What we know about the organization behind demonstrations against COVID-19 restrictions

For months in Toronto, The Line Canada has been organizing crowded demonstrations opposing the lockdown and public health directives aimed at curbing the spread of .

Most recently, on Tuesday, supporters of this organization were among those , where owner Adam Skelly was offering dine-in service, defying recent provincial rules that only allowed takeout and delivery.

The Line Canada created its website on April 30, 2020 to be a hub for multiple organizations across Canada that have been opposing the lockdown and restrictions that have been implemented to combat COVID-19.

The group calls itself a “civil liberties group” and says it is not an anti-mask organization. Footage and photos of the rallies however show the majority of the supporters not wearing masks and some wearing shirts or carrying signs that deride mask use, despite public health recommendations. The Star reached out to The Line Canada for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publication.

National director of The Line Canada, Lamont Daigle, also listed “no mandatory vaccinations” as a goal in a July video interview.

In Toronto, the group has been arranging self-described freedom demonstrations, which have been mostly held in Yonge-Dundas Square every Saturday, as well as at Queen’s Park. Many carry white flags with the group’s logo, a black circle with a red line through the middle.

The protests have been attended by hundreds, despite the province’s cap on outdoor gathering sizes (which has ranged from 10 to 100 at various times) to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

In mid-October, a demonstration and was met with several replies on Twitter wondering if bylaw enforcement would be issuing fines for the size of the gathering and lack of physical distancing.

Elsewhere in Canada, The Line held protests in Sarnia, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton.

Protests have also been brought to small towns around Ontario on a weekly basis, including for example in St. Thomas, Ont. where 200 people arrived, at a time where there was only one active case of COVID-19, causing worry from the mayor that the gathering may lead to spread, Global News reported. In Aylmer, Ont., about 2,000 people from across the province flocked to the town of 7,500 for a demonstration.

The organization claims to have been banned from Facebook, but maintains Instagram and Twitter accounts.

Angelyn Francis is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering equity and inequality. Her reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Reach her via email: