Edmonton, St. Albert mayors concerned by local MP's presence at 'freedom convoy' rally in Ottawa
CTV
Edmonton and St. Albert's mayors released a joint statement calling on an area Member of Parliament to apologize for attending the "freedom convoy" rally protest opposed to COVID-19 mandates.
Edmonton and St. Albert's mayors released a joint statement calling on an area Member of Parliament to apologize for attending the "freedom convoy" rally protest opposed to COVID-19 mandates.
Thousands of truckers and others opposing cross-border vaccine mandates and other public health restrictions rolled into Ottawa on Saturday for a rally on Parliament Hill. While police said there were no reported incidents of violence or injuries, some protesters carried signs and flags containing symbols of hate.
Michael Cooper, representing the constituency of St Albert-Edmonton, attended the event and gave coffee to some of the attendees.
"Joined my colleague MP Damien Kurek to pour coffee and show appreciation for hardworking, patriotic truckers who have kept our supply chains healthy and grocery shelves stocked for the past two years," Cooper said in a tweet.
Mayors Amarjeet Sohi and Cathy Heron said they were "troubled" by an image of Cooper giving an interview to a reporter where protesters behind him carried a defaced Canadian flag featuring a swastika.
"This type of symbolism is never okay, but it is even more troubling as we just marked the anniversary of the Holocaust and today we remember the victims who lost their lives in the hate-based Quebec City Mosque attack five years ago," the joint statement read.
"We want the rest of the country to know that MP Cooper's presence at this rally in no way reflects the values of Edmontonians and St. Albertans," the mayors said. "Our communities are diverse, inclusive and welcoming, and hate has absolutely no place here."
