Key takeaways:
- The Saskatchewan Legislature announced on Friday afternoon that the building would be temporarily closed due to security concerns.
- Moe appeared to dismiss a reporter’s claim that he is “placing” protesters at ostensibly free rallies.
- Saskatchewan’s wide access to immunization and rapid tests, according to the premier, are effective tools in the fight against COVID-19.
On Friday afternoon, the Saskatchewan Legislature declared that the building would be temporarily closed due to security concerns.
As per social media posts, the trucker convoy intends to stay at the Legislative Building until the mandates are lifted.
As per the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly website, “access to the Saskatchewan Legislative Building is temporarily halted for all sightseers as of February 4, 2022.”
During a virtual conference with other premiers, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe addressed the protest, saying that individuals are growing tired of public health measures.
Also read: Saskatchewan will require bookings for all COVID-19 PCR testing, further limiting eligibility
“All Canadians have the authority to protest,” Moe said. “However, they must protest peacefully and within the confines of the law that we have.”
“In our province, we encourage everyone to get vaccinated… “However, given that we have several additional tools at our disposal, we’re also looking at our public health measures as well as the effectiveness of each of those public health measures,” Moe added.
Frost, Regina’s winter festival, will be held this weekend at Wascana, near the legislature building.
“They’re considering restricting some of the areas to pedestrian traffic so that people can still attend the Frost festival in Regina,” Moe said.
Moe appeared to dismiss a reporter’s claim that he appears to be “placing” protesters at so-called freedom rallies.
“The fact is that Saskatchewan, and I’m sure all provinces, are constantly looking at the effectiveness of the policies that we have in place,” Moe responded.
According to the premier, Saskatchewan’s wide access to immunization and rapid tests are effective tools in the battle against COVID-19.
He moved on to say that the overall goal is to relieve the strain on provincial healthcare systems.
On Saturday, Saskatchewan NDP leader Ryan Meili reacted to the trucker convoy returning to Regina.
“Those who wish to communicate their opinions, do so. But if you’ve got any plans to bring the garbage, the invasion of Ottawa that we’re seeing right now, to Regina — you’re going to threaten to occupy the people’s house and prevent democracy from working — shake your head and go home,” Meili stated.
According to the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly website, all tours, education events, and public events in the building have been canceled until further notice.
The Saskatchewan Liberal Party is also planning a legislative protest on Saturday to “express” its “dissatisfaction” with Moe’s handling of the pandemic.
