The mayor of Woodstock is urging residents not to attend an anti-lockdown rally being planned for this weekend in the city.
The so-called 'freedom rally' is slated to take place on Sunday. It comes a week after nearly 2,000 maskless people in Aylmer took part in a similar public protest of health measures aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19.
"As Mayor of the City of Woodstock I want to say that we respect people’s right to express their views but we do not condone or support any event that contravenes Provincial Regulations and the recommendations of our Public Health Officials," Mayor Trevor Birtch said in a statement posted to social media. "The City of Woodstock and City Council, believe the safety of our community is paramount and any activity that unnecessarily increases the risk of exposure [of COVID-19] is unacceptable."
The Woodstock rally is not connected to similar demonstrations planned for Saturday in St. Thomas and Sarnia by civil liberties group The Line Canada. However, Church of God Pastor Henry Hildebrandt, who frequently speaks at the Line Canada rallies, is listed as a guest speaker.
Birtch cautioned anyone considering attending the rally that the city's police service will be on-hand, monitoring the event and will issue fines and charges as necessary.
"The Woodstock Police Service's role throughout the COVID-19 response has been to maintain the health and safety of all residents of Woodstock by ensuring that Emergency Orders are adhered to and where necessary and appropriate, lay charges in relation to violations of those orders," said Birtch.
He went on to plead with residents not to attend or engage with organizers or supporters in person or online.
"I ask that you not attend, that you not interact with attendees, that you stay within your social circle and continue to follow the recommendations of our Public Health Officials," said Birtch. "I caution against added interaction on social media; which has the unintended consequence of promoting this event. Remember Friendly City, we are all in this together."
The mayor's statement was shared more than 131 times on Facebook within two hours and garnered more than 400 comments.
Eleven of the 30 active cases of COVID-19 being reported by Southwestern Public Health, the region's health unit, are in Woodstock.
