Members of Toronto’s Venezuelan community took to Yonge-Dundas Square Sunday afternoon to draw attention to protests in their country in which at least three student activists have been killed.

Anti-government demonstrators rallied in the South American country last week over a stubbornly rampant crime rate, out-of-control inflation and shortages of basic goods.

Greg Acuna, a 21-year-old Venezuelan studying in Toronto, has a friend who hasn’t been seen for 24 hours. He is among the scores of protesters who have been arrested.

Acuna, who has been in touch with his friend’s family, said he’s being denied basic rights like speaking with relatives or lawyers.

“We know they’re in prison, we don’t know where,” said Acuna, who helped organize the Toronto protest, which started on a Facebook page for local Venezuelans.

Five people, including Acuna, lay down on the street as others drew chalk outlines around them. The crowd of about 25 spoke with passersby about the situation unfolding in their home country.

“We’re not supporting any politician. We are supporting students and the freedom Venezuelans should have regardless of their political view,” said Acuna. “Government should be afraid of the people, not the other way around.”

President Nicolas Maduro has laid the blame on opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez and issued a warrant for his arrest, resulting in a manhunt that has so far been unsuccessful.

Maduro also ceased subway and bus service to the Chacao area of Caracas, the country’s capital, where the protests have been centred.

The five chalk outlines refer to the five people killed last week in Venezuela. Three were confirmed killed during the protest. This weekend, two religious figures were killed — a 79-year-old priest and an 84-year-old layperson who both worked at a religious school, underscoring concerns about the high crime rate.

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A major concern among protesters in Toronto were restrictions placed on free speech in Venezuela. On Friday, Twitter reported that images on its service were being blocked in Venezuela. A shortage of newsprint as a result of currency controls has hamstrung newspapers in the country for years. Because of the shortage, nine regional newspapers have closed since 2013, the Associated Press reports.

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Andres Masowski, a 31-year-old man who lay on the sidewalk in the Toronto protest, has many friends and family in Venezuela.

“We have reached a point where all our basic products, like food, milk, flour, toilet paper, cooking oil . . . you cannot find them,” he said. “If you find them there are organized gangs and groups that take those goods out of the supermarket and create a black market outside.”

With files from Star wire services

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