A Calgary pastor spent Easter weekend in jail for alleged hate-related charges after he was arrested while protesting drag queen storytime events for the third time in five weeks, according to the CBC.
Derek Reimer, 36, was protesting near a drag queen storytime event earlier this month when he was arrested on outstanding warrants. He also faces 8 new charges, including causing a disturbance, criminal harassment, and breaching the conditions of his release.
Reimer, who serves as pastor of Mission 7, a street church ministry, was initially arrested for a February 25 incident after several men physically removed him from Seton Library in Calgary for protesting a drag queen storytime event called Reading With Royalty.
After his February arrest, the Calgary City Council enacted the Safe and Inclusive Access Bylaw prohibiting protests within 100 meters of library entrances or recreation facilities. The council also amended its public behavior bylaw to include “intimidation.”
Reimer was arrested again on March 15 while protesting in a parking lot across from Signal Hill Library in Calgary. He was charged with breaching the terms of his release order which prohibited him from communicating with or being within 200 meters of events involving the LGBT community.
Reimer’s April arrest took place during another Reading with Royalty drag queen storytime event, this time at County Hills Library in Calgary, where he allegedly caused a disturbance and engaged in criminal harassment
According to Calgary Police, Reimer arrived at the event carrying a microphone and proceeded to shout so-called hate speech at participants. He then entered the library and demanded to speak with the manager, allegedly making derogatory comments, harassing the manager and staff, and engaging in hate speech that made library staff concerned about their safety.
Reimer was also charged with causing a disturbance during a separate incident outside of the Saddletown Library in which police recorded him shouting into a microphone and saying things that offended the participants of a drag queen storytime.
According to the CBC, Reimer has a 12-year history of violent crime in both Alberta and Manitoba, including convictions for aggravated assault and animal abuse.
