Protesters hold 'people's forum' in Calgary ahead of G7, prepare for Sunday march

Joel Dryden · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 14, 2025 7:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

On the last time earlier G7 leaders stitchery successful Kananaskis, Alta., activists and assemblage groups met successful downtown Calgary connected Saturday day for a "people's forum" that took purpose at the priorities of G7 leaders.

They besides discussed plans for a demonstration and march adjacent metropolis hallway successful Calgary connected Sunday. Organizers said the extremity was to unify fragmented activistic groups up of the protest.

"The G7, it's happening for a fewer days, but it's going to wrapper up and leave," said Yasmeen Khan of the International League of Peoples' Struggle (ILPS), which describes itself arsenic an anti-imperialist organization.

"But the issues are inactive going to beryllium there. So however bash we, successful Calgary and successful Alberta particularly, physique a people's movement?"

A bid of protests and marches are expected passim the time successful downtown Calgary connected Sunday, representing a scope of antithetic groups and priorities, including labour, youth, Indigenous and environmental activists. 

There are 3 "designated objection zones" established by officials running done the summit: one successful Banff and two in Calgary, but constabulary have said people person the close to assemble extracurricular the zones.

The ILPS expects respective 100 radical astatine the city hall protest, with buses arriving from Edmonton.

They besides person plans for a march successful conjunction with different assemblage and activistic groups, which whitethorn determination beyond the authoritative protestation zones.

"We are saying that it's a peaceful march. [Our] constabulary liaisons volition sermon with the police. If there's a go, past we'll bash the march," Khan said.

Still, there's interest implicit however immoderate imaginable confrontations with constabulary volition beryllium handled, particularly if numbers swell extracurricular the scope of what organizers are expecting.

Officials committedness 'measured, proportionate' response

Officials person referred to the G7 acme as the "largest home information operation" a state tin instrumentality on, with precocious technological threats contributing to heightened information concerns.

A large constabulary beingness volition beryllium successful spot during the summit, including officers from RCMP, Calgary Police Service and different agencies.

As demonstrations unfold successful Calgary, information officials accidental they're taking a "measured and proportionate" attack with an accent connected dialog and de-escalation.

"We stay committed to transparency and accountability successful each our actions," said David Hall, Alberta RCMP superintendent and event information manager for the G7 Integrated Safety and Security Group, successful a release.

He said they volition instrumentality "enforcement enactment lone erstwhile indispensable to support nationalist bid oregon respond to transgression activity."

'Feels benignant of Hunger Games'

Officials person said footage from demonstration zones is to be livestreamed to the restricted country for leaders to watch. There is besides a objection portion astatine the Calgary airport, but it isn't being livestreamed.

Police person said the designated objection zones are meant to guarantee information portion providing visibility. But immoderate participants of Saturday's lawsuit viewed them differently.

"I consciousness similar live-streaming a protestation portion to radical successful a edifice feels benignant of Hunger Games. It's a small dystopian," said Isa Carlin, a subordinate of Migrante Alberta, an enactment that advocates for the rights of migrants.

Other activistic groups are besides expected to articulation Sunday's demonstrations.

The Calgary Raging Grannies radical has said it volition beryllium astatine the protestation portion astatine metropolis hall, arsenic volition activists rallying for Indigenous h2o rights and h2o security.

Moninder Singh, spokesperson for the Sikh Federation of Canada, said determination volition besides beryllium a bid of protests against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was invited to the G7 by Prime Minister Mark Carney.

"There has been a taxable of treatment to conscionable support the protestation until he's wheels-up, until Mr. Modi's wheels are up and retired of the country," Singh said.

One large biology group, Greenpeace Canada, has said it won't nonstop a ample contingent to Alberta this year.

On Saturday, metropolis hallway was the determination for a rally of members of Calgary's Ukrainian community. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is attending the G7. 

The acme itself is being held westbound of Calgary successful the wilderness resort of Kananaskis, surrounded by aggregate layers of information and inaccessible to the public.