Queen's Park protestors
Counter-protesters at Queen's Park, Toronto, Sept 20, 2023. (Photo credit: Julie Carl)

Thousands of people advocating for the elimination of sexual orientation and gender identity curriculum in schools, and thousands more counter-protesters defending trans kids’ rights, turned out in cities across Canada on Wednesday to yell at one another. 

The 1 Million March 4 Children, organized by the groups Hands Off Our Kids and Family Freedom, made its mark with noisy, raucous protests throughout the land.

In Toronto, they gathered at Queen’s Park. Protesters and counter-protesters took up positions on either side of a large bronze statue behind the legislature, as police on foot, on bicycle, on horseback struggled to keep the two groups separate.

Police form a ring around protesters, counter-protesters to keep the two groups apart. (Photo credit: Julie Carl)

An organizer later identified as Bahira Abdulsalam, a longtime advocate of banning sexual orientation and gender identity curriculum, led the protesters through chants and responses.

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Julie Carl has more than 30 years of experience in journalism, most recently as a senior editor at the Toronto Star. Julie started her journalism career at small-town Ontario newspapers. She then served...