Two arrested at transphobic protest in front of Calgary high school – Calgary | 24CA News
Two individuals have been arrested at a transphobic protest that befell exterior a Calgary highschool on Wednesday.
The demonstration on the grounds of Western Canada High School within the 600 block of 17 Avenue S.W. was led by Josh Alexander, an Ontario teen who beforehand protested the Renfrew County Catholic District School Board’s choice to permit transgender teenagers to make use of loos based on their gender identification.
It was additionally organized by True Dominion Canada, an ultra-conservative group led by Nathaniel Pawlowski, son of Calgary avenue preacher Artur Pawlowski.
The poster for the protest featured transphobic and homophobic statements, claiming “radical gender ideology” is “sexualizing children.”
Both Nathaniel and Josh have been met by a bunch of counter-protesters, a few of that are college students at the highschool.
A spokesperson for the Calgary Police Service instructed Global News round 80 individuals attended the protest, however numbers fluctuated all through the day.
Police stated a battle broke out between “several individuals of opposing views,” ensuing within the arrests of two individuals who have been launched with out costs.
Officers stated they tried to separate the protesters and the counter-protesters, and no additional “physical altercations” have been made earlier than the protest ended at round 1 p.m.
Police didn’t specify if the 2 individuals arrested have been protesters or counter-protesters.
“The Calgary Police Service recognizes the Charter rights of everyone to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The overall objective is to work with all parties to ensure public and officer safety and to maintain orderly conduct and peace,” the CPS stated in an emailed assertion to Global News.
“We police behaviour, not beliefs.”
The protest comes because the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) tweeted on Wednesday morning it stands towards hate of all types as a part of International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
The CBE stated in an emailed assertion to Global News it doesn’t assist the protest, saying the college board works along with academics, college students and oldsters to create secure and inclusive college communities.
Everyone has the best to be open about their sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identification with out worry of “unwanted consequences,” the college board stated.
However, the CBE famous college students have been nonetheless anticipated to attend courses throughout a daily college day and anybody who was not in school could be marked with an unexcused absence.
The protest additionally comes as crimes towards the LGBTQ2 group proceed to rise. Between 2019 and 2021, there was a 64 per cent uptick in hate crimes focusing on sexual orientation, based on Statistics Canada.
In March, GSA Alta. tweeted about an alleged gun menace directed on the LGBTQ2 group in Calgary.
The individual allegedly stated if police don’t defend the anti-trans protesters, they may defend themselves and “will not come unarmed.” He additionally appeared to vow “there will be blood.”
In February, two Chinook Blast occasions have been postponed over security issues as a result of anti-LGBTQ2 protests.
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
