Two Albertans have been handed a court injunction against their planned weekend rodeo protesting the province’s health restrictions.
The event, organized by Ty and Gail Northcott, was set to run Saturday and Sunday near Bowden in central Alberta.
The pair organized a similar maskless “No More Lockdowns” rodeo in early May when hundreds attended in direct violation of public health orders meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
READ MORE: Premier condemns large gathering at weekend rodeo as Alberta sees record number of COVID-19 cases
Jay Cameron, a lawyer with the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, represented the Northcotts in a Calgary court Friday morning.
He says Court of Queen’s Bench Justice John Rooke ruled the rodeo would violate provincial health orders if more than 10 people attended.
Cameron says the centre argued that the rodeo was to be a peaceful protest, but the justice considered it a sporting event because there would be horses in a corral.
Ads for the event that posted on social media described it as a “No More Jason Kenney Pro Rodeo Rally.”
In a statement, Alberta Health Services said the injunction prevents the Northcotts from holding future events that do not comply with health orders.
“The injunction includes police enforcement and imposes significant consequences on the organizers or attendees of this event and deters others from organizing similar events in the future,” AHS said.
“AHS has taken this step due to the ongoing risk to Albertans created by those breaching COVID-19 public health restrictions and advertising social gatherings which, if held, breach current and active CMOH Orders and pose a risk to public health.”
AHS said previous attempts to stop the Northcotts from running events that opposed public health restrictions did not result in the organizers ending their efforts.
READ MORE: Organizers of ‘No More Lockdown Rodeo Rally’ charged after event near Bowden
Cameron says it’s clear Kenney’s drinks and dinner on a rooftop patio this week broke COVID-19 health rules.
He argued in court that it would be a double standard if the Northcotts couldn’t hold a rodeo while provincial politicians aren’t complying with their own health orders.
Kenney has said the dinner, which included Health Minister Tyler Shandro, was within public health rules because it was under the 10-person limit on outdoor social gatherings.