'Say something': Protesters gather as G7 leaders' summit gets underway in Alberta
CALGARY — As world leaders gather at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alta., Lesley Boyer has a message.
The Calgary grandmother is angry that U.S. President Donald Trump keeps talking about Canada becoming his country's 51st state.
Sitting in a wheelchair at Calgary City Hall on Sunday, Boyer held up a sign with an expletive aimed at Trump.
"I've been waving my sign around the cameras and hopefully he'll see it … go away Trump. We don't want you here," she said.
Boyer was among several hundred people — including labour, youth, Indigenous, political and environmental activists — protesting before most of the G7 leaders had touched down in the city.
Trump arrived late Sunday at the Calgary airport before taking a helicopter to the summit site at Kananaskis in the Rocky Mountains. He was to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney on Monday morning before the official summit was to begin.
"I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to put myself on the right side of history. It's close enough," Boyer said.
"I can come with my mobility issues and have my say, and I thought it was really important to get out there and say something."
Others at the protest also had anti-American signs reading "Yankee Go Home," "Elbows Up" and "True North Strong and Peeved."
The city hall location is one of three designated protest zones in Calgary and Banff, where demonstrations are to be broadcast on TVs set up for the leaders in Kananaskis, which has been closed to the public.
G7 leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy and the European Union are also at the gathering.
"We see it just as a group of capitalist world leaders that are getting together," Eva Clark, a spokesperson with the Revolutionary Communist Party, said during the group's demonstration.
"It's not to chat about what's best for the world, not to chat about the climate crisis or any massive crisis going around the world, but explicitly to talk about how they can best continue their extraction of profits."
Clark said it's more important for others in the world to see and hear the protests — not the leaders.
"I feel like the voice we have here in Canada is in moments like this, where we can protest and be heard. I'm not super interested in being heard by the fat cats in Kananaskis right now."
Carney also invited leaders of non-member countries to the summit, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which sparked a protest in Ottawa on Saturday. The RCMP has accused agents of Modi's government of playing a role in "widespread violence" in Canada.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2025.
Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Column: Is this the beginning of the end for Tesla?
It was always difficult to understand the odd-couple relationship of U.S. President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Trump has made it clear that he wants to cut support for electric vehicles, if not generally reduce environmental protections, and Musk owns a company that builds electric cars. Someday, those opposing forces would come to a head, and the only loser would be Tesla. Business and politics mix like oil and water. They eventually separate, and in the Trump-Musk scenario, rather dramatically. Sign up for Automotive News Canada's weekly podcast newsletter for a lively and in-depth discussion of the biggest stories. While Musk was busy angering his liberal customer base by aligning with Trump in the most visible manner possible as the chainsaw-wielding head of the Department of Government Efficiency, the leaders of other auto companies were largely out of the news and focused on battling Trump's tariffs. What they were not doing was making their brands unpopular. Tesla gained a cult-like following partly because Musk was seen as a rebel, but, as we've witnessed, the potential volatility cuts both ways. Interest in Tesla among Canadians with intentions of buying an electric vehicle has fallen to 13 per cent from 29 a year ago, according to the J.D. Power 2025 Canada Electric Vehicle Consideration Study, released May 29. The survey, detailed in a separate story, doesn't get into the reasons Canadians are turning their backs on Tesla, but Musk's politics — and saying Canada isn't a real country — are likely the key driver. In one fell swoop, Musk became a pariah, and Tesla is paying the price. Aside from public protests, several provinces removed Tesla from their EV rebate programs, and Ottawa froze Incentives for Zero Emission Vehicle (iZEV) payments as it investigated the validity of a large number of last-minute Tesla rebate claims. Before the Musk-Trump bromance, people would buy Teslas, seemingly no matter how good or bad the vehicle was, because of Musk. Now, no matter how good or bad the vehicle is, they're less likely to buy because of Musk. It's all so unnecessary. The lesson, which most people in business know, is don't mix in politics. Regardless of whether that's seen as commonplace or even expected in the Trump orbit, the obvious problem is that sharply divisive politics can make permanent enemies out of customers. Musk, in aligning with Trump, had everything to lose and little to gain. Trump for years has openly berated EVs, so it's not like his supporters would be suddenly swayed by the tacky and now-infamous Tesla sales pitch on the White House lawn. And since the Trump-Musk relationship has soured, reports that Trump will sell his Tesla are bound to undo any inroads made. (Not to mention Musk's vilification of Trump on X, formerly Twitter.) So all Musk managed to do was alienate droves of customers and potential customers who feel, well, wronged. The danger for Tesla is that customers don't need the drama or misery (what will Musk do next?) when there are excellent EV alternatives, whether the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Kia EV6 or Hyundai Ioniq 5. According to the J.D. Power survey, Hyundai was the top brand, with 36 per cent of Canadian EV shoppers interested, while Kia, Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet rounded out the top five. It's hard to fathom how Musk, an intelligent individual, did not see this coming. Perhaps he was too disconnected from the car business or that, in his mind, he could do no wrong. Regardless, damage control seems impossible, raising the question of whether Tesla can be pulled from the fire. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNN
