Leduc council public debate turns unruly as residents take aim at city’s Pride initiatives

Leduc city council needed to shut down public debate at Monday’s meeting over two residents who took aim at the city’s Pride initiatives.

One man in particular addressed council with various concerns, expressing irritation at the state of the city since the COVID-19 pandemic.

While his words did garner some support from others in the room through applause at the outset, the speech was eventually shut down.

“He went into various conspiracy theories, talking about chemtrails and then went into a profanity-laced tirade about the city’s Pride initiatives,” recounted Coun. Ryan Pollard.

At one point the man began using expletives, and he was interrupted for it.

“Point of order, can you ask the speaker to confine himself to parliamentary language please?” a person can be heard saying in the recording of the public debate portion.

Side by side of residents at Leduc city council meeting on June 26, 2023 (courtesy: City of Leduc) and Leduc Pride flag.

A second speaker later joined the man and spread misinformation about the Pride flag.

“The black stands for necrophilia,” she said, shortly before her microphone was shut off.

Those outbursts came just days after RCMP began investigating the vandalism of the City of Leduc’s first-ever Pride crosswalk. Police say black tire marks were left across the rainbow crosswalk on Saturday.

Mounties say they have seen a rise in hate incidents towards the 2SLGBTQ+ community in Alberta this year.

“Whatever we thought we were doing before, we are now in uncharted territory,” said Pollard, who ultimately called for the end of Monday’s debate.

Photo of Pride crosswalk in Leduc. (Photo Courtesy: Leduc RCMP)

“We’re not going to give in to intimidation, and we’re not going to give in to an absolute minority of people that think that they’re entitled to engage in threatening potentially criminal conduct in order to get their way out of a democratic body.”

Pollard says there were threats made when the meeting was shut down. Leduc RCMP did confirm they were asked to be present at the council meeting, but say there was no need for enforcement.

“Certainly when I think back to 10 years ago, I wouldn’t imagine that we would be in this situation,” said Pollard. “I tend to be an optimist and think that we move towards progress.”