Toronto contractor who drove snowplow through pro-Palestinian rally no longer doing work for city

A contractor who drove a snowplow through a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters in Toronto in November is no longer doing work for the city, an official says.

"The contracted employee identified in this incident is no longer performing work on City of Toronto contracts, including current and future operations, as the behaviour displayed does not reflect City values and contravenes City policies," city spokesperson, Russell Baker, said in an emailed statement Tuesday.

On the evening of Nov. 18, as protesters rallied outside of the U.S. Consulate on University Avenue in a demonstration monitored by Toronto police, the driver was caught on video piloting a orange Kubota tractor right through the crowd that had gathered on the sidewalk.

One protester is seen trying to clear the way, while another briefly grabs the front plow before jumping out of the way. The video was posted on social media.

No one was reportedly injured in the incident.

Baker said the city will also meet with the contractor "and others providing winter maintenance services to review protocols for operating in areas with high pedestrian activity. This will help ensure staff and contractors are acting in a way that meets the City’s highest standards for safety and accountability."

Baker previously said the contractor was doing a “dry run” ahead of the winter season at the time of the incident.

The vehicle had signage for A&F Di Carlo Construction, one of the companies contracted to do snow-clearing work for the city.

After the incident, company spokesperson Fausto Di Carlo said the city had notified the company but did not report "any unusual activity" in the area.

"Our operator was trying to do her job under difficult circumstances and feared for her personal safety. She had no other option but to remove herself from the situation slowly and carefully which is what she did. We note that police who were on-site had no concerns with her actions," Di Carlo said.

"We understand that following the incident, the driver made a gesture that was inconsistent with our standard of conduct when engaging with the public and that A&F Di Carlo regrets."

A photograph from the scene shows the driver giving the crowd the middle finger.