Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said she was saddened and frustrated to hear Chinook Blast had to cancel an all ages drag show this weekend due to a planned protest. .“I respect the decision & the need to prioritize public & performer safety,” said Gondek in a Friday tweet..“But this cannot go on.”.Gondek called the protest “rooted in hate & fear-mongering.”.Chinook Blast decided Thursday to postpone its Drag on Ice and queer artist DJ Gaysnakes performance scheduled at Olympic Plaza on Saturday and Sunday due to unforeseen circumstances. .READ MORE: Chinook Blast cancels Calgary all ages drag event due to planned protest.“We understand this may cause inconvenience for those who've already made plans to see them, and we apologize for any disruption this may cause,” said Chinook Blast Executive Director Franca Gualtieri. .“We will provide an update on the date, details, and venue as soon as they are confirmed, and we encourage everyone to check our website and follow us on socials to learn more.”.Gondek said at a Calgary city council meeting January 17 she pushed for a better way to address protests rooted in hate. She received confirmation the City of Calgary will leverage its street harassment bylaw to fine people communicating hateful messages to stop them in the act. .The mayor thanked Calgary police for examining a different method to deal with the new era of protests which are a departure from the peaceful assemblies of the past. She added the new reality is some protests are designed to perpetuate fear and hate. .Gondek concluded by saying as a city striving to be inclusive and welcoming, “we have to provide safe spaces for the public to enjoy all that we have to offer — without a small group of people creating safety issues by spreading mistruths & hate.” .“We cannot tolerate hate masked as protest,” she said. .Former Calgary mayoral candidate and city councillor Jeromy Farkas joined in by condemning the protestors who use threats and intimidation. .“#yyccc & @CalgaryPolice, please work with @chinookblast to put this on ASAP,” said Farkas.
