At least four thousand protesters marched through the streets of downtown Toronto Saturday to protest the death of 29 year-old Regis Korchinski-Paquet.
She's the young woman who fell to her death from the 24th floor balcony of a Toronto highrise Wednesday.
Her family is pointing the finger at police. Officers had been called to the apartment to help the family deal with an alleged assault between Korchinski-Paquet and a sibling.
The Special Investigations Unit is looking into what unfolded.
Meantime, the Toronto Sun is reporting that an independent witness claims that Korchinski-Paquet allegedly slipped and fell as she tried to jump to a neighbouring balcony, claiming she was alone on the balcony, prior to the fall.
The Police Union, meanwhile, contends that their members who were there are devastated they couldn't reach the woman sooner to save her.
Today's "Justice for Regis" rally and march was organized by a community group called "Not Another Black Life" who, like the family, are demanding answers into the young woman's death.
Organizers say they also want to bring attention to anti-Black racism and anti-Indigenous racism issues around the world.
The event is organized by the community group and not Korchinski-Paquet's family, who urged protesters to keep things peaceful. They released a statement saying, "'They are thankful for the outpouring of support...and to the organizers for bringing attention to a very serious matter. They're asking everyone attending to observe distancing laws... and to keep the peace in honour of Regis.'"
CP24
Police were on the scene for crowd control, as peaceful protesters made their way eastbound from Christie Pitts around 2 o'clock this afternoon and along Bloor street, initially heading towards Queens Park, before making a detour while on route.
There were a few tense moments, including when a woman showed up holding a "Blue Lives Matter" sign and was confronted by protesters.
The protest march took a detour to Toronto Police Headquarters, where barricades had already been set up.
Most of the crowd dispersed by around 5:30 p.m., but a few dozen stayed behind, shouting at police officers. A relative of the victim, using a loudspeaker, reportedly did ask the small group to disperse, but to no avail. Organizers and relatives left the area shortly after.
Newstalk1010 will continue to keep an eye out for updates on the SIU's investigation and bring you the details as they become available.
CP24