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Premier Moe grilled about not attending rally at legislature

At the daily COVID-19 update in Regina Tuesday, reporters grilled Premier Scott Moe for not attending a rally held at the legislature earlier in the day.
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At the daily COVID-19 update in Regina Tuesday, reporters grilled Premier Scott Moe for not attending a rally held at the legislature earlier in the day.

The rally was in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and in response to the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last week by a police officer.

When asked why he wasn’t at the rally, Moe said that he had actually “was making my way from home“ to Regina that morning, with a brief stop for meetings in Saskatoon.

Asked if he would be willing to speak to the crowd at a similar rally in the future, “I haven’t given it any thought, I guess I would consider it.” He added that he “fully understand the reasons these individuals are coming together. I think they have the support of virtually everyone, including myself, in addressing what is a societal challenge.”

When asked about the message it sends to miss an event like this while attending other rallies, Moe responded that "I suppose my entire itinerary over the course of the year could be dissected as well. What does need, I think, to be communicated is the fact that these voices that we heard today. these individuals and collectively as a group. these voices matter."  

"Racism has no place here," Moe said.

Earlier Moe did express his concerns about recent events in the United States.

“Like many others, I was deeply disturbed by recent events we have observed in the US,” said Moe, who added that he was “disturbed and horrified by the brutal and senseless killing of George Floyd.”

Moe also condemned the vandalism done at the legislature earlier in the day, while acknowledging people’s rights to protest.

He said people should be able to speak out “peacefully, and we should do so lawfully – unlike the individual who chose to vandalize the war memorial at the legislature. I’m heartened by the fact that that disgraceful act was done by only one individual, meanwhile we had hundreds at a peaceful demonstration at the legislature.”  

Premier Moe and Dr. Saqib Shahab were asked about the size of the rally, in light of the continued restriction in the province of 10 individuals per gathering. Despite those concerns, neither of them questioned the right of those gathering outside the legislature to protest. 

“We should all stand against any injustice in our home community, our country and globally in a peaceful way,” said Dr. Shahab. But he did add that “we all need to be conscious of our responsibility to each other,” and said practising physical distancing “helps all of us to stay safe.”  

Otherwise, there was plenty of good news to report, including zero new cases of COVID-19 as well as a decline in active cases to 33.

Premier Moe also announced that travel restrictions were being lifted in the northwest as of June 8 and that La Loche would move to Phase 1 and 2 of reopening.