CALGARY, Alberta (LifeSiteNews) – Christian pastor Derek Reimer was forcefully arrested today by members of the Calgary Police Service (CPS) after appearing to breach his bail conditions by protesting a new law that bans demonstrations against drag queen story time or other LGBTQ events at public facilities.
A video posted online today by Rebel News shows a member of the CPS approach Reimer, of Mission7 street ministry, who appears to be in a parking lot away from a public library, and then tell him he is under arrest for “breaching” a no-go condition.
“You are currently under arrest for breaching your 200m no-go condition,” an officer said to Reimer before he was handcuffed and dragged away to a police cruiser.
Reimer did not resist arrest. However, he refused to walk and was dragged by CPS members to the police car.
People surrounding the chaos could be heard shouting to police, “shame on you,” along with, “Nazis” and “Gestapo.”
Some other voices could be heard saying that the pastor was “abiding by all the bylaws.”
Of note is that the video shows no less than 10 CPS officers on the scene.
On Tuesday, Calgary City councillors in a 10-5 vote approved a new “Safe and Inclusive Access Bylaw” that disallows “specified protests” both inside and outside all city-owned and affiliated public buildings.
This means protests by pastors or concerned parents against radical LGBTQ events at public buildings will be barred within a 100-meter buffer zone around city recreation centres and libraries.
City councillors also approved in a 10-4 vote amending the street harassment bylaw to add the term “intimidation.”
The sudden introduction of the new “buffer” zone bylaw comes after Reimer’s previous protest against a children’s drag queen story time at a public library over a week ago. He was jailed and charged after that incident.
Also in recent weeks, concerned parents have been protesting outside a public swimming pool in Calgary after an incident that saw a 15-year-old Canadian girl horrified after witnessing a naked man, who now lives as a “transgender woman,” in the women’s change room at the pool.
Reimer knew he would be arrested again
Reimer was first released from a Calgary jail last week after he decided to sign bail papers to take care of an urgent medical condition. His next court date was scheduled for March 29.
He was hit with a slew of charges, including those related to so-called “hate speech,” for protesting.
Reimer said his bail conditions prevent him from protesting at any drag events and that he must stay at least 500 meters away from where any drag or LGBTQ events are being held.
“The bail conditions are public knowledge, not to protest, not to be at any drag event, any homosexual event, or contact any homosexual, or being on social media,” Reimer told LifeSiteNews.
Reimer, however, said that his conditions are a “setup for failure.”
Reimer told LifeSiteNews two weeks ago he will remain committed to exposing the “evil” of these events, which he described as playing into the “perversion and the indoctrination” of kids.
“We’ll be resilient. Someone needs to take a stand here. These are strong Christian leaders that I have linked shields with, and we are going to come together as a team,” Reimer said.
Left-leaning Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek has pushed forth since being elected in 2021 a radical agenda that has gone after pro-life and pro-family citizens. She put her full support behind the buffer zone bylaw.
In June 2022, Calgary City Council under Gondek amended the city’s bylaws to “specifically prohibit insulting or demeaning behavior, including unwanted sexual advances, or harassing anyone on the basis of age, race, sexual orientation, disability, gender, gender identity or gender expression, among others.”
The story is developing.