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Nine people were arrested on Parliament Hill on Saturday morning as protesters and counter-protesters clashed over plans by the federal government to endorse the United Nations’ Global Compact for migration.

Of the nine, eight were released without charges, but were issued trespass notices, meaning they are banned from Parliament Hill for 90 days. The lone person transferred to Ottawa Police Service by Parliamentary Protective Service was charged with assaulting a police officer.

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The man’s name was not released.

Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia

For a little more than an hour, beginning at about 10 a.m., participants on both sides of metal barriers set up to separate them taunted one another, mostly with insults and name-calling. Nearly 50 RCMP police in riot gear and at least as many regular RCMP and Parliamentary Protective Services officers did their best to keep them apart.

However, tempers occasionally ran hot, leading to some physical altercations, while police separated combatants and, on a few occasions, hauled them away. One counter-protester, Larry Wasslen, claimed protesters took his banner, which read “Death to Fascism. Freedom to the People.”

The protesters, who had registered plans for their demonstration with police, were those opposed to Canada’s support of the UN Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The counter-protesters were those in favour of the pact or at least against the protesters.