Capital commission wants protest teepees removed
Police chief reluctant to take sides, sees little threat to public safety
Saskatchewan’s Provincial Capital Commission (PCC) is attracting criticism for calling on Regina police to remove the growing number of teepees outside the Legislative Building with Canada Day looming.
In an announcement Wednesday, the PCC blamed location changes for July 1 celebrations in Wascana Park on the protest camp’s continued presence and police inaction.
The PCC stated it had on “three separate occasions ... officially requested that the Regina Police Service enforce the law and remove the structures.”
The release referenced PCC bylaws prohibiting overnight camping, placement of structures and the burning of wood and other combustibles, stating the bylaws exist to ensure safety and security of everyone who uses Wascana Park.
“It is disappointing that last minute changes are necessary to an event that requires year-round planning because of an unpermitted and illegal protest,” PCC executive director Carrie Ross says in the release, explaining most events have been moved to the north side of the lake.
“We have bylaws and permits in place to ensure Wascana Park is available for everyone to use in a safe manner, and we are again asking the Regina Police Service to enforce the law.”
A PCC spokesperson did not respond to an interview request Wednesday.
The Justice For Our Stolen Children camp — which had grown to eight teepees by Wednesday afternoon — started in late February and, last week, was dismantled after police responded to a request from the provincial government and PCC. But by Friday, the camp was back up and has since grown.
On Wednesday, protester Robyn Pitawanakwat expressed disappointment in the PCC’s position, particularly since a meeting is set for July 2 between the camp and the province.
“This seems to illustrate that the government is entering into the talks in bad faith,” she said in an emailed statement. “The government is using the media to pressure the local police and incite the public to force the camp to come down ... If the Provincial Government forcibly removes the camp, it will illustrate that they never had any intention of meeting with the camp and it is all a continuation of the lies and deception following a long history of such practices.”
Regina police Chief Evan Bray was not available for comment after the province’s statement, but had spoken of the camp earlier in the day.
“Right now, our focus is community safety,” he said. Given the upcoming meeting in just a few days, “We don’t feel a police response at this point … would do anything to help,” he said.
“We make sure that there’s no risk to the public, which at this point we don’t feel there is. And so our response right now is to let that discussion happen and ultimately hope for a peaceful resolution.”
He said police have been working closely with the government, the PCC, protesters and First Nations leaders, and added it’s not the role of police to pick sides.
You can look at any country where politicians direct police, and it’s not usually a country you want to live in.
Ward 6 Coun. Joel Murray — who sits on the Board of Police Commissioners — tweeted his concern: “I never want to see the day that police are operationally directed by politicians.”
In an interview, he said he wanted to state clearly that “it’s really important in this society we never politicize police forces and never use them for political means, especially operationally.
“If you’re going to start directing operations of the police force, that’s pretty dangerous territory ... You can look at any country where politicians direct police, and it’s not usually a country you want to live in.”
Opposition leader Ryan Meili called the continued problems “completely avoidable.”
He added “it looked pretty terrible” when police removed protesters a couple weeks before Canada Day.
“It was unnecessary,” he said. “The government had every opportunity to sit down with these folks and avoid bringing in that sort of police involvement.”