Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
A group of pro-Palestinian protest organizers say they are being unfairly targeted by the police and are calling for accountability.
Representatives from Justice for Palestinians, Independent Jewish Voices Calgary, Watermelon Foundation for Justice and the Calgary Student organization are accusing Calgary Police Service (CPS) officers of using excessive force during their protests.
“The organizers of these rallies have been subjected to a long series of discriminatory actions, double standards of application of the law and abuse of power by Calgary police and city bylaw officers,” said Wesam Cooley with Justice Palestine.
The organizers point to a gathering on September 15 in Tompkin Park on 17th Avenue where 12 tickets were issued and three people arrested during what they describe as a peaceful protest, but the CPS disagrees.
In a statement, the CPS says “the organizers of the event refused to co-operate with the CPS. It was the lack of cooperation despite efforts by officers leading up to and during the protest that would have allowed a safe and legal protest to take place.
As a result, the CPS was required to take enforcement action to ensure the safety of demonstrators, motorists, and also out of consideration for the rights of the affected community.”
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But the organizers believe that this is a pattern of behavior from the authorities. In May, protesters set up camp at the University of Calgary, calling on the administration for funding transparency and to divest from all companies with ties to Israel.
The police were called to dismantle the camp and tensions increased. The CPS says objects were thrown at officers leading them to return fire with lethal weapons.
However, the organizers say it was another peaceful protest and those present are cooperating with the police and have already started to take down their tents. They accuse the CPS of injuring a number of protesters in the disputes.
“We will pursue lawsuits and human rights complaints against the City of Calgary and CPS and will demand an independent investigation into discrimination and abuse of power by Calgary police,” Cooley said.
The CPS says police behaviors not beliefs, and officers’ actions are determined by the behavior of protesters, adding that it has worked successfully with a variety of protest organizers to facilitate peaceful and lawful protests.
Palestinian protest organizers had submitted FOIP requests to the CPS to obtain information about how their rallies were handled. They are also calling on the Calgary Police Commission to hold the police service accountable for their actions.
“If we can’t understand who is responsible then we don’t know who to go after for more information about why this happened to us and why this violence continues against pro-Palestinian protesters, ” said Euan Thompson, one of the protesters in the U. from camp C.
According to the CPS there has been a 260 per cent increase in protests, demonstrations and rallies since 2019. Between January 2023 and May 2024, the CPS recorded 572 protests, of which 238 (42 per cent) required varying levels of police intervention. of them to ensure the safety of participants, the public and officers.
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(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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