Toronto police arrested a restaurant owner in the city’s Etobicoke suburb Thursday after he continued to open in defiance of provincial and local lockdown rules.
The police arrived at Adam Skelly’s Adamson Barbecue Thursday morning to change the locks on they establishment in order to stop Skelly from opening for the third consecutive day in defiance of the lockdown.
That triggered a confrontation between police and Skelly’s supporters who saw the restaurant patron as a victim of harsh city and provincial lockdowns that threaten to destroy small businesses. (RELATED: Tucker Carlson Rips Justin Trudeau For Using COVID-19 Pandemic To Push Social Controls)
“I will continue to act in noncompliance with these orders and see what kind of support we have today.” Skelly told The Post Millennial, “If anyone sees this as an inspiration to stand up and open their business, that’s amazing.”
Toronto Police Superintendent Domenic Sinopoli told reporters that they allowed Skelly to enter one part of his restaurant “in good faith” because they believed it was exempt from a lockdown order from Toronto Public Health, according to CP24, a local television news outlet. But the officer said Skelly’s supporters then attempted to break through to the rest of the building.
There were 1,478 new coronavirus cases in Ontario Thursday, with 21 deaths and the number of people in hospital having reached the highest level since the province entered the second wave of the pandemic. (RELATED: With Canada Day Celebrations Cancelled, Thousands Blanket Ottawa Streets To Protest Trudeau Government ‘Corruption’)
The story has gathered some attention in Canada’s largest city, with Toronto Sun columnist Joe Warmington calling Skelly the “BBQ rebel.”
WARMINGTON: BBQ rebel busted Toronto Sun https://t.co/OXiaoCaca0
— Joe Warmington (@joe_warmington) November 27, 2020
A GoFundMe account has already been established to help pay any of Skelly’s potential legal expenses and has received donations in excess of $125,000 in the last 24 hours.
Skelly could already be facing fines from Toronto Public Health for allowing inside dining at his establishment.