Toronto police reviewing pro-Palestinian protest that prompted Trudeau team to scrap event

Investigators with the Toronto Police Service (TPS) are reviewing whether illegal activity occurred during a Saturday pro-Palestinian protest that led Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's team to cancel a reception to host a visiting G7 leader, the TPS said Sunday.

The Saturday evening event at the Art Gallery of Ontario was meant to cap off a day of meetings between Justin Trudeau and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Toronto, but it was abruptly cancelled after demonstrators shouting pro-Palestinian slogans blocked entrances to the building and prevented many attendees from getting in.

Trudeau's office said Saturday neither he nor Meloni were able to enter the venue, which briefly went into lockdown. International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen was seen walking for two blocks with a police escort to find an unoccupied entrance.

TPS spokesperson Stephanie Sayer said police were in contact with the prime minister's security team, who were told officers were prepared to provide secure access to the building for Trudeau.

She said TPS did not recommend the event be cancelled.

«Ultimately, the Prime Minister's team decided not to proceed,» Sayer said in a statement.

«It was not at TPS's recommendation that the event be cancelled, and many guests were already inside.»

Sayer said approximately 400 protesters were gathered outside the AGO. She said there were no injuries or arrests, though police are continuing to investigate what happened.

«We are reviewing the events of last night and if it's determined that illegal activity occurred, charges can be laid at a later date,» she said.

The Prime Minister's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

Demonstrators, who criticized the federal government's