6 arrests made, multiple tickets handed out as Calgary Beltline protests continue

Calgary police handed out multiple tickets and arrested six people during another weekend of protests in the Beltline area.

Chief Mark Neufeld announced the enforcement Saturday evening during a media conference, saying one arrest was for assaulting a police officer.

But by and large, the chief believes the protest and counter-protest groups were largely peaceful.

"Our aim was to ensure public safety and reduce public impact," Neufeld said.

Four arrests were for breaching an injunction granted to the city on Friday. One other was an arrest related to an outstanding warrant.

Another man was detained and had his semi-truck towed for incessant honking near city hall.

"If I was doing math on the back of a napkin, I would say all six (arrests) were affiliated with Group A," Neufeld said, referring to the self-proclaimed "freedom fighter" protesters.

Footage of an arrest made at Central Memorial Park just moments ago. Contains some colourful language. #YYC ⁦@CTVCalgary⁩ pic.twitter.com/Bn4nWoZLaw

— Timm Bruch (@TimmCTV) March 19, 2022

Between 10 and 20 tickets were also passed out by Calgary police, most for excessive noise because of vehicle honking. Many others could be in the mail.

A temporary court injunction was granted Friday to get a handle on the protests.

Following a meeting of the Calgary Police Commission, Neufeld promised residents would see a significant police presence Saturday.

And they did.

For parts of the afternoon, streets were shut down, and dozens of officers stood on guard in the core.

The injunction says that anyone who blocks roads or sidewalks could be charged and potentially arrested. It also warns against excessive noise and commercial activity in public parks.

The rules come after a group of Beltline residents, fed up with the weeks of freedom rallies in their communities, organized a counter-protest on March 12 that turned ugly.

On Saturday, parts of both groups met face-to-face at Central Memorial Park.

"There were some exchanges today that were very, very volatile and tense," Neufeld said. He believes some "agitators" were only on site to cause conflict.

Update from the Beltline: "freedom protesters" have split up: some are at Central Memorial Park, some at City Hall. Counter protesters have met the former group -- and a police line now separates the two sides. pic.twitter.com/ns4Q8MvcgG

— Timm Bruch (@TimmCTV) March 19, 2022

Eventually, the "freedom" group dispersed and re-congregated at city hall, where they spent the early evening playing music and listening to speeches.

Neufeld agrees with many residents who want the weekly protests to stay there. "It's a way better area," he said.