Hundreds of protesters marched up Commercial Drive on Sunday in solidarity with the women who accused former CBC host Jian Ghomeshi of sexual assault and choking.
Carrying signs that read “We believe you,” and “We will not be silent,” the marchers demanded changes to the court system in the wake of Ghomeshi’s acquittal.
“It’s kind of unsurprising,” said one protester of the verdict.
"I think there was a series of events where women were being put on trial versus listened to,” said another. “It was never really Jian Ghomeshi's trial. It was the women, and I think that got flipped around in very manipulative and deceptive ways."
Since Ghomeshi was acquitted of all charges on Thursday, protests like these have erupted in cities around the country, a symptom of a lack of trust in the way Canada’s courts handle accusations of violence against women.
A poll from Mainstreet Research and Postmedia released Saturday found that 52 per cent of Toronto women disapprove of the Crown’s performance during the trial.
The same poll - which surveyed more than 2,000 Toronto residents - found 57 per cent of women disapprove of the verdict itself.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Julie Nolin
