The Court of the King’s Bench of Saskatchewan Justice D.B. Konkinhas has sided with the Saskatchewan government’s 10-person limit on outdoor protests as “justified” because of the COVID-19 pandemic..“The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF) is disappointed with the decision,” states a JCCF’s press release..The government prohibited outdoor protests of more than 10 people from December 17, 2020, to May 30, 2021, while simultaneously “allowing numerous public indoor gatherings to have at least three times as many people.”.JCCF lawyers Marty Moore and Andre Memauri represented two anti-lockdown protesters who received tickets for “attending peaceful outdoor protests that exceeded Saskatchewan’s 10-person outdoor gathering limit in place during COVID.”.The two protesters attended a peaceful anti-lockdown protest at the Vimy Memorial in the Kiwanis Park in Saskatoon on December 19, 2020..READ MORE Justice Centre in court to get Sask outdoor protest charges thrown out.One protester was a young mother, Jasmin Grandel, who had concerns about the “lack of transparency concerning the information on which government requirements and restrictions are based, including the requirement that her son must wear a mask in kindergarten.”.The other protester was Darrell Mills, who had concerns about the improper mask usage and the “burdens placed on persons with physical or psychological conditions, which prevent them from wearing masks.” .Mills is “certified in Mask Fit Testing and trained in supplied air breathing systems.”.Both protesters received $2,800 fines for their peaceful protesting and expressing their opinions, which were not in line with the government..Dozens of individuals received COVID-19 tickets for their peaceful protesting..The police issued no tickets to groups protesting other issues such as the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests..On June 5, 2020, a large BLM protest in Regina was attended by Regina Police Chief Evan Bray, with hundreds of protesters and many police officers at the same time as the government had a 10-person limit on outdoor gatherings..“We are reviewing the decision of the court and will be seeking instructions from our clients regarding an appeal to the higher Court,” said Marty Moore, co-counsel for Ms. Grandel and Mr. Mills.
