Steinbach protest second in two days

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This article was published 10/02/2022 (1050 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

STEINBACH — HORNS blared for hours in downtown Steinbach as a crowd of protesters, in vehicles and on foot, denounced Manitoba’s vaccine mandates and public health restrictions Friday.

A variety of passenger vehicles, tractors, transport trucks, and a grader and grain truck, took part in the event, which occurred less than 24 hours after a protest by students and adults outside the Steinbach Regional Secondary School. Educators locked the doors to prevent raucous protesters from entering the school.

Many of the vehicles flew Canadian flags or displayed placards as they drove slowly up and down Main Street honking their horns.

Traffic slowed to a crawl but continued to flow through downtown. A few pedestrians who were running errands darted in and out of shops and tried to avoid getting caught in the traffic.

Bitterly cold weather, including a windchill value of -37, didn’t deter the protesters. Hours earlier, an overnight blizzard closed highways around Steinbach in every direction.

Hours before the protest, the Manitoba government announced it would accelerate the rollback of restrictions but insisted at a news conference that protests across the province weren’t a factor in the decision.

As the second anti-mandate protest in two days took place in Steinbach, Mayor Earl Funk said he’s not concerned about the impact.

Funk said he was not opposed to protests as long as traffic could still move, participants were respectful, and safety was maintained.

“I’ve always supported freedom of speech, I’ve always supported the right to an opinion, I’ve always supported the right to protest,” he said.

While he prefers to negotiate and work for change with methods such as writing letters, Funk said some would rather gather and hold an event.

“It’s all good as long as you’re safe and peaceful,” he said.

Despite different methods of showing it, Funk said most people want the same thing: the end of restrictions.

“We have to remember at all times that for the most part, we’re all wanting the same result,” he said. “What’s exciting is we’re all moving toward a free province, a free city, a free country.”

— with files from Greg Vandermeulen

Steinbach Carillon