Beltline pandemic protests in Calgary pose threat to public safety: neighbourhood association

Pandemic protests have become a weekly event in downtown Calgary.

Peter Oliver, the president of the Beltline Neighbourhoods Association, says these protests have grown beyond being a nuisance and have started to threaten public safety.

Weekly freedom protests are cause for concern for businesses and residents of the beltline, and some are hoping for more to be done before it gets out of hand.

“What this has turned into is infringing on people’s personal safety and enjoyment of their own neighbourhood,” said Oliver.

For many people, it doesn’t feel safe to visit businesses while these protests or demonstrations are happening.

Every Saturday protesters have gathered in the beltline or march through the downtown neighbourhood, and that presence is keeping others away, says Oliver.

“People have become radicalized and discontent over the pandemic and it has been allowed to grow to a point where it has become beyond just a nuisance,” he said.

“But it has started to threaten public safety and a sense of peace and order in a densely populated part of the city.”

While already hard-hit businesses are affected, there are serious concerns for residents too.

“It’s really disruptive,” said Oliver. “You have to rethink and plan how you’re going to get into and out of the neighbourhood. Essentially, what we are hearing from our neighbours is that people are changing their plans to avoid businesses to try and stay indoors.”

The City of Edmonton was granted an interim injunction to deal with the noise from downtown protest convoys, giving police the ability and discretion to apply for the injunction.

“We are hoping this is something the city can take the lead on and maybe something that Calgary police and the city can learn from Ottawa where similar demonstrations were allowed to grow to an unmanageable level,” said Oliver.

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City council is exploring options to reduce the impact on residents and businesses, including an injunction, something similar to what Edmonton has done.

Criminal defence lawyer Chad Haggerty says it would only be effective if it’s enforced, which in the case of Edmonton, it hasn’t been.

He adds police using the Traffic Safety Act reduces the chances of dealing with protesters becoming hostile or violent.