It’s no surprise violence has descended on Edmonton. Edmonton is a diverse and progressive city. Typically voting in progressive mayors and the provincial NDP stronghold.

This violence is intimidation and a warning. https://twitter.com/hungover_the/status/1311245567339757569

Red Deer was a pushback on BLM peaceful protesters. Meant to demonstrate protesters are not welcome. Both the mayor of Red Deer and the RCMP Superintendent stated publicly, the violence and disturbance was brought into the community.

Ponoka was the same. Outsiders bringing turmoil.

But not Edmonton. Edmonton is majority progressive. Yes we have miscreants who live here, but they are the minority & not representative of the cultural milieu.

Edmonton is like Portland or Seattle. A progressive oasis in an otherwise regressive province (state). And the neighbourhood is one of the most progressive areas of the city. Diverse and culturally vibrant. Reliably progressive.

I grew up slightly north of the protest site.

The site the “patriots” chose is the Safeway parking lot. I don’t think it’s a Safeway anymore. But that’s what it was for several decades. On the corner is the CIBC bank where my grandmother kept her savings. Having relocated from a few blocks away a couple decades ago.

Coliseum Pizza is across the street. A favourite restaurant in the community. Laid back and regularly visited by patrons in expensive business suits, truckers in jeans and plaid shirts and everyone in between.

The area is surrounded by turn of the century (19th century) picturesque little houses with arched doorways and grand porches. The architecture was actually interesting in those days. Many have moved to the area because of less expensive real estate. Urban renewal.

This is the fringes of the inner city. Parkdale school is a few blocks away. I attended Parkdale school for 5 years. Walking daily to and from school 8 blocks twice a day. (No it wasn’t up hill both ways). Shut by a public school board that had limited vision and no resources.

This is the neighbourhood that was diverse in my childhood. Indigenous people lived next door to Ukrainian Canadians, Italian Canadians, Irish Canadians, Chinese Canadians, Jamaican Canadians. All new to Canada and so happy to live in peace.

It was a diverse blend of people that had come from all over the globe and settled in the area because of cheap rents/mortgages and centralized location. Interdependence was common. Neighbours helped one another. Live and let live.

There were problems. By the time I was 20, much of the property was bought up by slum lord investors who rented to drug dealers. That changed the cultural landscape. Crime became more apparent. Needles could be found in corners of the yard. But the interdependence remained.

That’s where I developed my world view. Where I learned about the globe and it’s various cultures from neighbours who had come from far off places. Where everyone had a summer garden, but so many varieties of vegetables and fruit were found.

Yes. Many of the people were European. But they weren’t old stock Canadians. Most were first and second generation Canadians. Looking to develop a sense of community and welcoming of all. There were some with racist beliefs, but we just ignored them. It was a great community.

It’s changed now. The diversity is even greater. Middle Eastern, African, East European, South American and young urban professionals that appreciate architectural variation now live in the area. Even more varied in culture and global worldviews.

So it’s no surprise this is the area that “patriots” with hate in their hearts and epithets on their lips descended upon. Intent on terrorizing those who would challenge their authority and strength in numbers. A message loud and clear. “All lives matter” was their message.

Except their message doesn’t mean all lives, it means only all white lives.

If community reports are correct, the man who threatened violence in Red Deer so boldly prerecording it and releasing it publicly before the BLM peaceful protest in Red Deer was present last night.

He and his miscreant thuggish compatriots were there to send a message.

Except a group of community members who watch far right hate sites, had heard about the planned gathering. Confronting the “Canadian Patriots” with dissent and pushback.

Police made no arrests.

Two police officers were on site when violence broke out. So EPD knew about the planned demonstration.

No, we can’t stop racists from demonstrating or spreading hateful narratives and rhetoric. They are free to believe and speak their words of division and hatred.

But that’s twice now, 7 days apart, that this group of thugs have descended upon a city and brought violence. And no arrests.

It’s clear that this group is looking for trouble. Pushing the limits of the level of tolerable violence before police intervene.

But it’s also clear police are permitting this provocation. Who are law enforcement trying to kid here? If community members were aware of the planned violent thug demonstration, then police should have been aware. It’s their job.

Sending two officers to supervise 50 thugs.

That’s an invitation to violence and complicity in the message being sent.

Keeping the peace does not seem to be a focus of law enforcement in Alberta anymore.

Anyone with half a brain would know a week after violence erupted in Red Deer, extra law enforcement would be wise.

The skirmish lasted moments before back up police officers were requested. Just long enough to send a message.

But consider the initial set up. Fifty thugs gather in a parking lot to demonstrate dominance & intimidate. And EPD only assigned 2 officers to monitor the situation.

We’ve got a problem Alberta. Our provincial government leaders have inspired hate groups to intimidate progressives, and law enforcement isn’t taking it seriously.

If community volunteers can determine the threat level, then trained police officers can as well.

It’s a conscious choice for law enforcement to continue to ignore the threat of far right hate groups and the thugs and miscreants they bring out from the sewer to terrorize those who are different in skin colour, gender, sexuality and ideology.

An informed conscious choice.