Tens of Thousands in Toronto Protest Ontario Austerity
At least 75,000 demonstrators marched through the streets here and converged on the Ontario legislature Saturday to protest deep budget cuts by the province’s Conservative government.
Estimates of the size of the demonstration varied widely. Police first put the number of participants at 40,000 but later raised it to 75,000. Organizers said it approached 300,000.
Organized by major labor unions, the demonstration followed mass picketing Friday that shut the transit system and disrupted businesses, government offices and factories. Transit service was back to normal Saturday.
The protest was largely peaceful, but about 15 demonstrators threw rocks at the convention center. Authorities quickly quelled the outburst, and no damage was reported. One person was charged with breach of the peace, the Canadian Press news agency said.
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