$400,000 spent to subdue ethnic ‘tensions’ in Brampton

Protecting places of worship has come at a cost…$400,000 in one week in Brampton.

Mayor Patrick Brown said that adding officers to protect temples from protests and counter-protests is an expensive undertaking but shows  Peel Police are serious when it comes to making sure people have a safe place to pray.

“Police were pulled off many other files, it was a huge deployment of police to make sure that the basic premise that you can pray free of harassment, violence and intimidation was protected,” the mayor said today (Nov. 20). “The policing cost of protecting places of worship that week was $400,000. That is a significant commitment to protect places of worship.”

Officers in neighbouring police jurisdictions were also called in to help deal with the large crowds.

The mayor’s comments come in response to questions about protests and counter-demonstrations that began on Nov. 3 at Hindu Sabha Mandir by those in support of the successionist movement for an independent Sikh state of Khalistan.

The next day, a large group of those associated with the Hindu temple attempted to march towards a Sikh temple in Mississauga but were thwarted by police, which led to skirmishes. Demonstrations were also been held at Westwood Mall in the Malton area of Mississauga that week.

Brown admitted there are “tensions” in the city between Sikhs and Hindus over issues that originate in India. However, he went on to say that “temperatures have been lowered” following meetings with leaders representing both sides who have insisted that lawbreakers must be punished.

He said the four charges filed by police during these clashes sent a message that violence would not be tolerated.

“Although political debate is permissible, it can never cross the line into violence,” he said. “We don’t condone that in Canada, and we never will. I’m optimistic that we have better days ahead.”

Brown said he believes that 99.9 per cent of both those in the Sikh and Hindu communities are loving and harmonious.

“We can’t allow agitators and bad actors in any community to break and divide,” he said.