A weekend “carnival” planned for Saturday in Saskatoon is drawing the attention of city officials and police.
The event, Children’s Freedom rally, claims to be a “fun day” for families. Online, it advertises face painting, family fun, and no masks.
It’s that last part that’s raising the alarm for many, including Mayor Charlie Clark.
“They go back to daycares if they’re kids or their school, they go back to workplaces if they’re adults and they endanger their colleagues, they endanger the family members of their colleagues,” he said.
The event is one of two planned for Saturday in Saskatoon. Another is the so-called “Cruise for Freedom”. According to a poster online, people will meet at the Canadian Wholesale Club parking lot for music, dancing and likely no social distancing.
The family event being planned has many concerned, especially with more variants in Saskatoon.
“Getting your children involved like that … that’s an abuse I think,” said Even Merasty.
“It’s ridiculous,” said Aaron Roy. “Don’t put kids in harm’s way, don’t put other people in harms way, it kind of seems selfish.”
Saskatoon police ‘balancing’ public safety and rights
Clark said he’s especially concerned about this weekend’s rallies with so many variants in the city, and with growing cases of younger people being affected in Regina.
“On Wednesday, the four people that died (in Regina) one person was in their 30s, one was in their 40s … and this is the exact age of the parents of the kids who could be attending this rally,” he said.
In an email, Saskatoon police said it will respond to this rally the same way it has to others.
“Officers will be in attendance at this event to ensure it is peaceful and restrictions under the Public Health Order are enforced,” it said in a press release Friday.
“Enforcement activity may not always be visible to members of the public.”
Another anti-mask rally is also expected in Regina Saturday. Clark said he encourages people to stay home.
“I really want everybody to give their head a shake if they’re thinking about going to this event,” he said.
“Think about the people who are right now in ICU struggling for their lives and make a choice to support them and the health care workers.”
In its press release Friday, Saskatoon police said it balances public safety and rights.
“The police response to a protest is a balance between protecting the rights of people to express their opinions in a safe and peaceful manner while ensuring the general safety of the community at large,” it wrote.
Saskatoon police said it has issued 25 tickets for Public Health Violations since the pandemic began; nine have been issued in 2021.
It said it is investigating more violations.
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