One person has been charged following a pro-Trump rally in Red Deer Wednesday, the RCMP say.
About 30 people gathered near Red Deer City Hall Park to denounce the U.S. election result, with some carrying signs and flags in support of President Donald Trump.
The Red Deer RCMP downtown patrol unit responded to the event to monitor and conduct enforcement. The gathering was found to be in contravention of current public health guidelines and the group organizer was subsequently charged under the Public Health Act.
The individual is scheduled to appear in court April 28. As a result of that charge, many left Wednesday’s rally – the event concluded at about 3 p.m.
This rally came after supporters of Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol building the same day.
After Trump aired familiar conspiracy theories and phoney grievances about a “stolen” presidential election, a group of protesters mobbed Capitol police and ran amok through the building as lawmakers were in the process of certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Members of Congress were promptly evacuated from the area as officers, some with weapons drawn, confronted the mob. Protesters looted and vandalized offices, and even gained access to the very legislative chambers where members of the Senate and the House routinely sit.
Trump, who earlier in the day vowed to loyalists gathered outside the White House that he would never concede defeat in November’s presidential election, issued a tweet urging supporters to “stay peaceful.”
He later posted a brief video urging occupiers to “go home,” but also repeated his claim the election was stolen and expressed solidarity with the crowd: “We love you,” the president said. “You’re very special.”
Political observers, elected officials and leaders from around the world, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, roundly condemned the chaos on social media platforms.
“Violence will never succeed in overruling the will of the people,” the prime minister tweeted. “Democracy in the U.S. must be upheld — and it will be.”
–With files from The Canadian Press
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