KITCHENER -- Woodstock police have handed out five charges under the Reopening Ontario Act, and indicated more may be coming, after a group gathered for a protest downtown.

The group came together in Museum Square around 5 p.m. on Thursday, according to officials, and were monitored by police and bylaw officers in the area.

The event reportedly featured a number of attendees from out of town who had been to similar events across the province.

Police say they spoke with organizers to discourage the event and advised that charges under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act would be laid if they were warranted.

In a Friday news release, Woodstock police specify that none of the people charged were homeless.

Officials say Woodstock residents have been largely complicit with the stay-at-home restrictions, but advise that participating in events like this one could lead to charges.

In mid-November, dozens gathered at Museum Square to protest COVID-19 restrictions.