There’s no room for “degrading” comments like the one someone among the Yellow Vest protesters allegedly made last Saturday, says a woman who has stood in support of the movement.
Sheila Pierce has attended a number of Yellow Vest protests and never seen anyone utter the kind of “ignorant” and “disgusting” comment allegedly heard by a woman who was part of a march celebrating International Women’s Day.
Amber Maetche, 24, said someone in the group of Yellow Vesters protesting near City Hall allegedly said “Rope them and grope them” as the International Women’s Day marchers passed.
After the original story ran in the Red Deer Advocate, a man who said he was the “alleged lewd commenter” said he did not say “rope and grope.
“My comments were NOT “rope and grope” as alleged. My commentary was two words; “Kokanee Groper”, of course referring to the Creston, BC groping incident that Trudeau himself (the poser feminist) has admitted to,” he wrote.
If there was something derogatory said, it was a very isolated incident, said Pierce, who was not at Saturday’s rally.
“I’ve never seen anything like that,” she said. She felt strongly enough about the incident to write a letter to the editor to the Red Deer Advocate this week condemning the behaviour.
Making indefensible comments will let down Yellow Vesters and the work they have done to draw attention to their cause and helping Canadians understand how people are being affected by government inaction, said Pierce.
“There were a lot of really, really nice stories when the convoy went across Canada,” she said. “The reception they got across Canada was just wonderful.”
It was the plight of workers in Alberta’s hard-hit oilpatch that drew Pierce to their cause.
“I feel so very, very sorry for all these oilfield workers, who have lost their jobs, their houses and their life savings, and some of them have taken their own lives, and the government is not doing anything for them at all.”
Efforts to reach others associated with the local Yellow Vest movement were unsuccessful by deadline.
pcowley@reddeeradvocate.com
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