By Canadian Press

Hindu temple in Surrey, B.C., wants police suspended after protest unrest

Nov 4, 2024 | 2:29 PM

VANCOUVER — A Hindu temple in Surrey, B.C., is calling for the suspension of police officers involved in what it calls “unjustified violence against temple devotees” during unrest on Sunday in which three people were arrested.

The arrests outside the Sri Lakshmi Narayana Hindu Temple came as protesters calling for a separate Sikh nation called Khalistan had demonstrated outside the temple on Sunday during a visit by Indian consular officials.

The temple issued a statement on social media to condemn what it called an “attack on the Hindu temple by extremist elements,” saying it underscores the “urgent need” for government officials to stop escalating violence.

Videos posted on social media show two men being restrained and held to the ground by officers outside the temple.

Surrey RCMP said officers were deployed to the temple around 2:30 p.m. on Sunday to maintain public safety during the consular visit, “when hundreds of protesters arrived.”

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They say violence broke out and, while no one was injured, three people were arrested.

Videos show both RCMP and Surrey Police Service officers in attendance.

Asked about the temple’s allegations of unjustified police violence, the RCMP said Assistant Commissioner Brian Edwards, the officer in charge of Surrey RCMP, “continues to meet with local temple leaders to address their concerns.”

There was similar unrest at a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ont., on Sunday, that prompted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to condemn what he called a “deliberate attack on a Hindu temple in Canada,” and “cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats.”

Modi said Monday that he expects the Canadian government to “ensure justice” in the case.

The B.C. government did not immediately respond to requests for comment, but Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke called the incident in Surrey “deeply disturbing” and said she had reached out to B.C. Premier David Eby.

“I am disappointed and upset by this incident. This is not who we are in Surrey,” she said in the statement Monday.

“I am speaking with all parties involved and I call for the Surrey community to remain calm.”

Peel Regional Police also confirmed Monday that three people were arrested and charged in the Brampton protests, and that one officer had been suspended after a video circulating on social media allegedly showed his involvement in the Brampton demonstration.

The group Sikhs for Justice said that Khalistan supporters had been protesting the presence of Indian consulate officials.

The group said India uses these visits to find informants to report on Khalistan supporters.

The group called on Ottawa to ban India’s diplomatic missions from conducting external outreach events, citing public safety.

Six Indian diplomats were expelled from Canada last month over RCMP allegations that they used their positions to collect information on Canadians in the pro-Khalistan independence movement and then pass that on to criminal gangs who targeted the individuals directly.

Sikhs for Justice also held a similar protest in Vancouver on Saturday, but a B.C. Supreme Court judge granted an order to establish a buffer zone around the Ross Street Gurdwara during a consular visit.

Court documents say the so-called consular camps give seniors of Indian descent a chance to meet with consular officials to complete administrative tasks, mostly related to their pensions, without having to attend the consulate in Vancouver.

The Khalsa Diwan Society, which runs the Ross Street Gurdwara in Vancouver, says in court documents that it expected “intense protests” at two consular camps in light of the RCMP allegations. The second camp is scheduled for Nov. 16.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024.

Brieanna Charlebois, The Canadian Press