SUNDRE — Although the organizers and attendees of the Mountain View Freedom group acted in direct violation of the provincial government’s public health mandates when gathering to protest pandemic protocols, police have no immediate plans to issue tickets or serve court appearances.
The Sundre RCMP detachment’s acting commander, Cpl. Resus Organ, confirmed on Tuesday, March 30 during an in-person interview in his office, that the organization’s leaders and those who attended were technically in breach of provincial guidelines for outdoor gatherings.
“There’s been no direction to enforce yet, or not. We can enforce — there’s no direction saying we can’t enforce,” said Organ.
“I think what it gets down to is our own perception at the time. So, if we think there’s an immediate danger to the public, and we’ve got lots of public interest to go after them, then we do.”
However, during the most recent rally held in Sundre, when an RCMP cruiser was parked about a block away with officers keeping an eye on the situation, police opted to keep their distance.
“They’ve done a few other rallies, in Carstairs, Didsbury and Olds,” the corporal said, adding the events have drawn out lower numbers of attendees ranging from about 100 to 300 people.
“There’s always a risk for COVID. At the end of the day, we have to make sure that we’re protected too. So, we’re not going to go and arrest everybody.”
The RCMP has kept tabs on the protests’ organizers, and having identified leaders can issue tickets and serve court appearances as deemed necessary, he said.
The corporal added that during the rally in Sundre, there were no complaints about the protest reported by the public.
