Noisy anti-restrictions protests in Edmonton make it hard to navigate streets, visually impaired nurse says
CBC
Thousands of people protesting public health mandates descended on downtown Edmonton this weekend for the third week in a row.
For one visually impaired registered nurse, the crowds of protesters and continuous honking made it tough for her guide dog to navigate the streets.
Amber, whose last name CBC News is not using because of concerns for her safety, has been doing front-line work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Saturday, she said she was leaving work and decided to stop for some groceries downtown.
"The horns honking and the protestors were a huge barrier for us," she said Sunday.
"My guide dog is trained to hustle up in an intersection if he hears horns honking because it means that we are in danger, and he will try to do that crossing quicker to keep us out of harm's way."
She relies on the audible signal to know when it is safe to cross the street, something she said was nearly impossible to hear over the sound of honking.
Amber said her dog was incredibly stressed while trying to do his job. She also said she was jeered at by protesters for wearing a mask.
"I do not feel safe travelling in and around those areas where the protests are happening because of the experience I already encountered," she said.
After hearing similar stories to Amber's, Edmonton resident Haruun Ali started a program that offers safe walks for people during the protests.
Ali recruited about 60 volunteers for the initiative last weekend and around 30 this weekend after putting out a call on social media.
People looking to use the service can contact Ali through a cell phone number or a Google Form posted online, and a volunteer will come to help walk them through downtown.
"We really wanted to make sure that folks in Edmonton felt safe and that people can rely on each other to really make sure that people feel safe," he said.
Ali said he'll keep doing the safe walks as long as the convoys keep rolling.
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