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A 56-year-old Burlington man was arrested after allegedly making threats online to harm participants at a rally supporting protestors in Iran.
Police became aware of online threats by the accused on Friday that alleged he would attend “the demonstration with a firearm to prevent the gathering,” said Toronto Police Service in a news release.
Officers executed a search warrant at the man’s home in Burlington before the Saturday rally and charged him with one count of uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm.
The man was scheduled to appear in court Saturday morning.
Police estimated that 350,000 people came out to the North York rally to call on the Canadian government to recognize Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi as the leader of the democratic transition after anti-government protests erupted in the country at the end of last year.
Toronto police originally estimated more than 200,000 people would gather at the solidarity rally, which marched down Yonge Street.