Police outside of Calgary's Fairview Baptist Church

Police outside of Calgary's Fairview Baptist Church
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For a second straight day, it appears police in Alberta are set to take action against another church for violating the province's provincial health restrictions.

In a video captured and posted to Twitter by Rebel News' Kian Simone, two police vehicles can be seen outside of Fairview Baptist Church in Calgary.

Police have made several trips to Fairview Baptist following the decision made by its pastor, Tim Stephens, in late February to disregard Alberta's 15 per cent capacity restrictions placed on religious gatherings. At the time, Stephens remarked that he was defying the public health measures in part as a show of support for Edmonton-area Pastor James Coates of GraceLife Church, who was taken into custody following his decision not to abide by the same gathering rules.

Then, at the beginning of March, Pastor Stephens told Rebel News that “no amount of fine, no amount of jail time” would discourage him from holding worship. Calgary police would later escort public health enter Fairview Baptist on not one, but two different occasions during church services to collect information.

Pastor Stephens was then handed multiple tickets for violating Alberta's COVID-19 restrictions.

Alberta's fight against religious gatherings continues

After Pastor James Coates was released from Edmonton's Remand Centre and returned to GraceLife, which operate in defiance of restrictions, Alberta Health Services and the RCMP seized the building and erected a fence around the outside of it.

GraceLife Church then took to holding “underground” services.

Yesterday, a second pastor, Artur Pawlowski, was arrested by police for his repeated violations of provincial gathering restrictions. Pawlowski, along with his brother, were taken away by officers in an arrest on the highway following a lengthy feud with public health and enforced by police.

Rebel News is working to help fight charges against Pastor Pawlowski through Fight The Fines, our largest civil liberties campaign to date. If you are interested in supporting our work, you can make a donation through www.FightTheFines.com. Because we are now working alongside a registered Canadian charity, The Democracy Fund, donations made to Fight The Fines are now eligible for a tax deduction.

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