One person was arrested, and 17 summonses were issued after a protest at the Calgary International Airport Sunday.
According to police, roughly 50 people took part in a protest to try and disrupt traffic around the Calgary airport. It was part of a Canada-wide protest to limit access to airports in major cities.
Calgary police said they will protect a citizen’s right to peacefully protest, but several protesters tried to stop traffic around the airport. That’s when they stepped in to enforce traffic safety laws.
Christopher Saccoccia, 38, was taken into custody as a primary organizer and since charged with one count of mischief, Calgary police said.
“We became aware of today’s planned protest earlier last week and had several resources in place to monitor today’s activities,” said Acting Inspector Peter Siegenthaler of the CPS Major Events and Emergency Management Section.
“Our primary role in situations like this is to preserve public safety and ensure the rights of other citizens are not negatively impacted by actions of protestors. While we always work to ensure citizens’ right to peacefully protest, we will not tolerate individuals choosing to impede the rights of others.”
