Steinbach anti-mandate protest forces school into lockdown

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This article was published 09/02/2022 (1050 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

STEINBACH — Hundreds of students streamed out of Steinbach Regional Secondary School in a Thursday morning protest against COVID-19 pandemic public health restrictions.

Hanover School Division officials locked the doors of the school behind them, citing safety concerns.

Many vehicles, sporting Canadian flags and signs with calls to end vaccine mandates, circled the school, honking out support to the crowd. Pizza and warm drinks were plentiful for those on hand.

Inside a nearby construction trailer, protesters took turns escaping the snowy conditions, while outside, a sound system blared Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds with lyrics that encouraged “’Cause every little thing is gonna be all right.’”

As the rally continued, a Hanover School Division bus rolled past and offered a honk, too. “That’s my bus driver,” a young protester shouted in appreciation.

A video circulated on social media Wednesday encouraged students to leave class at 9 a.m. Thursday. The Steinbach high school has about 1,700 students.

The large demonstration forced the school into “hold and secure” mode, officials said.

The doors of the school were locked and monitored, allowing students and staff to enter and exit, but otherwise remained closed. Protesters said students who attended the rally were prevented from returning to the building.

The school won’t open for regular classes Friday, instead opting for remote learning.

“This will provide an opportunity for our staff to assess the impact of (Thursday), connect virtually with our students, and plan to ensure everyone is prepared for a safe return,” reads a statement from interim Hanover School Division superintendent Shelley Amos.

“Students with special needs are welcome to attend school on Friday for in-person learning, and buses will pick up these students as usual.”

In an email to parents shortly before noon, the division said students inside the school were safe, and advised enhanced security would remain in the place until the end of the school day.

In an earlier statement, Amos said the protest created an unsafe environment and disrupted in-class learning. Protesters were on school property and made efforts to enter the school building, she added.

“We respect the right to protest but urge all protesters to be respectful, peaceful, and remain off school property during demonstrations,” Amos said.

Steinbach RCMP provided assistance to school administration on the scene. A spokeswoman at the police service’s Winnipeg headquarters had few details to provide, while the Steinbach detachment had closed for the day.

One man, who identified himself as a parent of students at the school but who declined to be named, said he and other parents had discussed the planned protest and decided the student demonstration would benefit from adult supervision.

The man said he met personally with one of the school’s two principals the previous evening to discuss the event, and had also discussed plans with the Steinbach RCMP detachment commander Wednesday night.

Steinbach MLA Kelvin Goertzen, who is also the Tory government’s justice minister, didn’t disavow the protest at a news conference Thursday, but did implore demonstrators to be considerate.

“For those adults that are involved, I think it’s important to remember that schools, hospitals — there are certain places that really aren’t the appropriate place for those demonstrations,” he said.

Last week, Steinbach city council agreed unanimously to send a letter to Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson, calling on the province to begin rolling back pandemic public health restrictions.

Support for the protest by some members of Steinbach’s city council was on display Thursday.

A pickup truck, loaded with empty pizza boxes from a local pizzeria owned by a Coun. Damian Penner, sat on a boulevard. Another truck from a building supply company associated with Coun. Susan Penner delivered woolen mitts to protesters, who continued their demonstration as heavy snow fell mid-morning.

A Facebook post attributed to Damian Penner said his business had sold pizzas to a customer and did not donate them to the protest.

“As a business, it is a very slippery slope when you choose who you will and will not do commerce with, regardless of whether you support the cause or not,” the post reads in part.

“I understand that there will be comparisons and assumptions made due to our donation of food to the demonstrators at the legislature. Those individuals are directly asking for the lifting of mandates that affect our day-to-day business, and how we are able to operate. Not all demonstrations are the same.”

Penner respectfully deferred to the Facebook post when reached for comment.

Meantime, Stefanson and Education Minister Wayne Ewasko condemned the school protest in a statement late Thursday afternoon.

“We ask the protesters to respect that they are endangering children with their actions today. We hear their concerns, but the method in which they are expressing them is dangerous,” the statement reads.

“School children and teens should never feel unsafe going to a place where they are meant to thrive.”

A rally to block Main Street in Steinbach is said to be planned for Friday afternoon.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca