Two attendees arrested during the “Hands Off Our Education” rally on March 4 have been released, according to a statement from the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS)–Ontario.
The arrests occurred as the crowd began dispersing in the late afternoon, around 3 p.m., following the rally against recent OSAP grant changes announced by the Doug Ford government at Queen's Park.
A Toronto Police news release alleged that one accused vandalized a statue with spray paint. While officers were attempting to place the first accused under arrest, several protesters allegedly became aggressive toward the officers and interfered with the arrest. The second accused allegedly spat on an officer.
The federation condemned the incident, alleging police responded with “heavy-handed and disproportionate actions and presence” as the rally was ending.
“Students were tackled to the ground, dragged through the mud, shoved, and in some cases, even hit with objects ripped from the hands of other attendees. This violence was intentional and was a clear and calculated attempt at repression, intimidation and fear mongering,” the federation said.
“The Federation vehemently condemns the violence, police brutality, and criminalization of students protesting for their education as this government escalates its attacks on students — whether it is state police, campus security or private security, this is not the first time we have witnessed police brutality at student-organized actions,” it said.
Bystanders said tensions escalated after a protester allegedly defaced the statue of George Brown, leading to a confrontation between police and protesters.
“There was a guy on the George Brown statue and started spray painting f**k ford on it, in which four to six police officers rushed him, dragged him off the statue and shoved him to the ground,” said Dameon Lamming, a Humber Photography student who was documenting the protest.
“One of them had his knee on his neck and the other one had both of his knees on his back, making it impossible for him to move as they yelled, ‘stop resisting,’ and then they dragged him to the building, where I assume he was held,” he said.
Lamming said another protester was grabbed and dragged toward a police vehicle, while another individual appeared to be taken into the Ontario Legislative Building.
“One woman had her jacket ripped in front of me, another man was pushed in the face, and a woman was hit in the face with a skateboard as well. All of those things could’ve been avoided with proper de-escalation tactics,” he said.
Following the arrests, Queen’s Park was surrounded by multiple police vehicles, with a line of officers stationed in front of the legislature as the remaining crowd chanted, “Who keeps us safe? We keep us safe.”
Another bystander, John Norman, said he attended the rally out of curiosity.
He said the recent changes appeared to him to be a step toward the “privatization” of education and wanted to see how students were responding. Still, he left feeling that the police response was “appalling.”
“I'm totally disgusted with what I see today. This was no different than ICE. The police were just attacking people, assaulting them and pushing them around. One of the people I saw arrested, they threw him in the back of the car, got a video of it, and he hit his head when they pushed him in there," he said. “I've seen loads of rallies in the U.K. and here and places and I've never seen anything so disgusting apart from the States.”
He claimed the officers were allegedly pushing people back while simultaneously instructing them to move away.
“I saw them arrest one person, I didn't know why, and then it just exploded with the police started shoving people, and a sergeant pushed me and said get back but I noticed the police were pushing people and telling them to get back as opposed to saying get back, dare I say, physically assaulting them,” Norman said.
He said he believes the police response escalated the situation.
“There was no need. They just stepped back after they arrested the guy and let the people, the students, carry on because they were doing nothing," Norman said. "The police provoked it, unfortunately.”
Another witness, who identified himself as Zaid, said his glasses were broken along with those of some others during the confrontation.
Zaid said some officers were unable to manage the situation appropriately.
“Some of them got mad that they were being yelled at," he said. "Some of them could not handle what this job requires, and they were pushing, and they were being aggressive in the way that the police shouldn't be. They should have some sort of demeanour, some sort of ability to handle these tough situations, but clearly, some of these officers do not.
"Some of them did. Some of them were calm and were able to articulate with the students,” he said.
“I want to have a relationship with the police and feel like they're there to protect me. But when I see him slap three different kids, I do not believe that he cares about our safety,” he said.
Zaid said he believes only the first arrest involving the alleged graffiti was justified.
“There's no reason why the other people at the front of the line were arrested beyond the certain individual who just was doing some sort of public graffiti. You're allowed to protest. You're allowed to get angry. You're allowed to swear at damn police,” he said.
While acknowledging the police's duty of public service, Zaid said the situation appeared to lack proper de-escalation.
“If any of us were to be aggressive towards Queen's Park, they are meant to use some sort of physicality to stop that. But the vitriol and the anger I saw in some of the officers' eyes was inexcusable,” he said.
“The guy I saw slapped three people. That was not out of a desire to protect. That was not out of a desire to help his fellow officers. There was anger. There was rage.”
The federation said it plans to hold the Ford government “accountable.”
“We see these attacks for what they are, deliberate attempts to repress, intimidate students who refuse to stand silent in the face of attacks on our education and our campuses,” the federation said.
“We want to be clear: students cannot and will not allow this intimidation to stop them from holding the Ford government accountable or their call to defend our public education system for all.”
The federation added that the two individuals arrested and the students will continue to receive support from the federation and its partner groups.
Rohtansh Saini, 22, of Toronto, is charged with mischief, damage to property less than $5,000 and Mason Wallington, 21, of Hay River, N.W.T., is charged with assaulting police.
The accused are scheduled to appear in court at the Ontario Court of Justice, 10 Armoury Street, on April 17, 2026, at 11 a.m., in courtroom 203.
The next “Hands Off Our Education” rally will be on March 24th in Queen's Park.
