Anti-transgender protesters confronted outdoors Calgary highschool

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Protesters against accommodating transgendered youths and counter-demonstrators confronted off and violently clashed outdoors an inner-city Calgary highschool Wednesday.

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The confrontation got here after social media posts indicated far-right determine Josh Alexander can be showing outdoors Western Canada Excessive College to peacefully oppose what he calls threats to college students posed by their transgendered classmates.

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An invite posted by a bunch known as True Dominion Canada known as for “defending ladies from organic males utilizing ladies’s change rooms,” and “stand in opposition to the sexualization of youngsters,” with the demonstration occurring on the Worldwide Day in opposition to Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.

It was met by dozens of scholars and others who condemned the protesters as hate-mongers as metropolis law enforcement officials stood between the 2 sides.

Considered one of their indicators learn “Who taught you to hate this a lot”, whereas one other acknowledged “Defend trans youth.”

Stated one of many counter-demonstrators urging individuals on Twitter to bodily oppose Alexander’s look: “It’s no coincidence that these bigots, terfs & transphobes selected 17 Might #IDAHOBIT because the day to protest in opposition to queer college students.”

Metropolis police stated a struggle broke out between a number of protesters and counter-demonstrators amongst a crowd of about 80 gathered in entrance of the college.

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“Two individuals had been taken into custody and launched with out cost,” Calgary police stated in a press launch.

“The investigations stay ongoing.”

In a tweet posted afterward Wednesday, Alexander stated he’d been handcuffed and detained “for providing college students bibles on a public sidewalk.”

The Calgary Board of Training stated they’d nothing to do with Wednesday’s occasion however that the board totally helps gender and sexual orientation range.

“There may be a variety of range in our group. All people have the correct to be open about who they’re, together with expressing their sexual orientation, gender identification or gender expression with out concern of undesirable penalties,” stated the CBE in a press release.

“Every single day, we work along with college students, dad and mom and workers to create welcoming, caring, respectful and protected college communities the place every scholar feels a way of belonging.”

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Twitter: @BillKaufmannjrn