Protesters hold 'people's forum' in Calgary ahead of G7, prepare for Sunday march

On the final day before G7 leaders gather in Kananaskis, Alta., activists and community groups met in downtown Calgary on Saturday afternoon for a "people's forum" that took aim at the priorities of G7 leaders.

They also discussed plans for a demonstration and march near city hall in Calgary on Sunday. Organizers said the goal was to unify fragmented activist groups ahead of the protest.

"The G7, it's happening for a few days, but it's going to wrap up and leave," said Yasmeen Khan of the International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS), which describes itself as an anti-imperialist organization.

"But the issues are still going to be there. So how do we, in Calgary and in Alberta particularly, build a people's movement?"

A series of protests and marches are expected throughout the day in downtown Calgary on Sunday, representing a range of different groups and priorities, including labour, youth, Indigenous and environmental activists. 

There are three "designated demonstration zones" established by officials running through the summit: one in Banff and two in Calgary, but police have said people have the right to assemble outside the zones.

The ILPS expects several hundred people at the city hall protest, with buses arriving from Edmonton.

They also have plans for a march in conjunction with other community and activist groups, which may move beyond the official protest zones.

"We are saying that it's a peaceful march. [Our] police liaisons will discuss with the police. If there's a go, then we'll do the march," Khan said.

Still, there's concern over how any potential confrontations with police will be handled, especially if numbers swell outside the range of what organizers are expecting.

Officials have referred to the G7 summit as the "largest domestic security operation" a country can take on, with advanced technological threats contributing to heightened security concerns.

A major police presence will be in place during the summit, including officers from RCMP, Calgary Police Service and other agencies.

As demonstrations unfold in Calgary, security officials say they're taking a "measured and proportionate" approach with an emphasis on dialogue and de-escalation.

"We remain committed to transparency and accountability in all our actions," said David Hall, Alberta RCMP superintendent and event security director for the G7 Integrated Safety and Security Group, in a release.