The Regina police chief is taking a wait-and-see approach on whether further action is needed at the Justice for Our Stolen Children camp.
Chief Evan Bray says the Court of Queen’s Bench is asked to consider arguments from both the protesters and the provincial government. Bray says he will do what the court asks him to do.
“We as a police service, we obviously follow the court. The court process is going to lay out what is going to happen going forward, and we will comply with that,” Bray said.
The protesters are claiming that their Charter rights were violated in freedom of expression on not having a teepee and sacred fire at Wascana Park and that the arrests of six people in June was unconstitutional, while the provincial government is seeking a court-ordered eviction of the camp.
Since the June 18 arrests and dismantlement of the camp, Regina police have not taken any action against the camp, despite calls from the Provincial Capital Commission and the provincial government to do so. Officers do stop by the camp several times a day to monitor its safety.
“What we look at is community safety. We really make thoughtful steps. This is something that we’re evaluating and adjudicating daily in terms of what is community safety and what’s the risk to our community. If we feel there’s an elevated risk, then we will respond to that situation,” said Bray. “At the end of the day, our goal is to have this resolved peacefully.”
Both the protest matter and the provincial government matter will be heard at the same time in Regina August 23.
(PHOTO: Regina police Chief Evan Bray. By Dan Jones.)