Toronto police say they arrested eight people and 29 charges were laid at a demonstration downtown Saturday.

In a news release Sunday, the Toronto Police Service said its officers attended a demonstration at Nathan Phillips Square, located in the area of Queen Street W. and Bay Street, at around 2 p.m.

Dozens gathered at Nathan Phillips Square Saturday to protest mass immigration, prompting a counter-protest and a news conference with city councillors and opposing groups.

Ahead of the anti-immigration rally, Coun. Neethan Shan (Scarborough-Rouge Park) and Coun. Paula Fletcher (Toronto-Danforth) joined groups such as the National Council of Canadian Muslims and the Urban Alliance on Race Relations to denounce racism and xenophobia, the Toronto & York Region Labour Council said in a news release.