Approximately 100 people attended an anti-mask event in Saskatoon, including Maxime Bernier, despite public health orders designed to limit the spread of COVID-19.
The former cabinet minister attended less than 24 hours after Regina Police issued him a ticket for attending a similar event. He shook hands, posed for pictures and hugged others.
A janitor at a local elementary school, who has previously come under fire from parents for his views and attendance at anti-mask events, was once again present.
So was a former Saskatoon police officer, who quit after spotted attending the “children’s carnival” anti-mask event last month.
And so was a man carrying a white supremacist flag — a black and white flag with a symbol popular with white supremacists, according to a database run by the Anti-Defamation League, an American anti-hate organization.
Saskatoon police blocked off streets around the Vimy Memorial, where the anti-maskers met. Officers stood watch behind several barricades.
The SPS have not stated whether officers issued any tickets yet for this event. It has issued 35 to date during the pandemic.
Current provincial regulations limit outdoor public gatherings to 10 people.