Let’s talk about the latest escapade shaking the streets of Winnipeg and rattling the spine of our democracy like a flimsy snow globe. Yes, I’m talking about the stunt pulled by our beloved Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) – or should I say, the art of doing absolutely nothing visible.
Here’s the quick and dirty: The WPS decided their newest method for crowd control is to be as elusive as a Winnipeg summer. This avant-garde strategy hit the spotlight when a motorist roared through a protest at Portage Avenue and Main Street, turning a cyclist into roadkill decor and subsequently igniting a clash between protesters and our invisible police force.
Why don’t we time-travel for a moment? Remember the good old days of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike? The city was draped in tension, and the streets were filled with fiery protests demanding action. While times may have changed, the flavour of discontent is uncannily similar. Fast forward to today, and we see a surge in protests, hitting a record-breaking 352 events in the first two quarters of 2024 alone. Spoiler alert: the trend is still skyrocketing.
Our main cast includes the WPS officers, appearing only in cameos because being visibly present is too much of a commitment. The supporting actors? Angry citizens, gutsy protesters, and bewildered drivers, some of whom believe driving through a protest is a valid shortcut. Guest appearances by professors and political sociologists add a sprinkle of intellectual garnish to this chaotic cocktail.
So why does this matter? It’s more relevant than ever because protest fatigue is settling in, and the WPS’s hands-off policy is either visionary or a colossal failure. They’re stationed out of sight to “de-escalate” tensions, responding only after things have gone south faster than a snowbird in November. It’s a brilliant Houdini act – vanish first, problematically reappear later. Leuprecht, our go-to security expert, says they can’t enforce the law due to a dire shortage of resources. Utter brilliance: expect nothing and deliver less.
Now, let’s crank up the combative dial. Let’s talk brass tacks. Are you trying to tell me that the best our police can do in the face of soaring unrest is hide and hope? This isn’t a pacifist strategy; it’s sheer negligence disguised as prudence. Organizing on short notice can surely be a logistical nightmare, but isn’t that what training and a fat taxpayer-funded budget are for? The soft approach is anything but a solution when it leaves protesters, bystanders, and our Dylan wannabe motorists at risk.
And speaking of hypothetical hot messes, let’s break the ludicrous cycle: taxpayer dollars keep escaping like Houdini, while safety and sanity nosedive. We don’t want heavy-handed tactics à la dystopian nightmare, but playing ‘Where’s Waldo?’ with our police force is a farce.
Riddle me this: Are we content with a police service that boasts invisibility as its superpower? How much longer can we tolerate a situation where a protester’s automotive encounter becomes a reckless game of Frogger while officers moonlight as magic tricks?
To all Winnipeggers reading this, I implore you – don’t passively accept this charade. Demand accountability from the WPS. A democracy isn’t just about the right to protest; it’s also about the assurance of safety while exercising that right. Our police should be a visible, reassuring presence, not a whispered rumour in the winds of chaos.