By Laura Conrad, Staff Contributor
Bundled in scarves and coats, hundreds of protestors faced the bitter cold to protest Stephen Harper’s decision to prorogue Parliament. The event at Province House was one of many across Canada that took place Jan. 23.
Brenden Sommerhalder, a graduate student at Saint Mary’s University, organized the rally.
“Clearly, this means one thing,” he said, about the turnout. “People are really angry about this. They are willing to come out on a cold January afternoon, on a Saturday, just to show Stephen Harper that this is not OK.”
Last month, Harper announced his decision to prorogue Parliament until March. That means the House of Commons won’t meet until then. It’s the second time Harper has stalled session in about a year. Since the announcement, thousands of Canadians have joined Facebook groups and more than 100 university professors have signed petitions denouncing the prorogation. Thousands of protesters across Canada made their voices heard last weekend.
“Canadians feel insulted by the Prime Minister, and frightened by what seems to be the muzzling of Parliament,” he said.
Sommerhalder also said he was pleased with the turnout of the rally, which he estimated over 500 people attended.
“I was hoping for this much support, but I wasn’t expecting it,” he said.
Sommerhalder created a Facebook page for supporters of the protest, which currently has over 1,000 members.
Sommerhalder said the event was formed through grassroots efforts.
“We just put the word out there, and a lot of people were interested,” he said. “We threw a planning meeting (and) a lot of people came out, a very diverse group of people.”
Liberal MP Geoff Regan was one of the first speakers at the event. He told the crowd to remember the legacy of Joseph Howe.
“If you listen carefully, you can hear what Joe Howe is saying,” he said. “He’s saying, ‘Stephen Harper, report to Parliament!’ The government is responsible to the people who are elected by (Canadians). It’s not the other way around.”
Angela Giles, regional organizer for the Council of Canadians, also gave a speech at the rally.
“We’re here to say that this is about much more than the proroguing of Parliament,” she said. “This is about reclaiming democracy in our daily lives. Our country, on the international stage, is increasingly seen as a human-rights-denying eco-outlaw, against the wishes of the majority of Canadians. Enough is enough. It is time for electoral reform and proportional representation in Canada.”
Apart from Regan and Giles, there were several other speakers at the rally. They included Liberal MP Mike Savage, Kyle Buott from the Halifax-Dartmouth District Labour Council, and Gregor Ash and Robert Chisolm on behalf of MP’s Megan Leslie and Peter Stoffer. The Halifax Raging Grannies got the crowd laughing and singing along when they performed two songs. Local comedian Scott Vrooman also performed a short sketch about the prorogation.
Sommerhalder says he plans to continue pushing the issue.
“Clearly, activism works,” he said. “Get involved. Remember this, and get involved. We’ve already organized a public meeting for next month for people who want to stay involved. Remember this. Remember what Stephen Harper has done, and take it to the polls.”
The follow-up meeting to the rally will be held on Feb.11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Bloomfield Centre.
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