12 charges laid following large protests in Brantford

Police in Brantford have laid 12 chargesfollowing large protests held amid the provincewide shutdown over the long weekendand say more charges may be coming.

In a series of tweets posted on April 2 and 3, Brantford Police Service(BPS) said it was aware of plans for large demonstrations and stressed that gatherings of more than five are not permitted under provincial orders.

Posts on socialmedia from a Twitter account called No More Lockdowns Canadathanked organizers in Brantford and showed large crowds gathered, adding there were "so many [people] in attendance."

In a statement released Thursday, police said the organizers of the events outside the John Noble Home on April 2 and near the Wayne Gretzky Parkway on April 3 havebeen identified and charged.

The service stressed that it recognizes people's right to peaceful assembly as long as the protest follows applicable bylaws and provincial orders.

"Any gathering, regardless of its intended purpose, which is over the legal limit, will merit an appropriate police response in order to enhance community safety concerns," police said.

"BPS encourage everyone to do their part to support our health care system and workers at this difficult time and minimize the impact of COVID-19 in all of our communities."