Peel police are searching for a suspect who sprayed a noxious substance during a protest in Brampton Monday evening.

Police did not say where the protest took place, but said officers were in the area of ​​The Gore Road between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. responding to a protest.

One victim suffered minor injuries after the substance was sprayed and removed by paramedics on scene.

The exact location of the incident is unknown, but Peel police had previously ordered a crowd to gather outside a Hindu temple on Monday eveningnear Gore Road and Tyler Avenue, to disperse after weapons were observed in the crowd.

It’s unclear what weapons police saw.

Before that, Sunday afternoon, a demonstration in front of the Hindu temple Sabha Mandirinvolving people waving Khalistan flags, turned violent. The protesters, who were demanding Sikh independence in India, clashed with worshipers as Indian officials were inside the temple to hold a financial workshop for the elderly.

Videos from the scene showed the two groups brawling and using sticks and flagpoles as weapons.

Three people were arrested in connection with this protest and a Peel police officer who was observed participating in the protest has been suspended. A police officer was also injured during the fight.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi both issued statements on Sunday’s violence, with the latter calling it a “deliberate attack.”

Relations between the two countries have recently hit a low point, with Ottawa last month accusing Indian Interior Minister Amit Shah of targeting Sikh activists, which the Indian government rejected. Last year. Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” that the Indian government was linked to the assassination of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June 2023.

In an interview Tuesday, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown did not mince his words about the protests.

“The vast majority of Hindu and Sikh families are peaceful and loving. But there are bad apples, idiots who need to be made an example of,” he said.

With files from Bryann Aguilar