Hundreds of protesters representing diverse causes gathered peacefully in downtown Calgary on Sunday, coinciding with the commencement of the Group of Seven (G7) summit, located a considerable distance away in the mountain resort of Kananaskis.
In recent years, G7 protests have become highly controlled, with demonstrators often confined to designated areas more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the leaders’ meeting venues. The 2025 summit adheres to this practice, with protesters voicing their concerns in Alberta’s largest city.
Canadian officials had committed to livestreaming the protesters’ messages to the secluded mountain town of Kananaskis, where the leaders of the seven industrialized nations are convening.
The crisis in Gaza emerged as a dominant theme among approximately 500 individuals assembled in front of Calgary’s main municipal building, one of several designated protest zones within the city. Police confirmed that no protesters were present at the other two designated local demonstration zones, including one near Calgary airport, where the G7 leaders began to arrive.
“I’m here because I’m an Indigenous person,” stated Emrys Peacock, who traveled by bus from British Columbia’s Okanagan region. “As an Indigenous person, I can’t ignore a fellow Indigenous nation being bombed, murdered and starved at the hands of an occupation, (something) my people have been through since colonization,” she added.
Dozens of other protesters also expressed strong opposition to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which was initiated following the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas.
Calgary student Terrence, who chose not to disclose his last name, expressed surprise at the calm atmosphere, remarking, “I’m a little underwhelmed. I thought there would be a lot more confrontation because last year’s Gaza protest was quite tense.”
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