Weekend protest at Legislative Building leads to 32 parking, traffic tickets

The Regina Police Service says 32 tickets were issued and one vehicle was towed during the weekend protests on Albert Street in front of the Saskatchewan Legislative Building.

In a media release Monday, the RPS said officers were present at the protest “in the capacity of ensuring public safety and keeping the peace for both the protesters and members of the public.”

“Although the Canadian Constitution upholds the rights of individuals to lawfully protest, police members observed unlawful violations, and demonstrators were informed and ticketed,” the media release said.

Regina Police Service Deputy Chief Dean Rae. (Britton Gray/980 CJME)

Dean Rae, the deputy chief of the Regina Police Service, told reporters Monday he was “proud” of the way officers handled the event.

“When we have an event like this, we expect our members to go out and engage the crowd and they have to balance the rights of the protesters (and) the rights of members of the public and ensure the public is safe and protesters are safe and are able to put forth their ideas and their thoughts,” Rae said.

Over the two days, 30 City of Regina parking bylaw tickets and two Traffic Safety Act offence tickets were handed out. Some semi drivers had parked their rigs in the driving lane on Albert Street to protest ongoing vaccine mandates in the country.

Rae said the decision was made Sunday to put an end to the protest, after members of the public and police officers alike raised safety concerns about the protesters being on Albert.

The fact traffic flow would increase significantly on Monday as people returned to work in the area also helped prompt the decision.

According to police, all of the vehicles left by midnight Sunday after discussions were held with protesters.

“Other than being very loud and boisterous, it was a peaceful protest,” Rae said. “There was no engaging with our members or members of the public that I’m aware of, other than verbal jousting back and forth.

“Everything went well that way and our members showed great restraint in dealing with those protesters that chose to engage us in that manner.”

Rae said officers are trained to put verbal abuse out of their minds and perform the task at hand. They also understand that, in the days of cellphone cameras, everything they do is likely being filmed.

Asked if there were concerns that similar protests might get more aggressive in the future, Rae said they’re all treated on a case-by-case basis.

“Is there a chance that they could escalate? Absolutely,” Rae admitted. “Do I have faith in our members going out and engaging them and doing a good job? Absolutely as well.

“Our members are trained to engage the public, to engage crowds like this that are upset and de-escalate the situation as best they can. They will talk to the different individuals that are out there, they will listen to their concerns (and) hear them out. But at the end of the day, we’re trying to be impartial and we’re trying to respect both sides of this.”

The Provincial Capital Commission announced Friday that all roads in Wascana Centre were to be closed to vehicle traffic on the weekend, thus keeping a convoy led by truckers off the grounds of the Legislative Building.

On Sunday, the PCC doubled down, saying the roads were to remain open only to pedestrians and those attending the Regina Frost festival in the park. The festival is to wrap up next Sunday.

The Legislative Building is closed for public visits due to what the legislative assembly’s website called “a security risk.” Rae said police officers are expected to be on the grounds Monday night to help security personnel if required.

NDP Justice Critic Nicole Sarauer praised the police, the PCC and the security personnel at the Legislative Building for their work during the weekend in ensuring a right to peaceful protest and a safe environment for people to attend the festival.

Sarauer also took the opportunity to criticize the government for its plan to turn security at the building over to someone hired by the government.

“MLAs and legislative staff were informed early of threats and concerns,” she wrote in a statement. “The responsible agencies worked effectively in collaboration, and wise choices were made to maintain safety while still allowing space for peaceful protest.

“The system works, as it has for many decades. It’s time to scrap Bill 70.”