Four Toronto high school students protesting the suspension of classmates over derogatory comments made on the website Facebook were arrested and charged Friday after a scuffle with police outside the school.

A group of about 60 students staged the demonstration around 9 a.m. ET outside Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute to object to the suspension of five students over what they said were private postings about the vice-principal on the popular social networking website.

A 16-year-old student was investigated by Toronto police on allegations of criminal harassment. Police say the student was warned and released without charges.

School administrators have accused at least one student of "cyber-bullying" staff members and argue the comments were made in a public forum.

2 students charged with assault of officer

The protest escalated when someone pulled the school's fire alarm, causing hundreds of students to spill onto the street in front of the school.

'Too bad a bunch of you had to act like idiots today at your protest. If you want support, that's not the way you go about it.'—Student posting on Facebook

As police tried to move students off Danforth Road, one 16-year-old boy refused and allegedly began swinging his skateboard at an officer. He was charged with assaulting a peace officer.

While the teen was being arrested, another student allegedly grabbed onto the officer. A 16-year-old was charged with obstruction.

As well, a 17-year-old boy was charged with obstruction after allegedly inciting others to violence. Charges of assaulting an officer and assault were also laid against a third 16-year-old boy for allegedly throwing a bottle at an officer.

Students criticize protest on Facebook

The incident has ignited debate over whether schools should be able to punish students for online postings.

Angry reaction to the protest showed up almost immediately on a Facebook group set up for students of Birchmount Park Collegiate, with thoughts posted by classmates and students from other schools.

"Too bad a bunch of you had to act like idiots today at your protest. If you want support, that's not the way you go about it," one posting said.

One user wrote that while the protest was not a "good representation of how we felt" and made some look like "stupid ignorant teenagers," it was still "a job well done" because it was liberating.

Another writer quoted the section outlining free speech rights in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, while others countered that it doesn't mean "you can say whatever the hell you want."

In a similar incident in January, a group of students at a high school in Caledon, Ont., were suspended after making offensive comments on Facebook about their school principal over the ban of cellphones in the school.

Facebook was originally developed as a social networking tool for college and university students, but has recently exploded in popularity.

Users can post personal details and photos, and exchange private or public messages. Settings allow them to choose whether to make all information readable by others, or by a selected group of friends.