A midtown intersection was shut down by protesters outside of the Sri Lankan Consulate near Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue Wednesday during the evening rush hour.
The intersection was closed and severe traffic delays were being reported in the area as members of Toronto's Tamil community held a candlelight vigil on the same day Sri Lanka celebrates its Independence Day.
The crowd wanted to draw attention to the amount of people who have been killed in Sri Lanka in fighting between rebels and the Sri Lankan government, and they want the Canadian government to provide aid to the region.
People chanted "Help us," "Justice for all" and "Stop the war."
Rebels in Sri Lanka have been fighting a civil war since 1983 for a separate country for the Tamil minority on this island off the southern coast of India.
With files from The Associated Press
