Pro-Sean Chu rally draws counter-protesters in wake of alleged sexual assault case
More than 100 Calgarians gathered Saturday to show their support for Ward 4 Coun. Sean Chu following weeks of repeated calls for him to resign amid sexual assault allegations of a 16-year-old girl in 1997.
Supporters of Chu say he was duly elected and that his alleged activity with a teenage girl during his tenure as a Calgary police officer was resolved more than two decades ago.
“It’s water under the bridge,” said Gerald Walton, who participated in a show of support for Chu outside of Olympic Plaza.
“The only reason they brought up this case was political assassination. He’s a devoted, hardworking councillor, he cleaned up our whole neighbourhood and deserves to sit on council. Those vultures against him should put their coats on, go home and allow him to just do his job.”
Co-organizer of the rally, Cynthia Shi agrees that sexual assault allegations against Chu should not be the focus of his next four years.
“It's not for me to let someone resign or to force them out of their job,” Shi said.
“I think Sean did a good job and we want him to do a good job continually on behalf of people living in Calgary during this tax hike emergency, not a climate emergency.”
Chu was contacted by CTV News on Saturday, but declined to comment.
'SHE WAS 16!' – COUNTER-PROTESTERS DEMAND RESIGNATION OF CHU
Several counter-protesters gathered across the street on the steps of Calgary city hall to send a message to those in support of Sean Chu.
Many people could be heard yelling ‘she was 16!’ and ‘victims over systems!’
Krista Li participated in the protest, bringing along her two daughters to show them that sexual assault victims should be believed and given a voice.
“It's about a system that protects people like Sean Chu and it's about a system that dehumanizes victims and that doesn't believe them,” Li said.
“So if we want a better Calgary, if we want to better Alberta, it’s very important that we stand up against what Sean Chu represents, which is a very corrupt system.”
Li adds that Chu was democratically elected, but voted in under false pretenses as Calgarians in Ward 4 weren’t informed about his sexual assault allegations until after advance polls.
“She was 16, that is the only message, and I would ask anybody standing on the other side of that road that if this was your daughter, how would you feel?”
Steven Harding, a Ward 4 resident who had previously voted for Chu, also attended the protest.
He demands Chu resign his position so his city councillor can have an actual voice and a seat at the table following Chu’s removal from important city committees.
“I don't have any representation in the city,” Harding said.
“And that’s what pisses me off here about the people on the other side of this rally that still think he should be in that position of political leadership. There is no way that he should be representing anybody.”
POLITICAL ANALYST WEIGHS IN ON CHU ALLEGATIONS
Political analyst with Mount Royal University Lori Williams says Sean Chu initially misled his voters about the details of what happened, leading to a breach of trust and a favourable result by a slim margin of about 100 votes at the polls.
“It’s a lack of accountability and transparency and questions about his character, about his judgment are matters that are currently very important to a lot of voters,” Williams said.
“There are people who would have voted differently if they had this information. There are also people who were very disappointed that he was not forthright in providing information when it first was disclosed.”
Williams adds that Chu is now placed in a very difficult situation because his lack of trust amongst his council members and constituents has occurred at the beginning of his four year term.
"It is going to be very difficult and the prospect of four years now showing him to not be able to adequately represent his constituents is raising serious questions,” she said.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says she has requested that Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver call a byelection in an attempt to remove Chu from city council.
McIver sought external advice from law firm Brownlee LLP, which delivered the opinion that McIver isn't authorized to fire Chu based on behaviour that took place before he was elected to council.
According to court documents, Chu met with a 16-year-old girl on Aug. 12, 1997 at a restaurant. He was never criminally charged, but was found guilty of one count of discreditable misconduct for caressing her leg and reprimanded for five years.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Woman, 18, killed by co-worker's vehicle on Highway 1 in Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw police say an 18-year-old woman who was at work has died from injuries she sustained in a collision with a vehicle being driven by her co-worker last Thursday.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
MPs to vote on NDP motion calling on Canada to recognize Palestinian statehood
Members of Parliament will vote Monday on a motion from the federal New Democrats, calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine,' among a range of other calls to action in regards to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict.