A group of pro-Palestinian protest organizers in Calgary are claiming that they are facing unfair treatment by the police and are calling for accountability. They accuse the Calgary Police Service (CPS) officers of using excessive force during their protests. The organizers include representatives from Justice for Palestinians, Independent Jewish Voices Calgary, Watermelon Foundation for Justice, and the Calgary Student Movement. They believe that they have been subjected to discriminatory acts, double standards in the application of the law, and abuses of power by the police and city bylaw officers. The organizers point to a specific incident on September 15th at Tompkin’s Park, where 12 tickets were issued and three people were arrested during what they describe as a peaceful protest, but CPS disagrees.
The CPS states that the event organizers refused to collaborate with them, despite attempts from officers to ensure a safe and lawful protest. As a result, CPS had to take enforcement steps to ensure the safety of demonstrators, motorists, and the impacted community. However, the organizers believe this is a pattern of behavior from authorities, citing another incident in May when protesters camped at the University of Calgary. Police were called in to dismantle the encampment, and tensions escalated, with objects being thrown at officers leading them to use non-lethal weapons. The organizers maintain that it was a peaceful protest, and they were cooperating with police.
The organizers are planning to pursue lawsuits and human rights complaints against the City of Calgary and CPS, as well as demand an independent inquiry into discrimination and abuse of power by the police. They have submitted FOIP requests to CPS to gain information about how their rallies were handled and are calling on the Calgary Police Commission to hold the police service accountable for their actions. CPS emphasizes that their behaviors are dictated by protester behavior and that they have successfully worked with various protest organizers to facilitate peaceful and lawful protests. According to CPS, there has been a 260% increase in protests, demonstrations, and rallies since 2019, with 42% of protests requiring varying levels of police intervention to ensure safety.
Overall, the pro-Palestinian protest organizers in Calgary are speaking out against what they perceive as unfair treatment by the police. They claim that they have been subjected to discriminatory acts, double standards, and abuses of power during their protests. The organizers are calling for accountability from the Calgary Police Service and are planning legal action and human rights complaints. They are also requesting an independent inquiry and transparency from authorities regarding their handling of protests. Despite disagreements between the organizers and CPS, both parties are working towards facilitating peaceful and lawful protests while ensuring the safety of participants, the public, and officers.
