The Calgary Police Service (CPS) has asked that participants attending planned protests this weekend in the downtown core, surrounding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, do so in a lawful, safe, and respectful way.

The call follows a previous Sunday of protests on Nov. 26, which saw pro-Palestinian marchers temporarily block roads along 4 Avenue SE, including traffic over Reconciliation Bridge.

Calgary Police Superintendent Joe Brar with the Operational Support Division said that the service has been working closely with protest organizers, including a meeting between police executives and organizers on Dec. 1.

“While by in large we expect peaceful behaviour, we also want to be very clear of our expectations of participants, as they exercise their lawful rights to demonstrate. Prohibiting the safe movement of vehicles on major thoroughfares and blocking access routes to necessary services will be addressed by officers under the applicable law,” he said.

“Those expectations have been, and continue to be, communicated to the demonstration organizers and participants. We are sharing this more broadly to clearly set expectations for everyone involved.”

Supt. Brar said that the demonstrators have been cooperative, but that there have been some splinter groups of protesters unwilling to work with police.

“There are some individuals that choose not to cooperate, and we’ll address those individuals,” Brar said.

“The role of the police here is to facilitate lawful, peaceful and safe demonstrations while minimizing impact to the community.”

Disruptions have risen alongside escalation in violence in Palestine

He said that as conditions change in the Middle East, that there has been rising emotions and subsequent disruptions occurring.

“The message is, for today, let’s come out and lawfully and safely and peacefully protest while respecting other Calgarians. I think we’re in a position where we can achieve both,” Brar said.

The expectation, he said, was that demonstrators would be able to exercise their charter rights while at the same time, people who aren’t a part of the protests should only have minimal impacts if they visit the downtown core.

“That’s what we’re working on, is balancing our right to demonstrate and balance the right for people to be able to enjoy their weekends,” Brar said.

The use of smoke devices over the past two weekends by pro-Palestinian protesters was addressed by Supt. Brar, by saying the issue was not so much the devices themselves but on what they could cause a crowd of people to do.

“You see in the crowd, there’s elderly people in there, there’s young children in there, and there’s some medical issues that could arise as a result of those. So, we are asking demonstrators to refrain from using those just to keep the crowd safe. The last thing you want is a medical issue in the crowd of that size,” he said.

Supt. Brar also addressed growing hostility towards the police, asking those gathered to remember that the police were there to protect those marching and to ensure that their rights are protected in addition to the public.

“Nobody wins by engaging in anti-police rhetoric or anything along those lines. These individuals out there, most of them working on their days off just to ensure that Calgarians are safe, demonstrators are safe. So, I ask that we be respectful of those women and men,” Brar said.

“Anybody who jeopardizes public peace, engages others in illegal, or participates in illegal activities will help be held accountable for their actions. If anyone feels they were not dealt with appropriately by the police, they can file a complaint through our professional standards section.”

Demonstrators paused their march on Nov. 26, on the roadway at 4 Avenue SE and Macleod Trail to condemn the service for arrests made the week earlier to clear a splinter group of pro-Palestinian protesters who had refused to stop blocking traffic.

Protesters, including those who had been arrested on Nov. 19 and were marching on Nov. 26, alleged the arrests by police had caused concussions and other lasting physical and mental ailments.