A crowd of cyclists held a demonstration at Toronto City Hall Friday to protest a rash of deadly incidents that have claimed the lives of bike-riders recently.

Hundreds of cyclists took part in a silent protest to draw attention to the high number of cyclist fatalities so far this year.

Gathered in their cycling gear, the group laid down and collectively closed their eyes in silence next to their bikes for a moment at around 8:30 a.m.

The city has seen three cyclist fatalities over the past several weeks. That’s as many as all of last year.

“We’re calling on city council to commit to eliminating road fatalities in this city,” Jared Kolb of Cycle Toronto told CP24. “We don’t want any more preventable deaths in this city.”

Last week a 26-year-old cyclist was killed in a deadly hit-and-run incident at Avenue and Davenport roads in Yorkville.

On June 11th, a 44-year-old cyclist was killed in another hit-and-run collision near Finch Avenue West and Tobermory Drive in North York.

The suspected drivers in both cases have been arrested and are each facing a slew of charges.

On May 19, 75-year-old Roger du Toit, a well-known local architect, was critically injured when his bike collided with a vehicle at the intersection of Roxborough Street East and Wrentham Place in Rosedale. He subsequently died of his injuries.

At its protest Friday, Cycle Toronto said it is calling on city council to boost funding and infrastructure for cycling in the city and to actively work to reduce cyclist fatalities.

“We also want to see a city-wide grid of protected bike lanes from Etobicoke over to Scarborough and right through the downtown,” Kolb said.

Local MPP Cheri DiNovo also released a statement Friday, calling the recent cyclist deaths “appalling.”

“The hundreds of cyclists who demonstrated today at Toronto City Hall have made it clear that the growing number of road fatalities can’t be ignored,” she said.

DiNovo said she’d like to see stronger planning throughout the province to make roads safer for cyclists.

Today's protest came during Bike Month in the city.

@Josh_F is on Twitter. Remember for instant breaking news follow @cp24 on Twitter.