With anger and frustration rising in Saskatchewan over the Premier’s most recent reckless, unscientific, politically-motivated announcement, namely his changes to how residents will receive medical treatment, if at all, for a deadly virus during a pandemic, organizers planning a protest this Saturday felt compelled to do something.
Dumbfounded that we are even here two years after this global COVID-19 pandemic was declared, protestors don’t think they’re asking for much:
- A non-political, evidence-based approach to handling COVID-19, which should include public health measures and the direction of medical professionals, not politicians looking solely to cling to power;
- Our right to uniform, reasonable medical access to health care during a pandemic, specifically the crucial PCR tests required for diagnostic purposes.
“The Premier has been perpetuating egregious misinformation about the efficiency of vaccines to reduce the transmission of COVID-19, making outrageous, ignorant claims – and making them deliberately to contradict information we get from medical and scientific communities both in Saskatchewan and across the planet,” said organizer Joel Hill. “We felt this marked a dark downturn in our provincial pandemic response, which hasn’t exactly felt enlightened to-date because it’s been rooted in Sask Party politics, not expert advice and scientific data.”
Protest organizers also feel Saskatchewan residents need to recognize that the government has crossed a line then it comes to placing what they feel are purely politically-motivated restrictions on PCR testing.
“Each and every one of us has a right to uniform, free health care in this country, yet the Sask Party has made it impossible for most of us to access testing for a virus during a global pandemic without paying hundreds of dollars,” continued Hill. “At least a Saskatchewan resident should be able to get a referral from a doctor for a COVID-19 PCR test without having to overcome physical and medical obstacles put in front of them by laymen politicians who want to hold power over us.”
In what might be a departure from the purpose of previous protests, organizers harbour no notion that Premier Scott Moe, Health Minister Paul Merriman or any member of the silent, complicit Sask Party caucus will take action, respond or acknowledge their demands. Instead, they hope other Saskatchewan people see and respond by holding their own protests, and their MLAs and community leaders accountable for their inaction.