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Stratford police to watch and record Sunday's unauthorized Family Freedom rally, with potential charges to follow

Stratford police officers will be visibly present and equipped with video cameras to collect evidence during an anti-lockdown rally planned for Lower Queen's Park in Stratford Sunday afternoon.

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Stratford police will be visible at Sunday’s Family Freedom rally organized by No More Lockdowns Canada, but will avoid arresting organizers and protesters unless absolutely necessary.

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Despite nearly 220 people indicating on the Facebook event page they’ll be at the Lower Queen’s Park rally, and another 512 people expressing interest, police plan a more measured approach to enforcement so not to incite what’s expected to be large crowd of both locals and out-of-town visitors, officials said.

“Obviously we’re going to have police visibility increase so we can deal with any issue that may come up, but we’re going to mostly rely on people’s good common sense,” Stratford police Chief Greg Skinner said Thursday. “I think most people recognize after the 14 months we’ve been involved in this (pandemic) that now, with the vaccine rollout, the light is at the end of the tunnel, and I think most people would agree we just have to bear down and get to the end of this marathon.

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“Now is not the time for people to be acting carelessly when it comes to public health.”

But a planned public event in the midst of a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic during both a  provincewide lockdown and stay-at-home order is irresponsible, Skinner said, so Stratford police will ensure those responsible and anyone else flagrantly ignoring public health and safety will face consequences.

“We’ll be there overtly with video equipment to videotape what’s going on and to capture any evidence for future review and potential prosecution of people who are acting outside of the guidelines that are in place under the stay-at-home order,” Skinner said.

“We’re going to pan through all the evidence possible. We are not going to affect any arrests as a result of the breaking of either the emergency order or the stay-at-home order or the Reopening Ontario Act. … We don’t want to create conflict – we don’t want to cause people any more anxiety than they already have in this pandemic – but, in the same token, there is the rule of law and we will apply the law as judiciously as we feel is reasonable.”

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With enough evidence, Skinner said charges against organizers and participants could be laid in the weeks following Sunday’s rally.

But organizers and participants aren’t the only people police will be concerned about Sunday. Since this rally has been widely publicized, Stratford police and the city officials are asking residents to steer clear of Lower Queen’s Park between noon and 6 p.m. on Sunday, even if they’re just curious.

“I’ve had a conversation with (Lanark––Frontenac––Kingston MPP and No More Lockdowns Canada organizer) Randy Hillier and it’s clear that they are planning to go forward,” Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson said. “They believe they don’t need city approval, and that is not the case. The police are going to do what they need to do through the legislation, the health unit has made a very strong statement (against) this, and the city in no way condones or accepts this rally.

“We believe this is a matter of public health and safety and is not in keeping with the great work our citizens have done to keep our COVID cases low over the last 13 months. These individuals are coming to our community … to raise awareness of their personal crusade. We ask that members of the public … stay away from Lower Queen’s Park on Sunday.

“They’re looking for attention, they’re looking for people to show up, and if you go down there you’re playing into their hands.”

gsimmons@postmedia.com

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