Peel police say four people were arrested and one officer was injured following several protests in Mississauga and Brampton on Sunday afternoon, including one at a Hindu temple that turned violent.

In a news release issued Monday, police said officers were called to an unnamed place of worship near The Gore Road in Brampton in response to a “trespassing complaint made by a group of protesters.”

Police said protesters then moved to two other locations in Mississauga, including one in the area of ​​Goreway and Etude drives and another near Airport and Drew roads.

“Although these protests occurred in three different locations, they appear to be linked to each other. Several incidents between protesters and worshipers broke out,” police said in a statement, adding that a police officer was slightly injured during one of the incidents.

Videos circulating online appeared to show people fighting outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir, located just off Gore Road, during a protest in the area where flags of Khalistan, representative of the campaign for Sikh independence in India, have been seen.

Police identified the arrested suspects as Dilpreet Singh Bouns, a 42-year-old Mississauga resident, a 23-year-old Brampton resident – ​​identified only as Vikas – and a 31-year-old Mississauga man named Amritpal Singh as suspects. . A fourth individual, who has not been identified, was arrested on an unrelated warrant and released.

Police said an off-duty Peel police officer was also seen in a video circulating online participating in one of the protests. The unnamed officer has been suspended pending an investigation.

“We are aware of a video circulating on social media showing an off-duty Peel Police officer involved in a protest. This officer has since been suspended in accordance with the Community Safety and Policing Act,” said a statement provided Monday by Peel police. “We are investigating the full circumstances described in the video and are unable to provide further information until this investigation is completed.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Indian counterpart both issued statements on the incident, with the former calling the “acts of violence” “unacceptable.”

“Every Canadian has the right to practice their faith freely and safely. Thank you to Peel Regional Police for responding quickly to protect the community and investigate this incident,” Trudeau wrote.

For his part, Narendra Modi called the Hindu Sabha Mandir incident a “deliberate attack”.

“Equally appalling are the cowardly attempts to intimidate our diplomats. Such acts of violence never weaken India’s resolve. We expect the Canadian government to guarantee justice and uphold the rule of law,” he said.

According to the group Sikhs for Justice, Khalistan supporters were protesting the presence of Indian officials visiting the temple and providing consular services.

This incident marks a new low point between the two countries. Last month, Ottawa accused Indian Interior Minister Amit Shah of targeting Sikh activists, which the Indian government rejected. Trudeau previously said there were “credible allegations” that the Indian government was linked to the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last year.

With files from Bryann Aguilar