‘The eyes of the world’: Trial of Calgary pastor charged in border blockade underway
LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – A court has seen video of a Calgary pastor encouraging truckers to keep blocking the Canada-U. S. border to protest COVID-19 restrictions because the world was watching them.
Artur Pawlowski is on trial in southern Alberta for breaching a release order and mischief for inciting people to block public property.
He is also charged under the Alberta Critical Infrastructure Defence Act with the wilfully damaging or destroying essential infrastructure.
The Crown’s case consists of an agreed statement of facts in the case and the 20-minute video of the speech Pawlowski gave to protesters in Coutts, Alta., on Feb. 3, 2022.
In it, Pawlowski pleads with the truckers to stay the course and not leave the protest, which was aimed at COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates.
The defence says it would call no witnesses.
Closing arguments are expected this afternoon.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 2, 2023.
Credit: ‘The eyes of the world’: Trial of Calgary pastor charged in border blockade underway
