Protesters want Gitmo detainee's release

TORONTO, July 27 (UPI) -- Nearly 300 protesters in Canada say they want a Toronto-born man released from the Guantanamo Bay detention center in Cuba.

Detainee Omar Khadr's mother, Maha Elsamnah, said it was heartwarming to see hundreds of people calling for her son's release from the U.S. detention center during Saturday's protest in Toronto, The Toronto Star reported Sunday.

"It is touching to have all these people here who do not even know Omar," Elsamnah said.

Khadr was detained by U.S. forces in Afghanistan following a 2002 firefight. He was 15 years old at the time.

While a thunderstorm cut short the protest, event organizer Sid Lacombe said the fight for Khadr's release would continue.

"This is just the beginning of a larger campaign. Expect to see more rallies and ongoing campaigns from people calling on the Canadian government to actually do something to get Khadr back here for a just trial," Lacombe told the Star.