P.E.I. community groups call on police, educators, to condemn hate following protests

Five community groups on P.E.I. have written to police and education officials seeking public statements in support of the LGBTQ community.

The groups, which include PEERS Alliance and Pride P.E.I., are asking Charlottetown Police Services, the Public Schools Branch, and the provincial Department of Education for public expressions of support for the province's gender diversity guidelines.

They also want officials to publicly condemn hate in response to Wednesday's protests around inclusion in Island schools.

Charlottetown police said Friday a total of five people had reported being assaulted during the protest. Those complaints are under investigation.

"This is scary, this is traumatizing," said Josie Baker, executive director of PEERS Alliance. 

She said members of the LGBTQ community woke up the day after the protest to a Prince Edward Island they hadn't known before. 

"The level of violence and aggression is something we've never seen before on P.E.I. and so I'm mourning that we are now experiencing that level of hate in our province," she said.

Some protesters wore T-shirts that read, "Leave our kids alone," while others held signs with messages like, "Our kids go to school to learn ABC, not LGBTQ2s+" and "Let kids just be kids."

It was part of a widespread protest across Canada that some are calling the "1 Million March 4 Children," focusing on sexual education and LGBTQ respect policies in schools.

Counter protesters waving Pride flags and holding signs with messages like "Protect trans health care" and "Protect trans kids" gathered at the same location, many wearing rainbow clothing and holding large rainbow umbrellas.

Skirmishes occasionally broke out in the crowd, several witnessed by a CBC News crew. At one point, a person was knocked to the pavement before being surrounded by a protective cordon of people holding and wearing rainbow symbols. 

The groups that wrote the letter also want officials to defend the rights of the LGBTQ community and denounce what they describe as hate-based violence.

Advocates said they want people in positions of power to weigh in as a first step toward de-escalating the conversation.

And they want something more than the emailed statement the premier sent to CBC Thursday.