By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Yellow Vests Movement spreads to Red Deer

Dec 16, 2018 | 12:38 PM

The Yellow Vests Movement has made its way to Red Deer the last two weekends after spawning violent riots in parts of France last month.

Thankfully, the Canadian versions have been calmer, however the message does bear some resemblance to that of ‘des gilets jaunes,’ according to one attendee.

Speaking outside Red Deer City Hall on Saturday, alongside many others, supporter Darin Belanger said French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau share similar worldviews.

“There’s the sudden increase in carbon taxes, and they’re (the French) mad, and they can’t afford it. They’re in a much worse situation than us,” Belanger stated. “I think the difference though is that we are Canadian and we’re peaceful and I think we can do this and make a difference without burning cars and trashing our houses. We don’t need to do that.”

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“We’re united nationwide. Where we go one, we go all,” he added.

Also high on Belanger’s and others list of concerns is the Canadian signature recently inked to the United Nations Migration Pact. Belanger claims supporters are okay with legal immigration, but they believe there are flaws in the current system.

“If we were to take all the engineers and people that have skills away from those countries, they’re left with people in need,” he remarked. “What we need to actually do is help them where they’re at, and give them infrastructure there where they are and they can prosper on their own. If we take all their skilled people away from there, they’re left with nothing.”

Belanger also said that Trudeau broke the law by not listening to the will of the Canadian people who voted in polls for Canada to not sign the UN Migration Pact.

He then cited Facebook polls which he claimed showed 88 per cent opposition.

Questioned how Trudeau is breaking the law by not listening to Facebook polls, Belanger added, “This wasn’t part of his campaign promises. This wasn’t even on the table when he got voted in. We didn’t vote for this at all, then or now.”

He concluded in the end that Canadians can’t be expected to abide by the law when the prime minister isn’t doing so.

Lastly, Belanger noted the recent media bailout and said Trudeau has bungled the oil and gas sector situation, noting the need to get our product to tidewater.

“We have the most ethical, cleanest oil possible in the world,” he said. “We have the world’s third-largest resource of that. We have got to get our product to them (other countries) and save the world that way.”

Mayor Tara Veer was also invited to the rally on Saturday. She did not attend, and though Belanger noted his praise for Veer’s “concern for helping people,” he questioned Red Deer’s willingness to allow so many immigrants into the city.

RCMP members were also on site to keep the peace.

Another rally is planned for the same spot outside City Hall next Saturday at 11 a.m.

Meanwhile in Paris, protests there have reportedly lost momentum, though smaller crowds pushed fervently on Saturday for one of their expanding demands, a referendum to help define policy, according to The Canadian Press.

CP reports that is a ‘leap’ from the demand which sparked protests in November, that being relief from fuel tax hikes.

Since protests began, eight people in the French capital have died. 

(with files from The Canadian Press)