There's a peaceful rally to end the shutdown planned for Toronto

Though the pandemic has spurred plenty of inspirational acts and stories that can restore one's faith in humanity, there is also, unsurprisingly, still a whole lot of the opposite, too.

Along with people getting into fist fights over toilet paper, purposely coughing on others and completely disregarding the social distancing directives that are in place to keep us all safe, there are also groups who are protesting against the relative lockdown that various levels of government have implemented.

If you are protesting this, don’t ask the doctors to save your ass when you get sick. Sign a waiver to protest bc you ain’t gettin a ventilator or NOTHIN when you get corona! 😤🤬 https://t.co/5wOWVxWtP5

— gracie ☯ (@graciethegreat) April 20, 2020

South of the border, people have been taking to the streets in cities all over the U.S. to demand that they be allowed to return to work and get haircuts again, holding signs with statements like "Don't cancel my golf season" to show how their human rights are being trampled upon.

Similar civil action took place in Vancouver and Calgary earlier this month, and is now also planned for Toronto.

Peaceful Rally planned for Saturday: End the Shutdown #Coronavirusontario #COVIDー19 @blogTO #corona #coronaviruscanada #COVID19 #Toronto #protest pic.twitter.com/WVyn8FFzHo

— Martin Reis (@BikeLaneDiary) April 22, 2020

Signs for an upcoming peaceful rally against the provincial shutdown, due to take place at Queen's Park at noon on this Saturday, April 25, have been popping up around the city, showing an image of birds flying free from a cage.

Though the posters don't indicate a specific motivation for opposing the lockdown measures, recent protests have drawn individuals who are worried about the fate of the economy, who think that the current situation is an oppressive form of governmental control and/or who believe the health crisis (or at least its severity) is a complete lie.

These Corona protests are the worst demonstration of stupid ppl throwing a tantrum bc they aren’t getting their way. If you want Corona to end, stay in-fucking-side. pic.twitter.com/wxyTza4MfX

— Oheoghosa Osaigbovo (@OheoghosaO) April 20, 2020

While the rest of us continue with safe self-isolation and social distancing, and our healthcare workers risk their lives to save the nearly 4,000 people in the city who are currently ill with the virus — of the more than 40,000 in the country who are infected — we'll have to wait and see how many people flout new bylaws and the advice of health officials to demonstrate against Toronto's shutdown.

by Becky Robertson via blogTO