lives to save the nearly 4,000 people in the city who are currently ill with the virus — of the more than 40,000 in the country who are infected — we'll have to wait and see how many people flout new bylaws, the advice of health officials and basic common sense to demonstrate against Toronto's shutdown.

Lead photo by

DanDicksPFT


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Latest in City

You can just walk into a Toronto Fire station and ask for a tour

5 Toronto neighbourhoods that should be considered some of the coolest in the world

Prince Harry just jumped out of a plane in Ontario

Downtown Toronto just got its first new stretch of subway tunnel in 60 years

How Toronto is getting a new subway station below existing TTC platform

Enormous new Toronto subway bridge will be as tall as 10-storey building

Canada's top baby name for girls changes for first time in almost a decade

Toronto Zoo just welcomed a new baby 'couch potato' that you're going to fall in love with