Two visions of Canada clashed in a downtown protest on a cold and rainy Saturday afternoon.
Nicholas Wright was moving around the perimeter of Sankofa Square as people walked by with Canada First signs and Canadian flags. He was there to support the Canada First protest, get to know some of the folks, and express his thoughts.
“When I’m speaking out with most people, they assume I’m crazy,” Wright said as he stood just beyond the police barricade. “It makes me feel forcibly isolated.”
He wants the government to impose stricter immigration controls to prevent potential crime and preserve a version of Canada he remembers from his youth.
Wright said he blames the government for its lax immigration policy.
“I'd like to say that it feels like the Liberals want to invite more criminals when they say immigrants are welcomed,” Wright said. “I think I'm safer with, uh, certified gang bang Bloods-Crips.”
Ben Marenlensky, however, stood on the south side of the square as part of a counter-protest. He emphasized the importance of communities organizing to challenge anti-immigrant narratives.
“I heard that fascists and bigots were rallying, and I felt that it was important to show immigrants, people of colour that, you know, we stand with them, and we're against this,” Marenlensky said. “We’re not going to let you spread hate in the city.”
Marenlensky said the government is already increasing deportations and says the Canada First group are upset because they’re “not doing it fast enough.”
Toronto Police warned in an Instagram post that they would be at Sankofa Square to ensure public safety.
Earlier this year, on Jan. 10, protests were held at Nathan Phillips Square at an anti-immigration rally, which resulted in eight people being arrested, according to police reports.
This protest of about 100 people, echoing anti-immigration sentiment and laying blame at the feet of the federal government, was met by about 100 counter-protesters.
A Canada First protester, not wanting to give his name, is self-described and known as ‘Captain Canada’ on social media, wore a cap and half-mask emblazoned with a’51st’ state patch and held a superhero-style shield displaying ‘Canada First’.
He said he wants the government to change. “I want immigrants to come here. Some of my best friends were not born here, but that doesn't mean we should let everybody in,” Captain Canada said.
“I got 51st written on my helmet,” Captain Canada said. “Do I want Canada to be the States? No, but would I go with that other than what we have here? In a second.”
Daniela Maria Bonamico gave voice to the counter-protest, standing with a megaphone on the south sidewalk outside the square, as megaphones are not permitted within Sankofa Square.
“So, the idea that we are having rallies in our street that are very thinly veiled racism rallies asking for mass deportation in a country built by immigrants to me is abhorrent,” Bonamico said. “It's not the city I know, it's not the country I know, and I will always stand up against it.”
Izabel Hojwa, who immigrated from Poland about 10 years ago, joined the Canada First protest.
“Two years ago, I noticed there is something wrong,” Hojwa said. “I noticed more and more immigrants and bad immigrants, and they are just criminals. I think they should close the border and pay attention to what is going on here. The government doesn’t want to do anything, and I’m not going to stay silent because I don’t agree with it.”
The Government of Canada’s current immigration plan aims to reduce the temporary resident population to less than five per cent of the total population by the end of 2027 and stabilize permanent resident admissions at less than one per cent of the population after that. Planned permanent resident admissions for 2026 are capped at 380,000, less than one per cent of Canada’s total population.
Police formed a wall to the south in front of a snowbank, which served as a natural barrier, as protesters on both sides engaged in yelling matches. Some of the banter was heated with verbal profanity, and some was self-propagandizing, but the event eventually ended without incident
Other times, it seemed there was an illusion of a united front as people chanted ‘Canada first,’ which the counter-protesters mimicked with ‘Yeah, Canada first.’
When asked about why these protests are popping up, Bonamico said that she believes we are living through the end stages of capitalism as a workable system.
“We are seeing a lot of people in fear,” she said. “They fear about the security of their home, they fear about their future, they fear about being able to feed their children. And when you have people that are fearful, they're willing to take any sort of propaganda that gives them a finger to point at.”
