Churchill Square has become one of Edmonton’s top locations for protests, providing a space for people to air their grievances and call for change. But on Saturday, there was a different kind of rally at the downtown hub — a pep rally.
More than 100 people gathered in the square for the Hate Free Yeg event, billed as an uplifting antidote to the post-holiday blues and the cold, dark days of January.
The rally featured a dance party led by local artist Julie “NIUBOI” Ferguson, and speeches from community organizers, including queer Lutheran pastor Lindsey Jorgensen-Skakum. Speakers touched on themes of solidarity and inclusivity.
“In Edmonton, we have come together time and time again to raise our voices in solidarity and, yes, in hope for the community we all know Edmonton deserves to find when they call this city their home,” Jorgensen-Skakum said.
“A community where love, respect and welcome can come to be our central conversation points.”
‘Reclaim all spaces as ones of love’
The event was organized by Hate Free YEG, which launched in September 2018 to push back against hate crimes and far-right groups in the city by advocating for safer and more inclusive spaces.
A local Hebrew school was vandalized with a swastika weeks before the launch. Soldiers of Odin, an anti-immigration group founded by a Finnish white supremacist, were also making headlines in the city.
Hate Free YEG has enlisted the support of more than 40 businesses since September, said co-founder Abdul Malik. A business pledges to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination in exchange for a #HateFreeYeg sticker to display on the storefront.
Hate Free YEG co-founder Abdul Malik says the group has enlisted more than 40 businesses in the city to take a pledge against discrimination in all forms. (Gabrielle Brown/CBC)
Malik said the rally was about celebrating the successes of the past few months, while also recognizing there’s more work to be done.
“It’s important to reclaim all spaces as ones of love, of community building, that are accessible to everyone and that embody a more positive standard,” he said.
Wolves of Odin appearance
A small group of people wearing Wolves of Odin jackets stood on the perimeter of the square as the rally started, at times shouting over Jorgensen-Skakum’s speech.
“God don’t accept queers,” one man yelled. “Man for woman, woman for man … you won’t be speaking under Sharia law.”
Subsequent speakers denounced the group.
“That is wrong and I will not have it,” said Freda Ballantyne, an organizer of the annual Sister in Spirit vigil for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
Freda Ballantyne, an advocate for Indigenous rights, addresses the crowd during the Hate Free YEG rally on Saturday. (Gabrielle Brown/CBC)
When the speeches ended, trans non-binary artist NIUBOI led the rally in a dance party to get the crowd warm in the frigid temperatures. But Ballantyne said it did more than warm people up.
“The queerness took away the bad guys. They left pretty quick after the dancing started,” she said. “I think when we’re able to show people as a united front, that we’re here for each other, the negatives really fall away.”
Rally attendees were encouraged to donate menstrual pads to Boyle Street Community Services. Pads are always in short supply and rarely donated, organizers said.