Protestors gathered outside Justin Wright's office on Saturday to rally against a number of UCP policy decisions in recent weeks.--News Photo Anna Smith
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
More than 50 Medicine Hat residents gathered outside of Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Justin Wright’s office on Saturday in protest of multiple recent provincial policy decisions.
“We’re protesting a provincial government that is ignoring what its citizens want,” said community member Ashley Large. “We’re protesting a provincial government that is using the most draconian legislation tools in order to force through ideological legislation, overriding science best practices.”
Issues that came front of mind for protestors present included underfunding the public health-care and education systems, and coal mining on the Eastern Slopes of the Rockies.
Most topical however, was recent use of the notwithstanding clause to limit the ability of teachers to strike and to restrict options available to trans youth, individuals and their families and physicians.
“We are human beings that need to care for each other and protect each other,” said former speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta Bob Wanner. “Many of these nation’s people, of our fellow citizens, went to war to protect those rights, and the courts are in place in this country to protect against those abuses of power.”
He expressed concern that the provincial government was overreaching in regards to human rights of Albertans, and he believes it is time for Medicine Hat to stand up for those affected in order to preserve those same rights for all.
The sentiment was echoed by community member and artist Wes Bell. He said that while he has spent a lot of time creating written and visual work, often in regards to social issues, the time for that to be his sole avenue has passed.
“It’s time to come forward. Get out of my studio, get out of the art galleries,” said Bell. “Come forward and join the numbers in physical numbers, to voice our dismay and our disgust at what is being done to our rights.”
Large said he believes many Albertans have been emboldened by the broad success of the Forever Canadian petition to be more politically active and seek the change they want to see within the province.
