A large crowd of people demonstrating against a rigged election in the Democratic Republic of Congo have cleared from downtown Toronto.
The protest resulted in several tense moments with police. At one point protesters burned an American flag and a European Union flag to represent their frustration with the lack of help the countries have given their struggling homeland.
The protesters are calling for the resignation of current Congo President Joseph Kabila. They say the most recent elections in December were rigged and are calling for western governments to step in and enforce a democratic rule.
There have been a number of rallies in Toronto that have been organized by the city's Congolese community. Most have been peaceful.
Nonetheless, police remained on high alert during Thursday's protest as at least 100 people gathered downtown for the demonstration.
The Toronto Police Mounted Unit was called in after several protesters attempted to climb over a barrier in front of the Consulate.
Police on horses galloped up and down the southbound lanes of University Avenue in an uniform line, keeping Congolese protesters away from the U.S. Consulate.
"Our mounted unit is used in a number of different situations and here it allows our officers to put barriers in place and gain some extra space needed to protect the Consulate," Const. Wendy Drummond told CP24 in a telephone interview during the height of the protest. "We need to create a space where our officers can work safely to do their job."
The protesters gathered this morning on the lawns outside Queen's Park but began to march on the street at about 2 p.m.
