Few students at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School seemed interested in today’s protest.
Far more students were seen cursing and flipping off protesters than participating in the rally, which was supposed to include a walk out at 2 p.m. in opposition to COVID-related health measures.
A group of approximately 20 protesters lined the street with signs and cheered on students as they left the school early. It appeared the majority of their targets were simply walking home. They put their heads down as they walked past cheering protesters.
“Are you here for the protest?” one protester asked one of these students.
“No, I’m going home,” they responded.
As students huddled in a group outside the school waiting to be picked up at approximately 2:30 p.m., one of the protesters yelled, “This is a jail, not a school!” which elicited laughter from the students.
Other chants included “Freedom!” and “My body, my choice!”
A woman who said she used to teach science at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School said she attended the rally in order to make sure her daughter, who is “not white,” was safe when she got off school property at the end of the day.
Anti-lockdown protests in Ottawa earned the movement a reputation for racism as a result of Nazi imagery and Confederate flags displayed by some participants. The Star of David has been seen used at local protests alongside signs comparing current health measures to Nazi Germany.
During the protest, the former teacher, who declined to share her name, engaged in a heated argument with one of the protesters, who was also a former student.
His argument hinged on Ontario Veterinary College viral immunologist Dr. Byram Bridle’s belief that COVID-19 vaccines should not be used on children. He is an outlier in his field and his views have been dismissed as a misinterpretation of scientific studies.
“I know they mean no harm, and I really want to listen, but it has to be evidence-based,” the former teacher said. “We’re talking about human lives here.”
The former teacher said she suffered 15 days with COVID-19 and that the Omicron variant appeared to hit her the hardest within her household even though she is triple vaccinated.
“I couldn’t get out of bed, I had a splitting headache where I had to take codeine,” she said. “I can see how they end up in the hospital. It is a really dangerous disease.”
She said that she visited Ottawa during the convoy protests in order to see what was going on firsthand, where she said she saw some well-intentioned, but misinformed people.
As for today’s protest, she said the day’s very limited student support is despite a well co-ordinated social media push and a poster campaign that found posters put up in Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School.
“The kids were pulling them off the wall left, right and centre,” she said. “They hit the wrong school.”
Greater Sudbury Police Service were on site during the protest monitoring the situation.
“We have been and continue to be in contact with our local school boards to address any local safety concerns,” spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn said by emailed correspondence.
“We respect everyone’s right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly and our overall goal is to ensure Public Safety. GSPS neither sanctions nor permits any demonstration as our role is Public Order Maintenance. Officers are working with school administrators in order to monitor the situation and Officers are present at various locations ensuring Public Safety.”
Rainbow District School Board spokesperson Nicole Charette said that the event was not sanctioned by the school and denied that there was a poster campaign organized within the school. This, despite Sudbury.com being forwarded an image by the former teacher of one of the crumpled up posters.
“We thank the Greater Sudbury Police Service for being on site to ensure community protestors remained off of school property,” she said.
“Dismissal proceeded without interruption. Students in all of our schools are to be commended for their exemplary behaviour today.”
Another protest opposing COVID-related health measures is taking place on Saturday, with protesters gathering outside of SilverCity Sudbury Cinemas at 10 a.m. and hitting the road between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. They plan on protesting at New Sudbury Centre until approximately 7 p.m.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
