‘We are Albertans’: Premier praises students, Mounties after anti-Muslim rally at school

CALGARY Premier Rachel Notley says protests by anti-immigration groups outside of a Red Deer high school this week were “difficult to watch” but not reflective of Alberta.

More than a dozen people showed up Tuesday at Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School, including an anti-Muslim group called Worldwide Coalition Against Islam and the Soldiers of Odin.

They claimed Syrian immigrants who went to the high school had whipped other students at the school and escaped discipline.

But school officials and the RCMP said four Canadian students and four Syrian students who had been involved in a fight had all been suspended for a week from school.

In a Facebook post, Notley said “every child in our province deserves to feel safe and welcome in their school.

“Yesterday, that wasn’t the case, but we can learn from this and we can be better to one another,” she wrote.

Notley praised the RCMP officers who guarded the school, as well as students who had stood up to the protesters.

Police said the original altercation was a typical schoolyard fight, but the situation had been inflamed by social media posts making false allegations.

“We are Albertans,” wrote Notley. “We are neighbours. We are friends. We look out for one another. No lie or act of hate is ever going to change that.”

Notley said more than three months ago that her NDP government planned new initiatives to

“We are Albertans. We are neighbours. We are friends. We look out for one another. No lie or act of hate is ever going to change that. RACHEL NOTLEY, Premier of Alberta

combat racism and discrimination in the province. However, no action has been forthcoming yet.

The premier’s press secretary, Cheryl Oates, said earlier this month that there was nothing to announce yet.

“Internal processes continue and we hope to be able to provide you with more details in the coming weeks,” she said in an email.