Toronto 2009-03-16 19:25
Toronto - A protest continued into the rush hour, Monday, as thousands from Toronto's Tamil community flooded the downtown core to raise awareness about the attacks by the Sri Lankan military on Tamils in that country's bloody civil war.
The protest slowed traffic on several downtown streets until about 6 p.m.
It began on Front St., went up Yonge St. to Bloor St. and continued west across Bloor to University Ave., where it turned south back to Front. The protesters converged at Union Station at around 6 p.m.
Police were warning the public to avoid that TTC stop as it was swarmed at one point.
Protesters waved flags and placards, banged drums and chanted as they formed a human chain in an attempt to bring attention to what they call genocide in Sri Lanka.
Police kept a close eye on the protestors, but they were peaceful and orderly - despite being in the thousands.
A similar demonstration happened in January of this year, which drew 45,000 people. The GTA is home to 200,000 Tamils.
For the past 26 years, the civil war has ravaged Sri Lanka. According to the United Nations, an estimated 70,000 people have been killed.
The battle is over independence, as Tamils, who are mostly situated in the northern part of the country, are fighting for their own separate state, while the Sinhalese majority and their government oppose the movement.
The UN has warned that if the fighting continues, civilian casualties could reach catastrophic proportions.
Protestors lined Front St. in a human chain to protest the bloodshed in Sri Lanka (Photo by: Kevin Misener/680News)
Tamil protest
Thousands participated in the protest (Photo by: Kevin Misener/680News)