Calgary police ask protesters to 'stay away' from Beltline this weekend

Calgary police have issued a statement asking protesters and counter-protesters to stay away from the Beltline this weekend. 

"We are asking anyone who intends to protest in the Beltline and 17th Avenue area to instead stay away. We all want our downtown to be a safe and welcoming place and we need your help to make that happen," Calgary Police Service said in an emailed statement Wednesday. 

A police spokesperson said the statement is aimed at anybody thinking of going to a Beltline protest on either side. 

Protests in Calgary against COVID-19 public health restrictions started nearly two years ago. They have continued in the Beltline each week, despite the fact that most of the province's mandates have been lifted. In recent weeks, counter-protesters have started demonstrating in the area at the same time. 

"I'm surprised that this is the strategy that took two days to come up with," said Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, in response to the police statement. On Tuesday, Gondek sent a letter to the Calgary Police Commission on behalf of city council regarding the ongoing protests.

"I'm fairly certain I heard organizers of the protest indicate that they have no intention of not protesting this weekend. So one can only assume that their advice is pointed toward residents and businesses. Which makes me scratch my head," Gondek said. 

The statement released by police will not deter anti-mandate protesters, wrote Jake Eskesen, a member of the group Canada Freedom Central who has been attending the Beltline protests. 

"The event will proceed as planned and we will commit to having a [dialogue] with officers on the ground," he wrote in an emailed statement to CBC News. 

Eskesen said that the anti-mandate protesters are a "grassroots" group, and that while many people are individually minded, the main focus of the demonstration at its current stage is to protest federal restrictions. 

He cited "travel restrictions for international flights, domestic flights, as well as the cross-border trucking mandate ... and of course a lot of mistrust with the provincial government," as reasons for the group's continued protests. 

Eskesen said that the group has considered other locations — including federal and provincial buildings within the city — but noted that these sites don't allow for "maximum exposure."

Hunter Yaworski, spokesperson for counter-protest group Community Solidarity YYC, said their demonstration will also not be dissuaded by the police statement.

Yaworski said he feels the ongoing anti-mandate protests are not being properly handled by police. He wants to see more enforcement on things like parking infractions and blocking of critical infrastructure such as a major roadway in Calgary. 

"Ultimately, we want the madness to end. We want our Saturday afternoons back," Yaworski said.