Latest news with #ILPS
Calgary Herald
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
'Don't want to antagonize:' G7 protesters vow restraint, question if police will follow suit
Article content Activists protesting the G7 gathering say they'll assemble peacefully, but some doubt police will refrain from violently suppressing their right to demonstrate. Article content An organizer with an alliance of 25 activist groups across the country that's bringing some of its members to Calgary said they avoid provoking police backlash, but might not confine their activities to three designated protest zones being set up for them in Calgary — near the airport, at Municipal Plaza and in Victoria Park. Article content Article content Article content 'Depending on the security situation, we might do a march and we'll see what the implications of leaving the designated zones are, but we don't want to put public safety at risk,' said Yasmeen Khan, North American vice-chair of the International League of Peoples' Struggle in Canada (ILPS). Article content Article content 'We should be able to bring a voice to the wider public but, at the same time, we don't want to antagonize.' Article content Police have said they have no legal mandate to confine protesters to the assigned zones, but add they won't tolerate law-breaking outside them. Article content Khan said she expects modest numbers from her alliance's groups to come to Calgary — maybe as few as 100, mostly activists from around Western Canada — though demonstrators from other groups as well as Calgary-based will add to those numbers. Article content They'll highlight a host of issues, including Indigenous struggles, housing, migrant and national liberation struggles, wages, climate change and international support for Israel's onslaught on Gaza. Article content Article content 'I don't think we're expecting thousands of people but we're hoping to bring together a political consciousness in Calgary,' she said, adding there's a simmering desire to join that movement in conservative Calgary. Article content 'There are people in the community who are waiting to come together, to be galvanized.' Article content Activists target the G7, said Khan, because they don't believe its leaders seek to address the problems facing regular people. Article content 'It's a sham sense of democracy and decision-making,' said Khan. Article content Activists will hold demonstrations and a 'people's forum' at Municipal Plaza from June 14 to 15, she said, and there could be other protests in the following days during the G7, which runs from June 15 to 17. Leaders from Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Italy and France, Japan and the European Union will gather at Kananaskis Village to seek consensus on peace and security, economic stability and the war in Ukraine.
Calgary Herald
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Calgary Herald
'Don't want to antagonize:' G7 protestors vow restraint, question if police will follow suit
Article content Activists protesting the G7 gathering say they'll assemble peacefully but some doubted police will refrain from violently suppressing their right to demonstrate. Article content An organizer with an alliance of 25 activist groups across the country that's bringing some of its members to Calgary said they avoid provoking police backlash but might not confine their activities to three designated protest zones being set up for them in Calgary located near the airport, at Municipal Plaza and in Victoria Park. Article content Article content Article content 'Depending on the security situation, we might do a march and we'll see what the implications of leaving the designated zones are but we don't want to put public safety at risk,' said Yasmeen Khan, North American vice-chair of the International League of Peoples' Struggle in Canada (ILPS). Article content Article content 'We should be able to bring a voice to the wider public but at the same time, we don't want to antagonize.' Article content Police have said they have no legal mandate to confine protestors to the assigned zones but add they won't tolerate law-outbreaking outside them. Article content Khan said she expects modest numbers from her alliance's groups to come to Calgary, maybe as few as 100 – mostly activists from around western Canada, though demonstrators from other groups as well as Calgary-based will add to those numbers. Article content They'll highlight a host of issues from Indigenous struggles, housing, migrant and national liberation struggles, wages, climate change and international support for Israel's onslaught on Gaza. Article content Article content 'I don't think we're expecting thousands of people but we're hoping to bring together a political consciousness in Calgary,' she said, adding there's a simmering desire to join that movement in conservative Calgary. Article content 'There are people in the community who are waiting to come together, to be galvanized.' Article content Activists target the G7, said Khan, because they don't believe its leaders seek to address the problems facing regular people. Article content 'It's a sham sense of democracy and decision-making,' said Khan. Article content Activists will hold demonstrations and a 'peoples' forum' at Municipal Plaza June 14-15,, she said, and there could be other protests in the days that follow during the G7, which runs from June 15 to 17 with leaders from Canada, the U.S., the UK, Germany, Italy and France, Japan and the European Union will be gathering at Kananaskis Village to come to consensus on peace and security, economic stability and the war in Ukraine.
