Despite warning from Kenney and stiff fines, anti-maskers vow larger protests on weekend
Bill Kaufmann POSTMEDIA
© Provided by Calgary Herald
Hundreds of people protest mandatory masks at Calgary city hall on Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020.
Despite the threat of fines and an appeal from Premier Jason Kenney that they halt their large gatherings, opponents of COVID-19 restrictions are vowing province-wide protests this weekend.
One organizer said the movement has gained momentum and he expects a larger turnout than previous events that have drawn fines.
In a virtual town hall Thursday evening, Kenney condemned narratives that paint the COVID-19 crisis as fake. And, he implored activists opposed to restrictions imposed by his government to abandon large gatherings in favour of other protest forms.
“Go ahead, call me a dictator but send me emails; organize online petitions or a safe protest that’s socially distanced,” said Kenney.
“You don’t have the luxury of increasing the chances of transmission … . If you think this is a hoax, talk to my friend who spent nearly two months in ICU fighting for his life or speak to those who have lost loved ones.”
Kenney said while government measures such as limiting outdoor gatherings to 10 people and banning private indoor gatherings violate constitutional rights, the restrictions are legally and morally defensible.
“I do believe in order to avoid the catastrophic situation from the pandemic, certain abridgements of those rights and freedoms can be reasonably justified in a free and democratic society,” said Kenney.
He and physicians have warned repeatedly that sharply rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations threaten to overwhelm the province’s health care system.
Nonetheless, some of the premier’s critics contend he’s refused to impose a province-wide mandatory mask edict out of fear of a backlash and that has fuelled the resistance to health orders.
In a statement sent by an organizer of the Walk for Freedom, its writer said there would be protests in several Alberta cities this weekend, including at Calgary’s city hall and at the legislature building in Edmonton.
The statement said the movement is growing and sets an example for the rest of the country.
“Alberta is rapidly becoming a beacon of freedom in Canada, with rallies happening across the province every week now,” it stated. “It’s time for Alberta to show the world that we are the creators of our own destiny.”
The statement said that although city police have issued six tickets to protest organizers, which it called “unconstitutional,” the group sympathizes with officers in “a tough position.”
The organizer also said protesters would seek to social distance but added “there is a lack of feasibility … considering the expected turnout.”
Kenney’s suggestion that protesters rely on online or written tactics were rejected as being less effective than more visible demonstrations.
Despite the threat of fines and an appeal from Premier Jason Kenney that they halt their large gatherings, opponents of COVID-19 restrictions are vowing province-wide protests this weekend.
One organizer said the movement has gained momentum and he expects a larger turnout than previous events that have drawn fines.
In a virtual town hall Thursday evening, Kenney condemned narratives that paint the COVID-19 crisis as fake. And, he implored activists opposed to restrictions imposed by his government to abandon large gatherings in favour of other protest forms.
“Go ahead, call me a dictator but send me emails; organize online petitions or a safe protest that’s socially distanced,” said Kenney.
“You don’t have the luxury of increasing the chances of transmission … . If you think this is a hoax, talk to my friend who spent nearly two months in ICU fighting for his life or speak to those who have lost loved ones.”
Kenney said while government measures such as limiting outdoor gatherings to 10 people and banning private indoor gatherings violate constitutional rights, the restrictions are legally and morally defensible.
“I do believe in order to avoid the catastrophic situation from the pandemic, certain abridgements of those rights and freedoms can be reasonably justified in a free and democratic society,” said Kenney.
He and physicians have warned repeatedly that sharply rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations threaten to overwhelm the province’s health care system.
Nonetheless, some of the premier’s critics contend he’s refused to impose a province-wide mandatory mask edict out of fear of a backlash and that has fuelled the resistance to health orders.
In a statement sent by an organizer of the Walk for Freedom, its writer said there would be protests in several Alberta cities this weekend, including at Calgary’s city hall and at the legislature building in Edmonton.
The statement said the movement is growing and sets an example for the rest of the country.
“Alberta is rapidly becoming a beacon of freedom in Canada, with rallies happening across the province every week now,” it stated. “It’s time for Alberta to show the world that we are the creators of our own destiny.”
The statement said that although city police have issued six tickets to protest organizers, which it called “unconstitutional,” the group sympathizes with officers in “a tough position.”
The organizer also said protesters would seek to social distance but added “there is a lack of feasibility … considering the expected turnout.”
Kenney’s suggestion that protesters rely on online or written tactics were rejected as being less effective than more visible demonstrations.
The group’s statement also said a speaker at the Calgary rally would be the head of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedom (JCCF), John Carpay, whose group says it’s launching a constitutional challenge against Alberta’s COVID-19 restrictions.
CARPAY IS A RIGHT WING PRO EMPLOYER UCP SUPPORTER
The JCCF and protesters contend the restrictions — that also include strict limits on attendance at funerals, wedding and places of worship, while mandating mask-wearing in public spaces in Edmonton and Calgary — unnecessarily infringe on civil liberties.
APPEALING TO THE BASE OF UCP THE EVANGELICAL RIGHT WING IN SOUTHERN ALBERTA
With 590 COVID-19 deaths now reported in Alberta and a test positivity rate having passed a “grim milestone” of 10 per cent, Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw implored residents to stay home or to maintain social distance this weekend.
“By bend the curve and not the rules, you are sparing someone from watching a loved one battle COVID-19,” she said Friday.
Those representing Alberta’s registered nurses delivered a similar message, saying over-stretched health care workers are fearful of what lies ahead as infections mount.
“Please don’t go out this weekend. Think of yourself, your family and neighbours, and the ability of your health care workers to care for Albertans who are already sick with COVID-19 as staffing shortages grow more severe.” said United Nurses of Alberta President Heather Smith Friday.
On Thursday, the heads of the city’s bylaw and police departments said issuing tickets would continue if those protests resumed.
“There’s a segment of the population that doesn’t care to follow the rules, so we’ve got to get serious,” said Calgary Police Chief Mark Neufeld.
He also said he’s confident crowd concerns sparked by fights and lack of social distancing at Chinook Centre mall a week ago won’t occur again.
BKaufmann@postmedia.com
on Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn
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