Critics question Manitoba government's response to anti-mandate protest in downtown Winnipeg

Critics accuse the Manitoba government of being too slow to respond to the ongoing protest outside the Legislative Building.

One week ago, protesters set up camp on Broadway in opposition of vaccine mandates and public heath restrictions and don’t plan to leave until the measures are lifted.

On day seven of the protest, demonstrators played ball hockey at the intersection of Broadway and Memorial Boulevard and danced in the street.

It’s an area the group has taken over by parking big rigs and tractors on the street, disrupting the normal flow of traffic downtown and honking horns intermittently and for two minutes at the top of every hour between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

“The main goal is to have mandates lifted,” said Rick Wall, one of the organizers of the protest and the president of Richland Transport headquartered in Reinfeld, Man., near the City of Winkler. “We want the vaccine passports lifted, they are a huge disruption in everybody’s lives. A lot of people have been stripped of their rights to provide for their families and that’s not right by any means.”

There are proof of immunization requirements in place at the federal level for domestic air, rail and out-of-country travel and for federal public servants. The Manitoba government requires proof of vaccination for some provincial employees and for people to eat in restaurants, go to gyms, play certain sports, attend some large events and indoor spaces while allowing some to undergo regular COVID-19 testing as an alternative.

In response to the ongoing protest, Manitoba Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen stopped short of asking the protesters to go home but did say they should stop the noise and traffic disruptions.

"It can’t go on forever,” Goertzen said. “I think that a point has been made."

Goertzen said Manitobans protesting outside schools and at international borders need to step back and suggested the federal government also needs to bring down the temperature on the issues surrounding mandatory vaccination.

He said while the province doesn’t have jurisdiction to stop the protests, he did say there may be provincial resources to tap into to help with enforcement if it comes to that.

“We’re looking at it, we’re looking at what the options are and what might be available,” Goertzen said. “Obviously this is a unique situation and you need to ensure you’re applying it correctly, anything that you do apply.”

Critics said the provincial government has been slow to respond, allowing the movement to gain momentum.

Manitoba NDP leader Wab Kinew said Premier Heather Stefanson is missing in action.

“I think the most impactful first step for the Premier is to come out and clearly say that it’s time for the convoy to end,” Kinew said. “It’s time to open the border with America, and clearly anti-vax protesters should not be going to schools.”

Stefanson denounced a protest outside a high school in Steinbach Thursday but has yet to ask the convoy to go home.

Manitoba Liberal Leader Dougald Lamont accused the Progressive Conservative government of shifting blame to the federal government.

“It is absolutely shocking to see Manitoba’s Premier and Minister of Justice abandon any effort to enforce the law, and to be so blatantly dishonest about it,” said Lamont.

Wall said his group is working closely with Winnipeg police and vowed they want to conduct a law-abiding protest.

He said while the group outside the Legislature understands the frustrations of protesters at the school in Steinbach and at the border near Emerson, Man., he said the organizers of the Winnipeg protest aren’t aligned with the people who’ve disrupted the flow of traffic between Canada and the U.S.

“There’s no connection between that group and our group,” Wall said.

He said protesters in Winnipeg aren’t going anywhere until all mandates are lifted.

They’ve submitted a letter of requests to the Manitoba government and want to meet with the Premier.

The government said it has received the letter but the group said it has not yet heard back from the Premier’s office.