A group of nine protesters who claim they were injured, traumatized and unfairly prosecuted during a pro-Gaza protest two years ago are taking legal action. The lawsuit, filed by Chris Weibe of Engel Law, has named the Calgary Police Service (CPS), City of Calgary and the University of Calgary as defendants. The nine plaintiffs include three University of Calgary students and four alumni, as well as various “advocates for peace from Calgary’s diverse communities” who were all present during a protest at the school on May 9, 2024. “We are hoping that through this case, we will get justice for what has been done,” said Wesam Cooley, a plaintiff named in the case. “We are hoping that future encampments and future protests of this nature will no longer be subjected to such heavy, excessive use of violence by the police.” According to a news release, the protesters had set up an encampment on the U of C’s main quadrangle to rally against what they say was the institution’s “complicity” in the violent acts against Gazans by Israel. The demonstrators remained at the location for the whole day, until 8 p.m., when CPS mobilized to remove the encampment, acting on a trespass order from the U of C. “Approximately 20 demonstrators refused to leave and were subjected to a violent removal operation by Calgary police at around 11:15 p.m.,” the release reads. Katy Anderson, one of the nine plaintiffs alleges she got a concussion that evening after being hit on the head with a baton. “They pushed me to the ground. A bike was pushed on me to me. I had bruises all over my leg,” said Anderson. The organization represented in the claim said the demonstrators suffered concussions, rib, jaw and hand injuries, cuts, bruises and scrapes and “psychological trauma.” The lawsuit alleges CPS used non-lethal munitions to break up the protest such as oleoresin capsicum (OC) grenades and pepper balls, as well as striking the demonstrators with shields and batons. Several of the demonstrators were charged following the police crackdown, but the organization says all those charges were withdrawn by the Crown Following the rally, then-Police Chief Mark Neufeld defended the actions of his officers on May 29, 2024, saying that 15 pepper balls were fired and only one OC grenade was used. He added just four tickets were given to protesters who refused to leave. In the statement of claim released by the plaintiffs, they are seeking a declaration that their Charter rights were violated during the events of May 9, 2024 and that none of those violations were justified. They are also seeking $331,173 in monetary damages as well as costs for the lawsuit. In a statement, the University of Calgary said it “will review any statement of claim received through the courts and respond as appropriate.” The City of Calgary said it would not be able to provide a statement given that the matter is before the courts. The CPS said it has not been served with the lawsuit yet. Wiebe says no court date has been set with the Alberta Court of King’s Bench, and points to minimum of three years before there is a trial date. No pre-trial applications are scheduled at this time either. None of the above claims have been tested in court.
