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But is it illegal? While people online debate this, Peel police say they have not received a complaint
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Published May 12, 2026 • Last updated 11 hours ago • 4 minute read
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A screenshot from video posted to Instagram of a man carrying what appears to be a crossbow at the May 3 Khalsa Day Parade in Mississauga. Photo by @nihangg84 /InstagramArticle content
This guy appears to have brought a hunting crossbow to a community event in Mississauga.
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More than 300,000 people showed up for the 2026 Sikh Spiritual Centre Khalsa Day (Nagar Kirtan) Parade on Sunday, May 3, in Mississauga and Toronto.
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One participant seen in social media video posts appeared to have a crossbow with accompanying arrows. Participants in the video, which road signs show was shot at Darcel Ave. and Brandon Gate Dr. in the Malton area of Mississauga, can be heard calling him out for it. However, Peel Regional Police say they have no information about this crossbow.
What police said about the incident
“While we are unable to confirm the authenticity of the photo/video, we can confirm that no such incident was reported to police during or in connection to the May 3 Khalsa Day Parade,” Const. Tyler Bell-Morena told the Toronto Sun.
The video emanates from a posting on the nihangg84 Instagram account. The Sun has asked the account holder for comment on whether it’s a working crossbow and what the purpose was of bringing it to a community event.
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While Bell-Morena noted “Section 89 of the Criminal Code of Canada prohibits the possession of weapons, including crossbows, at demonstrations and public protests,” this matter has not been investigated. There have been no charges or even formal complaints.
It’s unclear if this is an authentic crossbow or an imitation one.
“Peel Regional Police urge all members of the public to immediately report any incidents involving weapons, or items perceived to be weapons,” he said. “Prompt reporting ensures officers can quickly respond and take appropriate action to protect public safety.”
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On SAUGA 960 AM Radio’s Marc Patrone Show, station owner Joty Pannu translated from the Punjab language to English the words caught on camera to mean the guy was told by participants that “Sikhs don’t need such a weapon” at an event like this, to which she said the man agreed.
One thing that’s clear, said Pannu, is the crossbow had nothing to do with the event itself.
What event organizers had to say
A spokesperson with Ontario Khalsa Darber, which helped organize the event, said they did not know about this crossbow being displayed at the parade. They asked for more information and said they will look into it.
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That said, it’s certainly an outlier. Something usual. Highly inappropriate as well. After all, there have been terror attacks and murders in the GTA in recent times and Canadians haven’t forgotten the Tumbler Ridge massacre in British Columbia this year, or the 2020 shootings in Nova Scotia.
This does show how people are nervous about public events now. As we previously covered in the Sun, there was an incident at Trinity-Bellwoods Park on May 2 in which a man was taken down by police for showing up to an event dressed in what looked like full combat wear, complete with what had the appearance of a combat assault rifle.
Anime Connects Cherry Blossom Cosplay Picnic at Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto on May 2, 2026. Caryma Sa’d/Special to the Toronto Sun
It wasn’t. It was a non-firing replica. The man told the Sun he was merely dressed for a costume event. Perhaps the crossbow in Mississauga was a replica for show as well? How are police or the public supposed to know what’s real and what’s not? People acting out in these ways should not be surprised if they are questioned.
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The law on recording at events
Another thing that needs to be cleared up about public events like parades or protests is that there is no law in Ontario that says members of the public or media can’t record or photograph events in the public. Strange things happen at these things.
And police do good work at them. An example was Monday when York Regional Police charged a man after an “altercation at a demonstration regarding the conflict in Iran” in Richmond Hill, where they allege at Major Mackenzie Dr. and Yonge St. a “suspect was operating a motor vehicle in a dangerous manner near an ongoing demonstration” and “struck a food delivery driver who was not involved in the demonstration and, while fleeing the scene, struck another vehicle” and was alleged to “yell threats at the demonstrators before being taken into custody.”
Mehran Mohagheghi, 39, of Richmond Hill, was charged Monday with assault with a weapon, dangerous operation of a vehicle, uttering threats and “failure to stop after accident.” The allegations have not been tested in court.
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Nobody has the right to grab cameras, assault journalists, or shut down lawful recording in public spaces.
Documentation is often the only protection journalists have in volatile crowds, which is why police should be defending that right, not helping suppress it.
📸 May 10,… https://t.co/LlBeh6xts4 pic.twitter.com/ZclFRyI0CQ
— Caryma Sa’d – Lawyer + Political Satirist (@CarymaRules) May 11, 2026
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Protesters often don’t want to be photographed, but they really have no say in it, and while the police often take the side of the larger mob, and tell corporate or independent journalists they have to leave, the participants should be told they can’t do anything to stop it and they can’t touch a person or grab their phone or camera.
This happened to Caryma Sa’d’s videographer Lee, who on Sunday was not only kicked but had people who were protesting against the Iranian regime trying to block his filming efforts by grabbing his cellphone — including a police officer who can be heard saying he was “agitating” the demonstrators.
It was the other way around and police need to remember people are entitled to do their journalism freely and without any physical impediments. Caryma and Lee shoot footage for their own platforms, but their work often appears in the Toronto Sun. Sa’d and her cameraman are routinely assaulted and I don’t like it. They should be protected as much as anybody else at these events. Lee had eyeglasses and a phone stolen the week before and Sa’d was recently assaulted and had her phone stolen as well.
Since the politicians have dumped all the protest problems onto the police to solve, it’s a very difficult problem for them. But it needs to be said: If a person with a crossbow is not complained about, there should be no complaints about photographers being there either.
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