Anti-mandate and counter-protesters showed up to demonstrate Saturday in Calgary’s downtown, but stayed mostly separated and confined to parks and city hall, a departure from last week’s heated meeting along 17th Avenue S.W. 

The Calgary police service asked protesters earlier in the week to “stay away” from the Beltline area. On Friday, police were granted a temporary court injunction to help manage the expected demonstration. 

Despite these warnings, protesters from both sides turned out to demonstrate amid a heightened police presence and temporary road closures along 12th Avenue S.W. and 13th Avenue S.W. 

In a press conference on Saturday evening, Chief Mark