When a mob descended on Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021, killing five people in the process, it was noted by observers that had the rioters belonged to any other demographic than white Republicans, the National Guard would have been called in and the day would have turned out very differently.

ItSA国际影视传媒檚 important to note these werenSA国际影视传媒檛 people who needed a wheelbarrow of money to buy bread SA国际影视传媒� many in the throng were doctors, lawyers and even soldiers. They were by any reasonable measure fairly well off financially.

A year and a bit later, another mob descended on Ottawa, shutting the capital down for three weeks while parading nazi flags. And we all watched in shock as police didSA国际影视传媒� nothing. Blockades at two border crossings were also left alone by authorities SA国际影视传媒� even the blockader who rammed a police vehicle was somehow spared arrest.

Again, these rioters were largely people who could afford to miss three weeks of work and drive their big, loud vehicles from all corners of the second largest national landmass on Earth demanding a different result to an election they had clearly lost. It was pointed out here and elsewhere in Canada that the restraint shown by police was very different from how the law had dealt with Idle No More, G20 protesters or just about any other protest in history.

With this in mind, letSA国际影视传媒檚 review the year in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Both provinces have long been run by parties promising to fix grievances with the federal government but never do, and theySA国际影视传媒檝e both picked fights with Indigenous groups within their borders over their respective Sovereignty or Me-First legislation. In both provinces, First Nations chiefs have condemned the laws. In Alberta, premier Danielle Smith told her legislature she actually tried to convince Alberta chiefs that the oilsandSA国际影视传媒檚 difficulty getting pipelines built in other provinces was analogous to three centuries of colonialism. That went over as well as you would expect. Meanwhile, in Saskatchewan, Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron has stated, SA国际影视传媒淚f all else fails, we will blockade.SA国际影视传媒�

Needless to say, if Indigenous groups in Saskatchewan start a blockade over premier Scott MoeSA国际影视传媒檚 goofy go-nowhere legislation, the expected treatment is that police will give them at least three weeks to express their concerns. Anything less would be a blatant display and admission of two sets of rules SA国际影视传媒� one for white people and one for everyone else.

This also goes for the WetSA国际影视传媒檚uwetSA国际影视传媒檈n SA国际影视传媒� who should never have to endure a police raid on their camps again. It would again be a clear display of systematic racism. The same applies to MiSA国际影视传媒檏maq fishermen and Black Lives Matter and far too many others to list.

Police have set a new standard for how civil disobedience is handled in Canada. After showing CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 clearly privileged such stoic patience, it shows they also have the ability to peacefully handle protests that donSA国际影视传媒檛 involve horns blaring at all hours of the day, that donSA国际影视传媒檛 flash nazi symbols on national television and donSA国际影视传媒檛 demand the death and/or removal of a legitimately elected head of state.

We as journalists have an obligation to Canadians to hold police to that new standard. Our first question should always be, SA国际影视传媒渨hy wasnSA国际影视传媒檛 this handled like in Ottawa?SA国际影视传媒�

ThereSA国际影视传媒榮 no going back SA国际影视传媒� police crackdowns on peaceful protesters cannot be tolerated any longer SA国际影视传媒� they should have never been tolerated in the first place . To treat any other protest any differently SA国际影视传媒� especially one around Indigenous and Treaty concerns SA国际影视传媒� would be a clear violation of Truth and Reconciliation.