Anti-restriction protests making life miserable, downtown Edmonton residents say

Paige Parsons - CBC

Downtown Edmonton residents are bracing for yet another weekend of snarled traffic, blaring horns and what they say are at times frightening confrontations with anti-restriction protestors.

"We don't feel safe. We feel like hostages in our own buildings," said Tammy Kobliuk who lives on 110th Street, which is near the main route the convoy.

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While protesters in Ottawa have been settled in full-time for weeks, Edmonton's demonstrations have been less permanent, with convoys travelling through the city each weekend.

Kobluik and other central Edmonton residents and business owners say they have seen protestors in large trucks, passenger vehicles and on foot descend on the core and loudly make their presence known for about eight hours each Saturday for the past three weekends.

Kobliuk and the other people CBC interviewed about the weekend protests say that many of participants aren't harassing residents and businesses – but those that are have been making life difficult.

CBC reached out to two people affiliated with the protest. One declined to comment, and the other has yet to respond.

A temporary injunction granted to the City of Edmonton, prohibiting the frequent honking of horns, was largely ignored during last weekend's demonstration.

EPS Chief Dale McFee said Thursday that officers issued 70 tickets, and that while six were for noise violations, many others were for distracted driving.

Kobliuk said she's disappointed in the police for what she sees as a lack of action to help residents.

"Their primary concern seems to be traffic, and they're proud of themselves that they've kept the traffic moving," she said.
'A thousand cuts'

Living in the core means living with traffic noise, and frequent large events – including protests.

But the sustained, negative effect of the repeat weekend convoy is different, said Chris Henderson who lives and works in central Edmonton.

"It's people from external communities just rolling in, making life miserable for other people, laughing about it, and then taking off. And I don't know what purpose this is serving anymore," Henderson said.

Henderson, who describes himself as a big guy, says he feels safe personally when he's out walking around.

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But he's angry about reports that community members have been heckled and harassed while wearing masks as they make their way around the neighbourhood.

He also worries ambulances and firetrucks being blocked, and the effect the noise is having on the vulnerable and elderly who live in assisted living facilities near the convoy route.

"It's sort of a thousand cuts for the community," he said.


© Nicholas Frew/CBC

Protesters lined 99th Avenue, waving and cheering to people driving in the local convoy on Jan. 29, 2022

Businesses also affected

Downtown restaurant The Common has seen a drop in Saturday business due to people avoiding the area, said co-owner Kyla Kazeil.

Kazeil said she agrees with people's right to protest, but after two tough years, losing customers on what's traditionally the busiest day of the week for her small business has been tough.

"We had to cancel a wedding last Saturday, which is huge money lost and it's not money we can afford to lose right now," Kazeil said.

She said they've reduced their operating hours on Saturday because of the disruptions and have to have security on hand to deal with people upset with staff over the mask mandate. She said it's daunting not knowing when it will end.

"I don't really foresee it coming to a close anytime soon," she said.
Commission fields complaints

The frustration spilled over at an Edmonton police commission meeting Thursday wherea number of speakers blasted police over the handling of the convoy, reporting hostile interactions with protestors, overwhelming noise, and critiquing the police's intervention in a counter-protest that was quickly broken up last weekend.

Michelle Peters-Jones told the commission about how she and her five-year-old son were yelled at by protesters and called "sheep" for wearing masks while downtown last weekend.

"There were no police officers anywhere in sight that I could actually turn to and say 'hello, help me," she said. "Instead I cowered in fear and distress."


© Richard Marion/CBC

Police Chief Dale McFee said Thursday that EPS needs to communicate more about its strategy for dealing with the anti restriction protests.

During the meeting, EPS officials said there are challenges with enforcing the injunction and managing the protestors but said they're working on it and take concerns seriously.

"The one thing that's very clear is that we have to start communicating more," said Chief Dale McFee.

The chief also said the number of people and vehicles attending the protests has been dropping, which makes it easier to do enforcement.

Ward O-day'min Coun. Anne Stevenson represents downtown, and said she's heard many concerns about the noise and feeling unsafe, particularly from people of colour or people who have been wearing masks.

"I am hopeful that we'll see a shift in the approach to managing the protest this week that will really seek to minimize those impacts to downtown residents, and also ensure that people are feeling safer on our streets," she said.

She also said the city has made changes to 311 to make reporting harassment easier, and said she's launching a community safewalk program to help people who need to get around.

With files from Janice Johnston