An investigation has been ordered after a snowplow drove directly through a crowd of pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside the U.S. consulate on University Avenue two days ago.
Video posted to social media from people who were at the protest shows a sidewalk plow moving at a slow speed through the crowd, with people attempting to get the driver to stop.
“In the middle of our chants, our messaging, a city-contracted tractor runs through the crowd, maybe to ram into us or to run over us. Luckily, we were on our toes and were successfully able to get out of the way,” said Omar Mahmoud, who attended the protest.
Shortly after going through the crowd, the snowplow driver was interviewed by police before being allowed to continue on.
In a statement, Toronto Police say, “Police reviewed the incident and do not believe there was any criminal intent. In addition to that, we have no victim or complainant – no one has come forward to make a report to police.”
Mayor Olivia Chow has seen the video and is asking for answers.
“Thank goodness no one was hurt, but upon looking at that video, I have asked the city to investigate what has happened because this person obviously is driving an instrument that works for the City of Toronto, probably a private contractor,” she said.
The private contractor, A. & F. DiCarlo Construction Inc., one of the two companies holding the majority of the city’s snow-clearing contracts, told CityNews in a phone call that the incident is under investigation and would provide no further comment.
Mahmoud says he can’t see any possible explanation for the driver’s actions that were not malicious.
“I would beg the question, what positive purpose is there that a city contracted tractor is running through a crowd of people on the sidewalk. We weren’t on the street, we were on the sidewalk.”
Even if police deem this not to be a criminal matter, the investigation by the city will look at whether any safety protocols were violated and if there might be penalties for the company involved. The city did not provide a time frame for when the investigation will be completed.
