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Congolese Protest Shuts Down University Avenue
Protesters calling for international help in the face of dire circumstances in their country.
2:33 PM: Protesters—Torontoist photographer Ryan Walker estimates there are about 100—are now back in front of Queen’s Park.
2:11 PM: The New York Times has some helpful coverage of the Congolese election. CP24 is reporting that three arrests were made at the protest earlier. At this time some marchers are moving slowly back towards Queen’s Park.
1:53 PM: University Avenue is shut down between Queen and Dundas right now, and Dundas streetcars are diverting via College, due to a group of protesters outside the U.S. Consulate. Congo held an election a few days ago, the outcome of which is still unclear, and protesters are seeking to call attention to the dire circumstances in their country. “We want people to acknowledge that the people of Congo have suffered enough,” said one protester, specifically noting problems with corruption and his country’s status as “the world capital of rape.”
The protest reportedly began earlier today at Queen’s Park and then moved down to the consulate. Police presence on scene is huge—dozens of cruisers are on site—which CP24 is attributing to the fact that at least one protester threw something at an officer, causing the police on scene to call for heavy reinforcements.