Hundreds of people are taking part in anti-UCP protests across Alberta on Saturday

On Saturday, hundreds of people took part in protests against the United Conservative Party in communities across Alberta, expressing their dissatisfaction with government policies.

“The Enough is Enough” protests and rallies were held in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Sylvan Lake, Vermillion and Medicine Hat throughout Saturday afternoon.

Many protest participants expressed their dissatisfaction with the UCP, saying their MLAs were not listening to their concerns.

Rebecca Brown, a protest organizer in Calgary, works in health care and said she has seen it “slowly decay” since former Prime Minister Jason Kenney’s administration.

Brown told Global News that the rallies are not focused on one specific issue, but on a wide range of policies and decisions made by the United Conservative government over the past few years.

“I think it’s high time for the silent majority to become a much louder majority because right now it’s a tiny minority that is the loudest,” she said.

Brown also said she wants Albertans who have traditionally voted Conservative to consider other options, saying the UCP does not uphold Conservative values.

“They are not conservatives and I think people need to open their eyes to that,” she said. “If they realize they are not Conservatives and look for other options… This government is lying to you.”

David Gray, master of ceremonies for the Edmonton protest, said the only way to change the status quo is to “provide heat” through activities such as demonstrations and protests.

“These guys are not competent in most areas of government when it comes to getting things done. They make decisions based on who they will hurt, not who they will help,” he told Global News.

“Stop making up an agenda. Stop inventing a mandate. Most of the things they are doing now that are harming Albertans were not discussed at the election or rejected at the election, and that is just plain unfair.

“People are pretty pissed off. There are many people who have been hurt by this government.”

Diana Batten, NDP MLA for Calgary-Acadia, said the rallies send a signal to the UCP that its politicians are not listening to the needs of Albertans.

“Albertans need help right now: housing, health care, cost of living, education… There are so many life-changing things that need to be addressed and the government is not responding to any of them,” she said.

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“I think we need to look at how they do consultations… It seems like all they (UCP) are doing is telephone consultations, and that’s not the same because they’re only talking to a handful of Albertans and they’re not representative.”

Shane Getson, UCP leader, said in an emailed statement Saturday that the party always supports the right to “peaceful and lawful protest.”

“If anyone has any doubts regarding the government’s policies, they can contact any of our MLAs through their constituency offices,” he said.

“However, recent polls show that Albertans largely support our government’s efforts to grow the economy, balance the budget, create jobs, attract investment, maintain affordable living and fix the health care system for all. We are focused on the development of the province.”

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