EMERGENCY INJUNCTION: Whistle Stop Café owner could face jail if he hosts weekend protest

Chris Scott, owner of the Whistle Stop Café in Mirror, Alberta, has been in a dog fight with health officials since January when he openly defied the province's COVID restrictions that banned indoor dining.  

He kept his restaurant open despite the very real risk of being put in jail for his act of survival. 

However, the government blinked during that legal standoff. In February, restaurants in Alberta were permitted to reopen for dine-in service once again and there's no doubt that Chris' act of civil disobedience played a big part in that. 

But the restrictions returned on Tuesday. Stricter restrictions, including bans on patio dining. And although Chris tried to continue his operation, Alberta's health tyrants had other ideas. 

On Wednesday morning, the authorities raided and seized the Whistle Stop Café in a dawn raid. They also closed the Whistle Stop convenience store and gas station, cutting off this small town of 500 from gas and general supplies. They even closed Chris' campsite! 

After the raid, Chris planned a big weekend protest. So to prevent it from happening, an Alberta court granted an emergency injunction, which allows anyone involved with Chris' "illegal public gathering" to be "restrained anywhere in Alberta."  

The injunction to prevent Chris' political protest was authorized in secret without informing Chris' lawyer, Chad Williamson. That's the same lawyer that defended Chris and won against the government during The Whistle Stop's initial rebellion earlier this year. 

The government is treating Chris like a terrorist for exercising his Charter rights. It's insane. It attacks the cornerstone of our democracy.  

So we're going to fight like hell to get Chris off the hook and stand up for our right to free expression in the process.  

If you'd like to help Chris, please donate at www.FightTheFines.com. All donations to Fight the Fines now qualify for a charitable tax receipt through The Democracy Fund, a registered Canadian charity. 

We don't have secret courts in Canada. We don't block political speech with secret court orders.  


View the full injunction:

Sheila Gunn Reid

Chief Reporter

Sheila Gunn Reid is the Alberta Bureau Chief for Rebel News and host of the weekly The Gunn Show with Sheila Gunn Reid. She's a mother of three, conservative activist, and the author of best-selling books including Stop Notley.

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