37 minutes ago
- CNN
Kaitlan Collins explains why Trump left G7 summit early
Kaitlan Collins explains why Trump left G7 summit early President Donald Trump is heading back early to Washington from the G7 summit in Canada, as the conflict between Israel and Iran enters its fifth day. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports on the escalating attacks between the two sides and Trump's warning to civilians in Tehran. 00:55 - Source: CNN Vertical Politics of the Day 15 videos Kaitlan Collins explains why Trump left G7 summit early President Donald Trump is heading back early to Washington from the G7 summit in Canada, as the conflict between Israel and Iran enters its fifth day. CNN's Kaitlan Collins reports on the escalating attacks between the two sides and Trump's warning to civilians in Tehran. 00:55 - Source: CNN Trump's sons announce mobile phone company Trump Mobile, a wireless service created by the Trump Organization, aims to rival US carrier companies like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. The Trump Organization, run by President Donald Trump's eldest sons Eric and Donald Jr., announced the business and launched a new gold smartphone for pre-order. 01:09 - Source: CNN Ex-Israeli Defense Minister's message to Trump Benny Gantz, Chairman of Israel's National Unity Party, and the former Minister of Defense speaks to CNN's Anderson Cooper following Israel's attack on Iran. 01:08 - Source: CNN Minnesota suspect went to 4 state lawmaker homes night of shootings The suspect in the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband in addition to the shooting of another lawmaker and his wife also visited two more politicians' homes, according to authorities. 02:08 - Source: CNN Trump slams G7 for kicking out Russia President Donald Trump kicked off his visit to the G7 summit in Canada by criticizing nations for kicking out Russia eleven years ago. 00:36 - Source: CNN CNN's Wolf Blitzer asks Herzog why Israel struck Iran now The deadly conflict between Israel and Iran continues as the IDF says it destroyed more than 120 of Iran's missile launchers, which it said is about a third of its total. Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks with CNN about why Israel struck Iran now. 00:46 - Source: CNN Minnesota Senator: Rise in political threats 'out of hand' Sen. Amy Klobuchar spoke out against online threats aimed at lawmakers following the shooting deaths of State Rep. Melissa Hortman, the leading Democrat in the Minnesota House, and her husband. Gov. Tim Walz described the incident as a 'politically motivated assassination' and said the same individual shot Democratic State Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, both of whom survived. 01:25 - Source: CNN Trump praises US Army during military parade 01:13 - Source: CNN Trump presides over military parade CNN's Kristen Holmes reports as soldiers, tanks and fighting vehicles paraded through the streets of Washington, DC, to celebrate the US Army's 250th anniversary. 00:31 - Source: CNN 'No Kings' protesters rally across the country CNN spoke to several protesters among the millions of Americans who are expected to attend 'No Kings' protests across the country on Saturday to denounce what organizers describe as President Donald Trump's authoritarian policies and 'militarization of our democracy.' 01:11 - Source: CNN Why Trump's military parade is a big deal CNN's Brianna Keilar dives into the history of US military parades, and why the latest one set for June 14th is significant. 02:35 - Source: CNN 'This is not normal': Sen. Padilla explains his removal from DHS event CNN's Erin Burnett speaks with Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) after he was forcibly removed from a Department of Homeland Security press conference in California. 02:05 - Source: CNN Democrats slam Trump's military deployment to LA During a House hearing focused on 'sanctuary state' policies, Democrats slammed President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard and Marines to California amid protests over the administration's immigration enforcement policies. 00:46 - Source: CNN Trump draws boos and cheers at Kennedy Center President Donald Trump drew charged reactions of both admiration and ire at the Kennedy Center's opening night of "Les Misérables." 00:29 - Source: CNN Trump says why his second term is different from the first In an interview with The New York Post's Pod Force One, President Trump explained why he "can be stronger on an attack on Los Angeles" in his second term compared to his first. Trump also said he told Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, he planned to deploy National Guard troops before doing so. 01:09 - Source: CNN
CNN
37 minutes ago
- CNN
G7 leaders agree on strategy to protect critical mineral supply, draft document says
Group of Seven leaders provisionally agreed Monday on a strategy to help protect the supply of critical minerals and bolster their economies, according to a draft statement seen by Reuters. The draft, which a source said had not yet been approved by US President Donald Trump, also said minerals markets should reflect the real costs of responsible extraction, processing and trade. China's decision in April to limit exports of a wide range of critical minerals and magnets disrupted supplies needed by automakers, computer chip manufacturers and military contractors around the world. Trump last week said Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to let rare earth minerals and magnets flow to the United States. Rare earths and other critical minerals, though, remain a source of leverage for Beijing. 'Non-market policies and practices in the critical minerals sector threaten our ability to acquire many critical minerals,' the draft said. 'Recognizing this threat to our economies, as well as various other risks to the resilience of our critical minerals supply chains, we will work together and with partners beyond the G7 to swiftly protect our economic and national security.' This included anticipating critical minerals shortages, coordinating responses to deliberate market disruption, and diversifying mining, processing, manufacturing, and recycling, it said.
