On Friday, over 100 citizens gathered outside the Alberta Teachers Association, protesting for parental rights and healthy boundaries for children.
This protest was organized by Benita Pedersen, who previously coordinated the Million Person March for Children, where hundreds of Edmontonians gathered against SOGI-123 last September.
Protesters of all ages held signs proclaiming “Leave Our Kids Alone” and “Mature Content Is Not for Kids.”
During her speech, Pedersen stated that inappropriate material for children is not part of the official Alberta curriculum but comes from resources that teachers voluntarily include.
“Some of that material is recommended by the Alberta Teachers Association across the street, so that’s one of the reasons we gathered here today,” she added.
In an interview, the President of the Alberta Teachers Association, Jason Schilling, claimed that teachers are not providing additional material to their students.
“I’m extremely disappointed to see that once again, we have a group of individuals who might be falling victim to some misinformation,” Schilling stated.
He remarked that the protests send a damaging message to students, suggesting they “don’t belong” or can’t be their “authentic selves” in the classroom.
Pride Corner organizes counter-protests
An LGBT support group known for gathering at “Pride Corner” on Whyte Avenue—a location named by Edmonton’s mayor, Amarjeet Sohi, in response to alleged homophobia—organized multiple counter-protests against the parental rights march.
As stated on their Instagram page, they labeled the protest as a “far-right agitator group” that is stealing trans joy, gender diversion, and queer youth safety.
The group advertised multiple counter-protests across Canada, including Edmonton, Regina, Saskatchewan, Calgary, Lethbridge and Swift Current.
Rowan Morris, a participant in the counter-protest in Edmonton, expressed that he has endured “anxiety, stress, and a lot of pain” as a result of these annual demonstrations.
