Chants of, “Hey, hey, Ho, Ho, the UCP has got to go,” echoed inside the Servus Sports Centre on Aug. 27.
The chants greeted the Alberta Next panel group headed by Premier Danielle Smith in Lloydminster.
Protesters opposing a new pension plan, environmental policies and health-care reforms gathered near the north field house access point, where officials had converted the venue to host Smith and other UCP leaders.
Dan Gray Meridian Source
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Multiple times, officials directed them to allow other facility users to pass freely instead of clogging up the hallway and asking protestors to lower their voices.
Several claimed they were exercising their freedom of speech. Protesters also insisted they were standing on public property, arguing that freedom extended to the city-owned Servus Sports Centre space. The sports centre usually doesn’t permit unrestricted demonstrations.
No “Queens” allowed
Some of the protesters came from Lloydminster and the surrounding area, with one travelling from Edmonton. She arrived to continue her No “Queens” protest against Smith.
Matilda, who did not provide her last name to the Meridian Source for safety, demanded the UCP quit dictating policy. She called on them to stop using the Alberta Next platform to pretend to listen to the people.
“It’s important to be here because this province needs to be safe for me and my kids,” she said. “If you are of a group that is different, you are targeted here. And not just by the public, it’s now by the government as well.”
She accused the government of targeting the elderly, people with disabilities, immigrants and people of colour.
“(And) at this point … women too,” she said.
“Canada is supposed to be a free place and we fight really hard for that,” said Matilda. “Unfortunately, Danielle Smith is hell bent on making it unsafe.
“She wants to be a queen, it’s obvious if you pay attention long enough.”
A pro-United Canada group collected signatures in front of the centre, asking if Alberta should remain in Canada.
Another Alberta resident was collecting signatures for the Forever Canadian initiative.
“I really feel strongly about the Forever Canadian initiative,” said the resident. “I just feel strongly we are Canada.”
Within 30 minutes of the event’s start, most protesters had packed up and returned home. There were no reported arrests for the evening.
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