Landon Johnston, the organizer of the campaign to recall Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek, has been banned from the city’s public libraries.

Johnston’s official Recall Gondek campaign is hosting petition drives throughout the city, setting an initial goal of reaching 10,000 signatures. Calgarians wishing to add their name to the list must do it in person. 

Johnston, who operates a home maintenance company in Calgary, launched the petition after speaking with families during his routine work day, realizing that the vast majority of the families he spoke to had one reason or another to want Gondek gone. 

But while Johnston was petitioning citizens to sign at the Central Calgary Public Library, a security guard told him he must leave — and that he’s actually banned from every public library in the city.

“I need authorization to be in the library to express my rights as a Canadian citizen?” Johnston asked, filming his exchange with two security officers. 

“It has nothing to do with rights, it has to do with private property,” the security guard responded.  “You’re soliciting signatures,” the guard said. 

Johnston asked why he wasn’t allowed to do solicit signatures in a public space that’s paid for by taxpayers.  

“This is not allowed in Library (sic),” another guard said, adding “This is illegal in Library.”

Johnston asked, “So which law is it?”

The security guard responded, “Don’t ask that type of question, please.”  

The first security guard then confirmed that Johnston is indeed banned from city libraries, and is welcome to fill out a reinstatement application to be granted access again. 

In response to the development, Johnston told The Counter Signal, “If we need to get signatures how are we supposed to do that if we cant go to public spaces?”

Gondek became the first big-city mayor in the nation to have a recall process enacted. 

You can register here to receive updates on the campaign, including total signatures received, when signature drives are happening near you, and how the mayor is responding to the self-inflicted political disaster.

The recall Gondek campaign collects signatures every Saturday at City Hall.