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Pastor shoved out door, knocked flat on his back after protesting library's drag queen event for children. Now Canadian cops have charged pastor with hate crime.
Image source: YouTube screenshot, composite

Pastor shoved out door, knocked flat on his back after protesting library's drag queen event for children. Now Canadian cops have charged pastor with hate crime.

Cellphone video caught the moment a Canadian pastor was shoved out the door and knocked flat on his back after protesting a library's drag queen event last weekend — for which children were in attendance — and now police in Calgary, Alberta, have charged the pastor with a hate crime.

What are the details?

Officers said they responded to protestors during the Seton Library’s "Reading with Royalty” event at 11:15 a.m. Saturday, Calgary News reported.

“We were subsequently called to the location for reports that several individuals aggressively entered a library classroom, shouting homophobic and transphobic slurs at the children and parents in attendance, scaring the children while causing a disturbance and subsequently refusing to leave,” police said in a statement, the outlet reported.

Two people in attendance "helped library staff throw the people out while waiting for police to arrive," the News added.

Calgary police arrested and charged 36-year-old Derek Scott Reimer with a hate crime, the outlet said, adding the Reimer faces one count of causing a disturbance and one count of mischief.

Reimer is a pastor.

"CPS reminds people that hate-motivated crimes are things like assault, theft, vandalism, or any other crime where the offender was 'motivated by bias, prejudice or hate' that is based on nine characteristics of the victim," the News reported.

Officers also are pressing "by-law charges" against Reimer, with six counts of harassment, the outlet said, adding that each charge carries a penalty of up to $10,000 and up to six months in jail if payment defaults.

Another disturbance during Calgary drag eventyoutu.be

Pam Rocker — an activist, speaker, and director of Affirming Connection in Calgary — told the News in a separate story that "in a civilized society such as Canada, we should be ok to say, ‘This is who I am. That is who you are, and we are each unique in our own ways of being.’ And we should celebrate that and not be afraid of it."

Rocker added to the outlet that "these events are about respect. They’re about seeing people and allowing people to be seen for who they are.”

Dr. Kristopher Wells — a professor for the public understanding of sexual and general minority youth at MacEwan university — told the news, “2LGBTQ+ people don’t appear just as adults. They are children. They know their identities. They are looking for support. They are trying to build community, and being able to attend these events is very important. They should have the right to do that in a safe and discriminatory-free environment.”

As you might guess, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek was also none too pleased about the protest:

Check out the pastor's arrest

Reimer was taken into custody Thursday, Western Standard reported.

Fox News' Tucker Carlson ran a segment Thursday night on the situation, during which video of Reimer's arrest was shown. Carlson also spoke to Rebel News' founder Ezra Levant about the controversy.

Ezra joins Tucker to talk about the arrest of Pastor Derek Reimeryoutu.be

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