By Canadian Press

Military on defensive after soldiers mistakenly given guns for Sikh parade

Apr 30, 2019 | 5:10 PM

OTTAWA — The Canadian military is scrambling to explain why a group of soldiers was issued weapons to march in a Toronto parade on Sunday for Canada’s Sikh community.

Photos and videos of the event show the soldiers, many of them Sikhs, marching in the Khalsa parade in full military uniforms and carrying assault rifles — which is not normally allowed for such events.

Canadian Army spokeswoman Karla Gimby says the only time weapons are normally allowed to be carried in public is during certain military parades or demonstrations such as a tattoo.

She says the commanding officer of the Lorne Scots reserve unit, which is based in Mississauga, signed off on the weapons after his commander approved participation in the parade.

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Gimby says additional orders prohibiting the carrying of weapons at similar events have been issued by the army’s top commander in Ontario, Brig.-Gen. Joe Paul, who is also following up with the unit.

Held to commemorate the Sikh holy day of Vaisakhi, Sunday’s Khalsa parade coincided with the federal government’s decision to remove a reference to Sikh extremism from a report on terrorism.

The Canadian Press