World News – CA – Aylmer protest against COVID-19 public health measures draws 2,000

Dueling protests took place in Aylmer on Saturday – one opposing public health measures, the other planned in response to rules such as masks in public places. was the second recent protest against the lockdown in the town of about 7,500 Elgin County residents and this prompted the municipal government to declare a state of emergency Our reporters Dale Carruthers, Max Martin and Derek Ruttan were there:

5 p.m .: Aylmer Police say the anti-lockdown protest peaked at around 2,000 It included speeches at the East Elgin Community Center and then a march on Talbot Street which also included a motorcade vehicles The march returned to its starting point and the crowd dispersed around 4 pm Police say there was a fight between the dueling groups « Our officers intervened quickly No one was injured » said Aylmer Police Inspector Nick Novacich

Here is a video to get an idea of ​​the proximity of people and the duration of the walk on #Aylmer picTwittercom / 5t8Mn7IBeB

3:24 pm: The so-called “March for Freedom” blocks traffic along Talbot Street in Aylmer, around 400 (unofficial count) follow behind Henry Hildebrandt of Church of God No one wearing a mask Many participants are not from Aylmer

2:42 pm: Man addressing anti-lockdown rally demands police arrest Ontario Premier Doug Ford and other government officials over COVID-19 restrictions in the province-wide set up to slow the spread of the virus Crowd responds by chanting: « Lock them up »

2:20 pm: Anti-vaccination speaker addresses around 400 people at anti-lockdown rally in Aylmer, asking crowd to sign anti-vaccination petition Crowd seems to lose its enthusiasm as the speech lasts more than 10 minutes

2:10 pm: An organizer who addressed the protest appeared to suggest that the state of emergency, necessitated by their event, forced the city’s arena to close on Saturday – but it didn’t it wasn’t their fault « A peaceful protest can surely happen at the same time the kids are playing hockey, » she said « But as is the case in this city, someone wanted to increase the level of fear and anger and describe this peaceful protest as the reason why children cannot play hockey. Let me tell you why kids can’t play hockey: as always, it’s the government « 

1:51 pm: Controversial local pastor, Henry Hildebrandt of Church of God, arrived at a hero’s welcome at anti-lockdown rally Hildebrandt, an open critic of # COVID19 restrictions, was due to s ‘address the crowd

1:45 pm: LFP reporter Max Martin so far offers an unofficial count of at least 250 anti-lockdown protesters Many of them are children, he notes « No masks, no distancing, ”he wrote on Twitter

1:10 pm: Hundreds of anti-lockdown protests have gathered outside the East Elgin Community Complex, where a constant stream of vehicles arrive in the parking lot ahead of the afternoon rally at Aylmer Aylmer Police and the Ontario Provincial Police are on scene, helping to direct traffic and keeping an eye out for protesters and a group of counter-protesters lined up across the street Many anti-lockdown protesters carry signs and wave Canadian flags, but few wear masks Passing vehicles honk and shout their support for the growing crowd

Having lunch at a restaurant in Aylmer, journalist Dale Carruthers was confronted by a man who said LFP’s coverage of today’s dueling protests was « one-sided. » Pressed to give a specific example, he can’t and the restaurant owner intervened « Clearly tensions in town, » Carruthers wrote on Twitter

Here’s an idea of ​​what’s going on in #Aylmer Reminder: outdoor gatherings in the province are limited to 25 people No one wears a mask or socially distances imageTwittercom / PKymVveSDi

Column: Aylmer had a COVID-19 outbreak and has a reputation for being a right-wing Christian fundamentalist challenge Churches are a growing industry there, according to local reporter, with around 27 in the region He told our Jane Sims that he was concerned the situation could become dangerous and called the protest a « distraction of the worst kind »

11:02 am: Lynda Shelly of Aylmer stands in front of the town’s cenotaph while promoting the wearing of masks on Saturday She holds a picture of her father and two uncles Five brothers left for the foreigner to fight in WWII Only three returned Derek Ruttan / The London Free Press

10:20 am: The constant sound of horns sounded in downtown Aylmer in support of protesters staging a rally ahead of an anti-lockdown protest scheduled for the afternoon Dozens of protesters wearing masks – many of them carrying signs with messages touting public safety measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 – lined Main Street in the Town of Elgin County on Saturday morning Participants provided their names and contact details at a makeshift station in Palmer Park, where organizers provided hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, and signboard material Donations were also collected for the local food bank

9:15 am: OPP warns of possible traffic delays Saturday on Highway 3 near Aylmer due to protests « The OPP’s objective is to maintain traffic flow and, in the event of a delay, reestablish the flow of traffic in the safest possible manner, ”Elgin OPP said in a statement « The Ontario Provincial Police are also working with those who can organize protests to provide a safe and peaceful opportunity to exercise their legal rights while minimizing the impact on the traveling public. »

Backlash: Twitter users roasted Aylmer earlier this week as rumors of the so-called « Freedom March » against public health restrictions spread across the country

Background: The organizer of the rally that prompted the town of Aylmer to declare a state of emergency says there is a « huge wave of support » for his cause, as a popular protest for opposing protest has taken shape Organizer Kimberly Charlton Neudorf said the public event is a collective rebuke of governments’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic

The first protest: The anti-lockdown rally in Aylmer last month, which saw more than 150 people flout social distancing and wearing masks, was ‘dangerous’ and threatened to undo the region’s hard work to ward off a wave of COVID-19, the best doctor in the region said

Sign up to receive a curated collection of links and highlights from our award-winning media coverage, in-depth analysis and unmatched investigation features on weekdays at noon

A welcome email is on its way If you don’t see it, check your junk folder

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil discussion forum and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. ask you to keep your comments relevant and respectful We have enabled email notifications You will now receive an email if you receive a response to your comment, an update to the discussion thread you follow, or if a user follows you comments. See our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings

© 2020 London Free Press, a division of Postmedia Network Inc All rights reserved Unauthorized distribution, transmission or reproduction is strictly prohibited

This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including advertisements) and allows us to analyze our traffic Learn more about cookies here By continuing to use our site, you agree to our terms of use and our privacy policy

Protest, Aylmer, OPP, Ontario 3