Three protests set for HRM on Saturday

Activism is alive and well and living in Halifax.

The city will be the site of three protests and rallies Saturday, beginning with the Broken Trust protest at noon on the Bedford Highway.

That protest is for patients, families and supporters of alleged victims of Bedford-based dentist Errol Gaum.

Gaum's licence was suspended earlier this week by the provincial dental board after an emergency meeting was called Wednesday night to discuss numerous complaints against Gaum.

“I'm very happy that the dental board is actually listening to us and suspending his licence even though it should have been suspended long ago,” Ryan Binder told the Cape Breton Post.

Binder, who believes Gaum hurt his six-year-old daughter, said the suspension is only the start and the group won't stop until the dentist's licence is revoked and his actions are criminally investigated.

A Halifax Regional Police spokesman confirmed that they are investigating "numerous reports that a man who was working as a dentist assaulted patients at numerous locations over a period of time from the 1970s to this year."

Binder, a Cape Breton resident, filed his complaint with the dental board last week after his daughter's appointment with Gaum on Nov. 10.

As many voices as possible, muted only by facemasks, are urged to gather for the Broken Trust protest taking place at 1083 Bedford Hwy.

At 1 p.m., former residents, descendants and allies of Africville will rally at the Grand Parade in front of Halifax City Hall to demand reparations for the deliberate destruction of their harbour-side community.

The rally, featuring speakers and performers, will highlight that the city's 2010 apology and settlement with the Africville Genealogy Society did not include any reparations, as was suggested by the United Nations.

Instead, the settlement merely provided $3 million to rebuild a small replica of the Africville church and two acres of land without ownership because it was designated as a (dog) park. Now, former residents and descendants have filed for a class action lawsuit that seeks compensation.

Organizers remind all attendees to take COVID precautions, including wearing masks and keeping physical distance.

At 3 p.m., an anti-war rally will be held by those who characterize the 12th annual Halifax International Security Forum running online from Friday to Sunday as a war conference.

The rally will be held at Halifax Peace and Freedom Park at the corner of Hollis and South streets, across from the Westin Nova Scotian hotel, the site of the security forum in NON-COVID times.

The security forum represents narrow private interests that are linked to U.S. wars and striving for world domination through its association with partners, sponsors and media thought leaders, which Canada brought together in Halifax once a year since 2009, the anti-war group said in a release.

The group says the security forum is a “100 per cent U.S. operation, lock, stock and barrel,” with offices located in Washington, D.C.

“Yet the security forum is paid for by millions of our tax dollars handed over by the Canadian government to the U.S. organizers," the group fronted by Allan Bezanson said.

Protesters are encouraged to bring banners, music, statements and friends who oppose the “war conference.”