‘Just following orders?’ Calgary police mocked for ‘weak damage control’ as pastor’s fiery standoff with ‘Gestapo cops’ goes viral

Calgary Police were ridiculed for their response to a scandalous incident in which a conservative pastor chased health and law enforcement officials out, calling them ‘Nazis’ for trying to disrupt his Easter service.

In a statement on Sunday night, authorities said that only “one uniformed officer of the Calgary Police Service attended a call to assist our partner agencies... in relation to a religious gathering.”

Many wondered if anyone at the CPS press service even watched the video, accusing them of lying in the very first line of their “weak response.”

However, while the viral video indeed seemed to show three uniformed cops (in addition to two men in plainclothes and a female Alberta Health Services employee) intruding on the premises – two of them were actually wearing a ‘peace officer’ insignia of the Calgary Bylaw services.

The statement went on to somewhat shift the blame onto those partner agencies, insisting that police were only there as observers “in an effort to help keep the peace due to high levels of conflict between citizens and health inspectors.”

The organizer of the gathering was uncooperative with the health inspector, and repeatedly raised his voice asking all parties to leave the premises, which they did approximately one minute after entry and in a peaceful manner.

Police insisted that they did “not wish to disrupt anyone’s holidays or religious or spiritual events,” but it was their duty to respond “when called upon.”

During the fiery encounter, which happened on Saturday and lasted a little longer than “a minute,” Artur Pawlowski, a controversial street preacher of Polish origin, can be heard repeatedly calling the intruders “Gestapo” and “Nazis,” ordering them to “Get out!” and “Don’t come back without a warrant!”

The conservative pastor is based in Calgary, Alberta, and is known locally for fiery sermons against Sharia law, abortion, gay rights, and Covid-19 restrictions.

In the past, he has repeatedly been fined for organizing protests in breach of Canadian health regulations, but this time “no tickets were issued at the time and it will be up to our partner agencies to determine subsequent enforcement activity in response to this situation,” police said.

In attending public spaces, private homes, and businesses, we continue to strive for voluntary compliance with public health orders where that makes sense.

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