Calgary police chief addresses response to weekend protests in Beltline neighbourhood

Calgary’s police chief described the situation in the Beltline over the weekend as “controversial” and said efforts to preserve public safety amid duelling protests were necessary due to “increased volatility and mounting confrontations.”

The weekly protest, which originally served to oppose public health measures related to COVID-19, saw participants clash with counter-protesters on Saturday, which police said created a blockage on 17 Avenue for around an hour.

According to Chief Mark Neufeld, police officers tried to negotiate alternative options and routes with protesters and Beltline residents prior to the protest last Saturday, but both groups insisted on sticking to their original plans. Officers planned to divert the protesters off of 17 Avenue but failed when demonstrators pushed past the officers and continued to march down the road.

What resulted was two groups coming together in opposite directions at the intersection of 17 Avenue and 4 Street in a “standoff situation,” Neufeld said.

“What became clear to the incident commanders in charge of the protest for that day, was that the stalemate was increasing public safety risk and needed to be resolved,” Neufeld said during a press conference on Monday afternoon.

“The situation was such that officers were not going to be able to maintain the peace and order without creating… a pressure-relief-valve situation.”

Neufeld also suggested there was no right way to handle the situation at the time. When asked why police decided to use their bikes against counter-protesters, Neufeld said it was a “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situation for officers at the scene.

2:09 Calgary mayor calling for police enforcement against continued COVID restriction protests

“The goal of CPS is to manage protests and demonstrations in an efficient and collaborative way without the use of force,” he said. “Any use of force is regrettable, particularly in this situation.

“Police are authorized to use reasonable force to carry out their duties in the broader public interest.”

Mayor Jyoti Gondek, in discussion with city councillors, has called a special council meeting for Tuesday to discuss the ongoing protests in the Beltline.

Gondek told reporters Monday that city council does not have the authority to direct the Calgary Police Service or the Calgary Police Commission.

“We have limited ability to push our bylaw officers to enforce something without the support of the police service,” she said.

“We are in a really tough spot as a council.”

Gondek said the item at the special meeting of council will outline the concerns of councillors and residents about the situation and the type of action councillors are “willing to do.”

The mayor urged the protesters to take the rally elsewhere to ease the impacts on residents in the Beltline.

“If you are angry with what we have done, come (to city hall) and protest,” Gondek said. “If you’re angry with the province, go to McDougall Centre; and if you’re angry with the feds, go to the Harry Hays Building.

“But please keep residents and businesses out of this.”

Organizers behind the protest said they will not be redirected from their regular route, however.

“Normally we pass through without issue in 20 or so minutes, but thanks to this small group, we were stuck there for over an hour, which we realize causes more disruption than we would like,” Jake Eskesen, a spokesperson for the protesters, said in a statement to Global News.

“We will do our best to have open dialogue and continue to work with the Calgary Police Service, but we will not be diverted from our route as it sets a precedent that these counter-protesters can dictate what we do.”

Eskesen added that he believes counter-protesters have the right to express their views and that should be “encouraged,” but protesters feel “intentionally obstructing us, escalating the situation and putting people at risk is not the right way to go about things.”

According to Eskesen, the protesters continue to rally against federal policies related to COVID-19, including travel restrictions and the cross-border trucker vaccine mandate, as well as masking on transit and “mistrust in the provincial government and concerns restrictions will be brought back.”

Their list of demands includes Premier Jason Kenney’s resignation, an investigation into the pandemic response and Alberta Health Services’ actions, the removal of all mandates as well as constitutional reform and the release of Calgary pastor Artur Pawlowski.

According to the City of Calgary, noise complaints to 311 related to the protests in the Beltline have continued to decline.

On the weekend of Feb. 26, there were 78 complaints while 79 complaints were submitted on the weekend of March 5 — but only 39 complaints were sent to 311 this past weekend.

The area’s councillor, Courtney Walcott, attributes the decline to “fatigue” among residents in the area.

“It’s challenging to keep that up — repetitively, week after week — if every week the crowd gets bigger, if every week the crowd comes back and if every week the streets get cleared the same,” Walcott said.

“I understand the fatigue, and I would ask for people to continue doing it anyway because… it’s in the persistence that people will not lose sight of the voice you’re trying to have heard.”

Neufeld said it is counter-productive to put the blame solely on CPS officers and urged everyone to “take a step back” and reach a compromise. This comes after Gondek and several city councillors called for more police enforcement against the COVID-19 restriction protests in a tweet over the weekend.

“While many took this decision as officers choosing sides in the protest, this was definitely not the case,” Neufeld said.

“Police do not take sides during an evolved-out protest situation. This was simply the most effective way to bring this conflict to a conclusion, keeping in mind the risks for public and officer safety.”

The Calgary Police Commission also released a statement on Monday regarding the protest, saying it has been in communication with both police and city council in an effort to “find a solution that respects people’s charter rights to protest and peacefully assemble, while also stopping the disproportionate impact these protests are having on communities in our city’s core.”

“This past weekend’s events show a clear escalation in the situation that needs to be addressed, and everyone involved will continue working together this week to find a better path forward,” the commission’s statement reads.

Neufeld said CPS is working with planners, its internal legal department and the provincial government on adjustments to the service’s approach to the protests.

“The communities could use a break,” he said, after urging protesters to consider the impacts to the neighbourhood and whether the protests need to continue “given the restrictions being lifted and the state of the situation in Alberta.”