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Police say the four protesters charged on Sunday were part of a group that broke off from the large, peaceful pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian demonstrations in downtown Calgary.
Officers estimated roughly 2,000 demonstrators attended the opposing protests that filled both sides of Macleod Trail in front of city hall, prompting a significant police presence. But as the main protest was coming to a close, a group of roughly 100 people attempted to block the road, “creating a dangerous situation between motorists and demonstrators.”
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“Several individuals within this group were not compliant with police and, despite attempted negotiations, continued to impede traffic and escalate their behaviour, with some attempting to push through a line of police officers,” the Calgary Police Service said Monday in a news release.
As a result, police charged four people: Wassime Taha, 30, Wafik Kassem, 25, and Mohamed Hamdanie, 25, are each facing one count of assaulting a peace officer due to their alleged attempts to push through the line of officers. Additionally, Mervat Hamdanie, 27, is charged with obstruction of a peace officer for her alleged interference as police attempted to make an arrest.
Police noted that a youth was briefly taken into custody for his involvement in attempting to break through the police line but was released without charges.
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Police thanked those who showed up to protest in a safe and lawful manner.
“Managing a crowd of this size for a prolonged period is extremely dynamic and cannot be reduced to short video clips that you might see on social media,” said Supt. Joe Brar of the CPS Operational Support Division. “Public safety is paramount in these situations, and our officers did an incredible job ensuring the demonstrations remained safe for all, despite escalating behaviours, and with minimal impact to traffic and neighbouring Calgarians.”
Each of the four people charged at Sunday’s protest is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 12 next year.
The organizer of the pro-Palestinian protests, Wesam Cooley — who also goes by Wesam Khaled — was charged after a demonstration earlier this month, but the legal action was stayed last week.
He returned to the weekly demonstration on Sunday and said he should not have been charged from the outset for having used a contentious phrase.
mrodriguez@postmedia.com
X: @MichaelRdrguez
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