The group is planning to host protests outside hospitals across Canada Monday, including at Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary
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An estimated 1,500 people attended a rally in downtown Calgary on Sunday afternoon to denounce COVID-19 vaccine mandates, including those announced by the City of Calgary and Alberta Health Services in recent weeks.
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Organizers called the demonstration the “Frontline for Freedom” rally, saying attendees were standing with firefighters, health-care workers, police and other front-line workers.
Attendees met at city hall, where several people gave speeches before demonstrators completed a short march through downtown.
One attendee was Blake Williard, who identified himself as a retired Calgary firefighter. He said he hopes organizations that impose vaccine mandates lose business, and said he doubted the severity of the pandemic.
“If the people who are putting on these events want vaccine passports, then I hope that they don’t have very many people in the stands,” he said.
Since the start of the pandemic, 2,444 Albertans have died of COVID-19.
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Passerby Lynn Freemantle said she is fully immunized against the novel coronavirus. She said seeing people marching in the streets espousing anti-vaccine sentiments angered her.
“I say to these people, what are you going to do when you get sick and there is no health care out there because of what you have done?” Freemantle asked.
“My responsibility is wearing this mask so if I’m a carrier, I’m not going to pass it on. It’s called loving your neighbour. It’s called being a part of society.”
The rally was spearheaded by Canadian Frontline Nurses, a group whose organizers include two former Ontario nurses who attended the Jan. 6 riots at the United States Capitol.
The group is planning to host protests outside hospitals across Canada on Monday, including at Foothills Hospital in Calgary and the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. AHS told the National Post on Sunday they are planning for an increased police presence for the rallies.
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On Wednesday, about 200 anti-vaccine mandate protesters gathered at Foothills Hospital, leading AHS president and CEO Dr. Verna Yiu to condemn their actions.
“I am aware of instances where AHS employees were yelled at and subjected to harassment. Some did not feel safe walking to and from their workplace,” Yiu said following the protest.
In the wake of anti-vaccine rallies at hospitals across the country, the Canadian Nurses Association said the demonstrators put public health and safety at risk.
“These protests have stunned and saddened exhausted health-care workers,” a statement from the group read.
“They are demoralizing, infuriating and dangerous. The situation is completely unacceptable, and it must stop immediately.”
— With files from Brendan Miller and the National Post
Approximately 1,500 attend Calgary rally against vaccine mandates - Calgary Herald
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