Calgary police actions questioned after downtown protests Saturday

So-called ‘freedom’ protesters and counter-protesters came face-to-face in downtown Calgary Saturday, and the latter claims they were forced out of the way by police after an hours-long standoff.

Some of the people who confronted the anti-government mandate demonstrators are accusing police of roughing them up, with one woman saying she was pushed by officers.

“I stood at the front of the line in front of police, I heard them shout ‘move’ and shove us with their bikes. I use a walker. I use a walker,” said Amber, whose last name is not being shared over fears of harassment.

Video posted of the protest online also shows CPS officers using force against counter protesters, who said they were downtown because they are tired of the weekly “Freedom Protests” disrupting their community.

Police pushing counter-protesters on 17th Ave. in front of Western H.S. this afternoon. Didn’t see such aggression towards the protesters who have made living and working in the beltline hell every Sat for weeks. In fact it almost looked like they’re in cahoots. Pls retweet #yyc pic.twitter.com/KBxGO5g6EQ

— ritasirignano (@ritasirignano) March 13, 2022

“I was not given enough time to get out of the way, I was shoved into my counter protesters behind me. When my counter-protesters moved to let me through, police used that as a means to try to break us up and assault us,” Amber claimed.

“We protected each other, not the Calgary Police. By the end of this, I was more afraid of the Calgary Police than I was of the protesters.”

In a statement posted online, CPS says about 2,000 people were involved in opposing protests that spanned several hours Saturday.

Saying officers “worked to ensure” protesters remained safe, CPS writes this “is not an easy task for our members as the risk for conflict was high, and cooperation from protest groups was limited.”

“It is important to be cognizant that these demonstrations occurred (sic) over several hours and individual photos and short video clips do not always portray the complete picture,” the CPS statement reads, adding “for a period of time, opposing protests became involved in a confrontation, creating a block on 17 Avenue S.E., for more than an hour.

“Our members worked with all parties in an attempt to negotiate an alternative that allowed them to peacefully demonstrate, however after receiving limited cooperation and recognizing the volatility of the situation, officers had to take action to avoid further escalation of the crowd and minimize the disruption to nearby residents and businesses,” the statement continued.

Please read our statement in response to today's protest in downtown #yyc. pic.twitter.com/oXUMchtE7j

— Calgary Police (@CalgaryPolice) March 13, 2022

CityNews has reached out to police with additional questions.

Meanwhile, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek also took to social media Saturday night, saying “community members standing their ground are not counter-protestors.”

3/4 Community members standing their ground are not “counter-protestors”. They are people with a right to a safe & welcoming community. And while Council has no formal ability to direct the police or other enforcement bodies, we can be vocal & stand with our fellow Calgarians.

— Jyoti Gondek (@JyotiGondek) March 13, 2022

“The weekly disruption this community faces is not a ‘protest’. It’s a parade. At Central Memorial Park, it’s a festival with merch & food vendors. Yet no permits or licenses,” she said of the ongoing anti-mandate demonstrations.

In her Twitter thread, Gondek asks why bylaws are not being enforced, adding, “Why is the standard response that this will ‘fizzle out’? It won’t.”

“This is not about mandates. Those are gone. By waiting for this to die out, enforcement agencies have allowed it to grow. Telling residents/businesses to wait it out = shameful,” she wrote.

Gondek says “it’s past time to deal with people not following the law,” adding “it’s past time to support people in their own communities & businesses.”

“It’s past time to face the fact that this ‘protest’ requires more than ‘crowd control’. Enforcement must stand with the community.”

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Premier Jason Kenney also chimed in, saying he wasn’t quite sure what the protesters were speaking out against.

“I would suggest that maybe people could find more productive ways of expressing their frustration. But maybe, here’s an idea, how about we all just move on from the frustration of COVID? How about we leave it in the rearview mirror?” he said.

This was the second week of organized counter protests in Calgary. A spokesperson with the organizing group says CPS’ use of force won’t dissuade them.

“It’s the community itself, the people that live there, and their friends and family that can show the freedom protesters that we’re sick and tired of what’s going on,” said Hunter Yaworski, spokesperson for Community Solidarity Calgary.

“I have to say that I’m super proud of myself and everyone else that showed up in support of Beltline communities, friends, neighbours, and I’m emboldened, and I think we’re all emboldened, that this is important to do what we’re doing.”