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CALGARY, Alberta (LifeSiteNews) — Canadian Pastor Artur Pawlowski is appealing his conviction over a sermon he gave during a Freedom Convoy-related border protest blockade in February 2022 in Coutts, Alberta.
On September 10th, the Calgary Court of Appeal heard Pawlowski’s case after he was criminally charged for delivering a sermon at the Freedom Convoy-related border protest blockade.
“Pastor Artur did not actually incite mischief,” Pawlowski’s lawyer, Sarah Miller, told the court.
In May 2023, a court found Pawlowski guilty of mischief and breaching a release order for his sermon to the protesters.
Pawlowski is also facing a serious criminal charge of “willfully damaging and destroying essential infrastructure,” which will be ruled upon once a constitutional case brought by his lawyers is heard.
Pawlowski’s conviction stems largely from a sermon he gave in Coutts on February 3, 2022 to a group of truckers and protesters blocking entrance into the U.S. state of Montana.
At the time, he told the large crowd of protesters who had gathered in support of the trucker strike to peacefully “hold the line.”
While Pawlowski’s lawyers argued that his speech was made to encourage protesters to find a peaceful solution to the blockade, the statement is being characterized as a call for mischief.
Days later, on February 8, Pawlowski was arrested – for the fifth time – by an undercover SWAT team just before he was slated to speak again to the Coutts protesters.
He was subsequently jailed for nearly three months, which he has said was for speaking out against COVID mandates, the subject of all the Freedom Convoy-related protests.
During the appeal, Miller admitted that there was mischief at the protest but pointed out that Pawlowski was not part of it.
“We’re not saying that there was no mischief afoot. We’re saying it’s not on Pastor Artur,” she said.
Indeed, Pawlowski recently posted his speech on X, formerly known as Twitter, as evidence that he did not incite violence or mischief of any kind.
“Here is again my entire sermon to the truckers delivered by me on private property in a supposedly free and democratic society!” he wrote.
“For those words, the conservative Canadian government locked me up in prison!” he continued. “Please support my fight against this totalitarian regime! I have launched a lawsuit against them, and you can become part of this fight for freedom!!!
“Be blessed and stay strong in the Mighty Name of Jesus Christ!” Pawlowski declared.
Here is again my entire sermon to the truckers delivered by me on private property in a supposedly free and democratic society!
For those words, the conservative Canadian government locked me up in prison!
Please support my fight against this totalitarian regime! I have… pic.twitter.com/tbZRc80yTZ
— Artur Pawlowski (@ArturPawlowski1) September 10, 2024
Pawlowski is the first Albertan to be charged for violating the province’s Critical Infrastructure Defence Act (CIDA), which was put in place in 2020 under then-premier Jason Kenney.
The CIDA, however, was not put in place due to COVID mandates but rather after anti-pipeline protesters blockaded key infrastructure points such as railway lines in Alberta a few years ago.
Demand that the Freedom Convoy’s $5.5 million be returned. Send a message today