Trans rights protest and counter-protest downtown
Seeing notifications about a protest and counter‑protest downtown between some “freedom” convoy people protesting LGBTQ2+ rights re trans children, and people resisting them. Photo kyped from a regular reader’s Mastodon account (will pull this or give credit if requested). No mainstream media reports yet.
CTV has a video report explaining the Canada‑wide protests but not specifically about the local demo, and La Presse writes about the planned protests.
carswell 11:26 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
Wish I’d known about this beforehand. Would be there alongside them (them not being the Freedom Convoy idiots).
EmilyG 12:03 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
I wanted to go to the anti-hate counter-protest, but I ended up having health issues. I hope there was a good turnout for the counter-protest.
Kate 12:29 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
CBC news said at noon that the counter-protest was bigger and that the police were keeping them apart.
mare 13:25 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
I’m in this picture and indeed, ‘we’ outnumbered them. It was weird, a lot of anti-trans protesters were Muslim families with kids that were outfitted with prefabricated signs, almost all in English. There were also a few white nationalists waving big Canadian and Quebec flags, but they stayed far away from the perimeter. Lots of (riot) police but no incidents. Lots of press with cameras (CBC, Radio-Canada, TVA) but it was still ongoing when I left at noon.
Meezly 13:40 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
I was curious about that as I saw photos of families with signs saying “Leave our kids alone”. It seems the FB Group (based in Calgary?) called YYC Muslims is mostly behind the rallying of concerned Muslim parents.
It shouldn’t be all that surprising since there’s a lot of ideological common ground among organized monotheistic religions like Islam and Christianity. Obvs, it goes without saying these anti trans protesters are not representative of all Christians and Muslims.
mare 13:42 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
This was actually only a about a third of the counter demo. Most people were actually to the left of this shot, in front of the Roddick gates, and weren’t aware there was another counterprotest at the other end on President-Kennedy
At a certain point it was a layer cake with a very large base layer of counter-protesters on Sherbrooke, two thin layers of police, a small filling of protesters, another two thin layers of police (left on this photo), a layer of counter-protesters and a large overflowing topping of protesters on President-Kennedy (centre on this photo).
walkerp 14:07 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
I applaud you, counter-protestors. Great work.
GC 15:13 on 2023-09-20 Permalink
It’s definitely hard to tell the proportions in this shot, but it seems safe to assume that the ones with rainbow flags, at least, are counter-protestors.
It’s a positive if the counter-protestors outnumbered the others, at least. And bonus points if both sides avoided any physical altercations.
Orr 07:45 on 2023-09-21 Permalink
Worth remembering that this is “the thin edge of the wedge” for these religious extremists and they also want being gay to be illegal, no gay marriage, believe gay people can be converted to straight, want abortion criminalized, want divorce to stop being a thing, and are against birth control/contraception, sex without marriage, and for sex within marriage for reproduction only. The “it’s ok with us if women die because abortion is illegal” crowd. Extremists.
Kate 09:13 on 2023-09-21 Permalink
And yet this is characterized as wanting freedom.
Ian 10:59 on 2023-09-21 Permalink
I’m also really saddened that I didn’t hear about this beforehand. I would have joined the ranks of the counter-protestors in a heartbeat. Where was it publicized?
EmilyG 11:21 on 2023-09-21 Permalink
There was a Facebook event for the counter-protest. Linking it here for reference: https://www.facebook.com/events/7126573000703326/
I also wish the counter-protest was better publicized. Though I’m glad to hear it had a good turnout.
Kate 12:16 on 2023-09-21 Permalink
I didn’t see anything about it, but it’s not really my cause.
I think the counter‑protest was rustled up primarily at the universities.
Meezly 12:28 on 2023-09-21 Permalink
@Orr, I believe it’s important to be aware that many people who are anti-trans do not always have extremist views. They can be conservative, liberal, gay, feminist, etc. My SIL is a generally liberal-minded person with some TERFish beliefs (to our chagrin). There are a couple of acquaintances who I thought were fairly open-minded and educated until they got to spouting off some conspiracy theories and transphobic views. I wouldn’t be surprised if either of them had joined in on the 1MM4 March.
Ian 09:44 on 2023-09-24 Permalink
other extremist views. Being anti-trans is an extremist view by itself. TERFs, for instance, are a good example of this.