A consitutional lawyer says he fears that Calgary is slowly turning into a “police state” following arrests of hockey players and demonstrators in several confrontations over the last week..“It’s a disgraceful affront to human dignity,” said John Carpay, head of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) in an interview with the Western Standard..Carpay was commenting on the arrest of Ocean Wiesblatt, 21, who was charged with obstruction, resisting arrest and breaching a health order after a tense confrontation with Calgary police who broke up an illegal game of shinny on Thursday.. Lawyer says arrest of hockey player an ‘affront to human dignity’John Carpay. Courtesy CBC .Calgary police also handed out tickets for assault after two weekend marches downtown against provincial lockdown measures..“It is sad and outrageous and is turning us into a police state where healthy outdoor activities are being illegally and severely restricted,” Carpay said on Monday..“The police are between a rock and a hard place – many officers don’t support the lockdown measures they have to enforce..“The police need to explain why they are now charging these people when earlier marches against racism saw no charges being laid.”.In early December, the UCP government plunged the province into a second lockdown to try and stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. All indoor gatherings and most outdoor gatherings are now banned.. Mossleigh pub briefly opens before authorities move in .At an earlier press conference on Monday, Calgary Police Service Chief Mark Neufeld said the province “has asked us to step up compliance with orders.”.He added police had received more than 500 tips from people complaining their neighbours were breaking health protcols..Neufeld said now is not the time to snitch on “an ex or a neighbour you don’t like” adding less than 100 tickets have been handed out by officers, he said..He added some officers have been met with “abuse and personal attacks.”.Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter.com/nobby7694.Editors Note: John Carpay is a columnist for the Western Standard
