A small group of counter-demonstrators in Edmonton on Saturday managed to blockade a parade of “Freedom Convoy” supporters on their way to the city’s downtown for the better part of an hour mid-day yesterday.
When Edmonton Police and Alberta Sheriffs arrived at the intersection of River Valley Rd. and Fortway Dr. about half an hour after the 35 or so counter-protesters had stopped the line of pickup trucks, SUVs and four semi-trailers cabs in the eastbound lane of River Valley, they threatened the counter-protesters with application of Alberta’s draconian Critical Infrastructure Defence Act.
After some discussion, the counter-protesters called it a day, and the Honkies, as they have come to be known throughout Canada, continued on their way toward the Alberta Legislature up the hill.
Once there, many of the supporters of the occupation of Ottawa and blockades at various Canada-U.S. border crossings proceeded to ignore the injunction granted Wednesday by the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench to the city of Edmonton against the use of vehicle horns as part of the protest by the group.
Considerable critical commentary on social media was directed at the Edmonton Police Service for appearing to favour one group of protesters over the other, especially since the counter-protesters are opposed to the border blockades like the one at Coutts that has been allowed to continue day after day by the RCMP and the Kenney government.
Commenters were quick to note that the peaceful counter-protesters were threatened with the Kenney government’s likely unconstitutional Critical Infrastructure Defence Act and by police armed with billy clubs, while the threatening and sometimes violent blockaders who are costing the Alberta economy $44-million or more a day at Coutts can apparently do as they please.
“One thing I learned at this afternoon’s counter protest is that the EPS is perfectly capable of enforcing the law … but when it comes to the convoy they choose not to,” tweeted Mark Wells, one of the participants in the counter-protest. “What’s the difference between the two groups?”
“I have a legit question for all you Twitter lawyers,” tweeted Senator Paula Simons, an Edmonton resident. “At what point does the failure or unwillingness of a police service to enforce a court ordered injunction cross over to contempt of court?” The thread of responses to her query is interesting.
Jason Rockwell, one of the organizers of the counter-protest, tweeted that “our group showed Edmontonians, Albertans, and Canadians the push back against these alt-right convoys was possible. What it also did is reinforce the idea that the police are sympathizers with their cause.”
“Fightback starts small, local, and with my friends and fellow activists,” Rockwell said. “It was a good day. Let’s have some more.”
The EPS tried to explain its approach in a statement published on social media: “Due to safety concerns for both law enforcement and the public, it is not always safe to issue a ticket at the time of the alleged offence. Tickets can be issued in the hours or the days after an infraction occurs, based on evidence obtained at the time of the incident.”
The EPS said it issued 10 tickets during the noisy pro-convoy protest, and that approximately 60 more tickets will be mailed to vehicle owners. Nine tickets were for noise offences, they said.
Counter-protesters at the scene reported that most of the convoyers were reasonably polite, but a few became extremely agitated at the thought of having to wait—which is, readers must surely agree, somewhat ironic.
There were moments of humour, possibly unintended. One fellow, dressed as the North Saskatchewan River facsimile of Jack Sparrow, pirate of the Caribbean, engaged in a short exchange with the counter-protesters:
Sparrow: “You’re not gonna let them go?”
Counter-protesters (shouting): No!
Sparrow (sounding angry): “So you’re literally going to do the exact same f*ckin’ thing?”
Counter-protesters: Yeah.
Sparrow (suddenly cheerful): “OK. That’s cool.”
Lone voice as the pirate strode away: “Captain Jack Sparrow has spoken!”
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