Protesters decry Hamilton police after arrest connected to Pride violence

A crowd of protesters set off fireworks and forcefully condemnedpolice as they marched through HamiltonSaturday evening, after cops arrested an LGTBQ person in relationto a violent confrontation at thePride festivallast weekend.

Hamilton Police say they arrested anarchist and activist Cedar HoppertonSaturday morningfor allegedlyviolating parole during the confrontation at Pridein Gage Park.

Hoppertonwasfound guilty last yearof being a "ringleader" in the Locke Street vandalism spree by anarchists opposing gentrification. Hoppertonviolated parole when the incident at Prideturned into "a public demonstration where peace was disrupted,"police said in a statement.

Police said they expect to make more arrests as their investigation continues.

Protesters Saturday eveningwere angry that Hopperton a member of the queer community was the first person to be arrested after the incident, saying they were trying to defend people during the confrontation.

The Pride confrontationincluded religious protesters bearing huge anti-LGBTQ signs.Investigators have suggested that people associated with the weekly yellow vest protests at city hall may have been involved.

Fireworks outside jail

About 100 people gathered in front of police headquarters Saturday evening, yelling"queers fight back" among other anti-policechants in front of line of several officers.

The crowd made its way to Barton Street jail,where Hopperton is being held,setting off several fireworks on the way and outside the building.

"Cedar [Hopperton]was doing your job at Pride," said one sign at the protest.

"Stop arresting queers," said another.

Pride Hamilton has saidpolicetook "far too long" to respond last weekend and that the confrontation could have been prevented.

The demonstration was organized by the Tower, a localanarchist collective.

"Police are criminalizing and arresting queers for defending themselves and their communities," said the event description on Facebook.

Hopperton was trying to defend people in the queer community during Pride, said Bronwyn Frisen, who says she witnessedthe violence.

"It's really frustrating to see that somebody who was helping last weekend is now in prison," saidHarjot Atwal, who was not at Pride but wanted to support Hopperton.

"Whereasfascists who were attacking individuals who were at this Pride celebration are free and doing the same amount of harm now in Toronto, or wherever else they are."

Hopperton wasarrested Saturday morning at ananti-hate rally outside city hall.

At a community meeting after thePride confrontation, Hopperton said police target queer peopleand told them to "get the f-ck out."