Hundreds of people are gathered outside Toronto Police headquarters this afternoon to demand that the force be defunded as TPS Board members conduct their fourth and final virtual town hall.

Created by the board as "an opportunity to hear directly from the public on matters concerning police accountability, reform, and community safety priorities," the virtual town hall has been streaming since 9 a.m. Thursday morning.

Around noon, however, members of the public could also be heard outside the police headquarters building on College Street.

A large group of protesters who want to defund the police have gathered outside Toronto Police Headquarters this afternoon - 📹 @hectoravasquez #Toronto #TorontoProtest #TorontoPolice #DefundThePolice pic.twitter.com/4cIgnLxPrf

— blogTO (@blogTO) July 16, 2020

"No justice, no peace, abolish the police!" chanted protesters carrying megaphones and colourful signs.

Representatives from a whole host of advocacy organizations were lined up to speak to the crowd, including Che and Alex from Not Another Black Life, Ravyn Wngz from Black Lives Matter-Toronto and Suzanne Shoush of Doctors for Defunding Police.

While peaceful, protesters are particularly passionate in light of Toronto city council's recent vote not to cut the Toronto Police Services budget for next year, despite mounting demand to do so.

They're also dissatisfied with the city's proposed solutions (such as the use of body cameras) to the problem of police violence against people of colour and people with mental health conditions.

Reminder! Tomorrow 12pm Police HQ, we are gathering at TPS to DEFUND the police on the last day of the TPS town hall meeting. We need to continually show up and demand defunding in order to bring about change. Hosted by NO Pride In Policing! pic.twitter.com/MYtgfi7VXd

— notanotherblacklife (@notanotherblk) July 15, 2020

"Our politicians are not listening. The era of violent policing in response to poverty, mental health, and lack of community investment must end," reads a description for the event, hosted by the No Pride in Policing Coalition (NPPC.)

"But Toronto City Council is clinging to its history of police violence, and voting to increase police budgets and surveillance, while other cities defund police and re-invest in communities."

"Even worse, the Toronto Police Services Board is holding consultations after city council has already voted to increase the budget," notes NPPC, referring to the virtual town hall series. "We will not be fooled, and we will never alter our demands to defund, disarm, de-militarize, and abolish the Toronto Police."

Protestors gathering outside of Toronto Police Headquarters chanting “No Justice, no peace. Abolish the police.” Today is the final day of virtual town hall meetings on police reform hosted by the TPS board. @CityNews pic.twitter.com/XsTwZDhiPV

— Erica Natividad (@CityErica) July 16, 2020

The group's demands remain as follows:

• No to body cams and no to expanding the police budget
• Defund the Toronto Police budget by 50 per cent and invest in meeting community needs
• Demilitarize the police
• Remove cops in schools
• Reduce the scope of the police
• Document Police Violence
• Decriminalize poverty, drugs, HIV and sex work
• Dismantle special constables and TTC fare inspectors
• No police "$ transfers to criminalizing, psychiatrizing institutions"
• End anti-trans violence and the two-gender binary
• Create alternatives to policing