Enforcement action taken following protest at the Calgary International Airport

Our officers issued 17 summonses under the Traffic Safety Act and arrested one man in relation to a protest that occurred earlier today at the Calgary International Airport.

Earlier today, Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021, approximately 50 individuals participated in the protest meant to impede and disrupt traffic around the Calgary International Airport. Today’s demonstration was part of a Canada-wide protest intended to restrict access to airports in major cities.

While we are committed to protecting a citizen’s right to peacefully protest, several protestors took steps to unlawfully impede traffic surrounding the airport. For this reason, enforcement action was taken in relation to the organizer and several drivers who participated in the process.

One man who was identified as a primary organizer aimed at disrupting access to the airport was also taken into custody without incident at the scene.

Christopher SACCOCCIA, 38, has since been charged criminally with one count of Mischief.

“We became aware of today’s planned protest earlier last week and had several resources in place to monitor today’s activities,” says Acting Inspector Peter Siegenthaler of the CPS Major Events and Emergency Management Section. “Our primary role in situations like this is to preserve public safety and ensure the rights of other citizens are not negatively impacted by actions of protestors. While we always work to ensure citizens’ right to peacefully protest, we will not tolerate individuals choosing to impede the rights of others.”

Thank you to citizens travelling to and from the airport for your understanding and cooperation as we dealt with today’s incident.