A group that calls itself MADSudbury is staging another so-called ‘Freedom Rally’ this Saturday, March 27, in front of Tom Davies Square.
In a Facebook post on March 25, JR Demellweek posted on behalf of the group, inviting people to participate and laying out the ground rules for how those who take part should behave.
This is the same group that organized the rally downtown last week that drew upwards of 200 people.
Saying the event will be “family friendly,” Demellweek wrote the event is open to all except “members of hate groups and people who don’t respect the choice of those who wear masks or don’t wear masks. This is a freedom event, not an anti mask demonstration.”
The post also encourages small business owners to take part “before they lock you down again. If you need to put food on the table, you are essential.”
Demellweek also asks participants to be civil, especially toward police officers and media.
“We have an image to uphold and we want to be community partners not nuisances,” the post reads, while also encouraging participants to observe social distancing protocols.
Sudbury.com asked Greater Sudbury Police and the City of Greater Sudbury about the event and whether it would be allowed to go ahead.
Police spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn said it is the role of police to “ensure public safety and peaceful assembly. The safety of those in attendance and the safety of our officers and CGS By-law Enforcement Officers on scene is paramount,” and to ensure the assembly is peaceful, not to shut it down.
“Members of our Police Liaison Team will be present in plain clothes,” Dunn said. “The role of our Police Liaison Team is to identify and speak with the organizers to ensure the safety of those in attendance. We respect everyone’s right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly and our overall goal is to ensure public safety during the event.”
That said, police and bylaw will be working to identify those breaking the law.
“Our Officers will work in collaboration with the City of Greater Sudbury By-law Enforcement to identify those individuals that are present in order to establish reasonable ground to issue fines under the Reopening Ontario Act,” Dunn said. “Our approach to enforcement of Emergency Orders remains the same as throughout the pandemic which includes proactive work, education and enforcement for homeowners, business owners and event organizers as applicable.”
Police will not attempt to break up the event, Dunn said, seeming to suggest that even if police were to take that action, it would require so many police resources, it would leave the rest of the community vulnerable.
“While the Police Liaison Team is dedicated to ensuring public safety during an organized event, our patrol officers are ensuring the safety of our entire community while responding to 9-1-1 emergency calls that pose an immediate or imminent threat to the lives and/or safety of our community and our community members,” she wrote in an email to Sudbury.com.
Dunn told Sudbury.com this week that officers would be “following up” with the organizers of last week’s rally (who are the same organizers as this weekend’s rally). There is nothing new to report on that front, she said, but “an update will be forthcoming.”
In the same post, MADSudbury invited people to participate in a ‘Freedom Convoy’ on Sunday (March 28), starting in Valley East.
You can read the post below.
freedom rally facebook post march 27. By Facebook.com/MADSudbury