Pro-immigration rally planned for Red Deer on Saturday

Pro-immigration rally planned for Red Deer on Saturday

Rally taking place outside Red Deer City Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A pro-immigration rally is scheduled for Saturday morning in Red Deer.

An event on the Alberta Political SoapBox Facebook page says the rally will take place outside Red Deer City Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Silent rally, signs only,” it reads. “No vests. Dark clothing recommended to stand out as separate from anti-immigration messages. Bring your signs to the rally in Red Deer this Saturday!”

“The Yellow Vests hold rallies misleading about intent,” the pro-immigration rally page reads. “Pro-Immigration signs are needed to counter the anti-immigration message they rant out of loudspeakers.”

Aside from protesting the current crisis in the oil and gas sector in the province, the so-called Yellow Vest protesters have said they are against the United Nations Global Compact for Migration, the Red Deer Express reported. The compact is a 36-page guide on how countries can address challenges related to human migration.

READ MORE: Yellow Vest protesters take to Red Deer streets

A graphic from the federal government on the pro-immigration event page states that 75 per cent of Canada’s population growth comes from immigration, much of it in the ‘economic category.’

Using another graphic, it shows how married couples in Canada are having fewer children from four decades ago, resulting in a need for immigration to fuel Canada’s population growth.

The event page says Saturday’s rally is a chance to have your voice heard in a positive community setting. It invites friends and family.

A Yellow Vest rally is also planned for the same time and place on Saturday.

As a continuing protest against the current state of Alberta’s oil and gas sector, a Yellow Vest convoy is taking off from Red Deer on Feb. 14th.

Innisfail resident and organizer Glen Carritt told the Red Deer Express at the beginning of January, the group is monitoring its Facebook page to ensure there are no racial slurs, hate comments and other forms of misconduct.

The convoy of hundreds of trucks is traveling the Trans-Canada Highway all the way to Ottawa to protest the lack of pipeline capacity in Alberta. Carritt said the group is also against the carbon tax and ‘illegal immigration.’

READ MORE: ‘Yellow Vest’ pro-pipeline convoy departing from Red Deer to Ottawa mid-February