Skip to content

Pro-immigration rally planned for Red Deer on Saturday

Rally taking place outside Red Deer City Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
15190438_web1_15106972_web1_CityOfRedDeerCityHalljpg

A pro-immigration rally is scheduled for Saturday morning in Red Deer.

An event on the Alberta Political SoapBox Facebook page says the rally will take place outside Red Deer City Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Silent rally, signs only,” it reads. “No vests. Dark clothing recommended to stand out as separate from anti-immigration messages. Bring your signs to the rally in Red Deer this Saturday!”

The event seems to be a counter rally to the Yellow Vest protests which have been taking place across Central Alberta in recent months.

“The Yellow Vests hold rallies misleading about intent,” the pro-immigration rally page reads. “Pro-Immigration signs are needed to counter the anti-immigration message they rant out of loudspeakers.”

The Red Deer Express reported in December Yellow Vest protesters taking a stance against Canada’s immigration policies, especially those under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government.

In particular, the Yellow Vest protesters said they are against the United Nations Global Compact for Migration. The compact is a 36-page guide on how countries can address challenges related to human migration.

READ MORE: Yellow Vest protesters take to Red Deer streets

A graphic on the pro-immigration event page states that 75 per cent of Canada’s population growth comes from immigration, much of it in the ‘economic category.’

Using another graphic, it shows how married couples in Canada are having fewer children from four decades ago, resulting in a need for immigration to fuel Canada’s population growth.

The event page says Saturday’s rally is a chance to have your voice heard in a positive community setting. It invites friends and family.

The Red Deer Express reached out to organizers of the ‘Pro-Immigration Rally’ via Facebook, but they did not get back for an interview.

As a continuing protest against the current state of Alberta’s oil and gas sector, a Yellow Vest convoy is taking off from Red Deer on Feb. 14th.

The convoy of more than 100 trucks is traveling the Trans-Canada Highway all the way to Ottawa to protest the lack of pipeline capacity in Alberta. Convoy organizers say the group is also against the carbon tax and what they consider to be ‘illegal immigration.’

READ MORE: ‘Yellow Vest’ pro-pipeline convoy departing from Red Deer to Ottawa mid-February