Hundreds of Canadian Christians gathered on Sunday at the GraceLife Church in Edmonton, Alberta. Government officials shut down the church for allegedly violating public COVID-19 health orders. Authorities erected a chain-link fence to prevent the house of worship from reopening last week. On Sunday, worshippers tore down the barricade, but were quickly met by a large contingent of riot police.
Alberta Health Services physically closed the GraceLife Church, preventing access to the building. AHS said the church would remain closed until the GraceLife Church “can demonstrate the ability to comply with Alberta’s chief medical officer of health’s restrictions.” The Royal Canadian Mounted Police even closed off the access roads in front of the church to the public.
Fences went up around GraceLife Church Wednesday morning as AHS physically closed the building west of Edmonton for flouting the province’s COVID-19 health restrictions. @Kim_SmithTV reports live at noon with the latest. #YEG
READ MORE: https://t.co/xVKqIxi5an pic.twitter.com/mEB3ZZcVw3— Global Edmonton (@GlobalEdmonton) April 7, 2021
RCMP are controlling traffic at every entrance near GraceLife Church this morning. The north entrance is completely blocked off #yeg #abpoli #covid19ab pic.twitter.com/0BL3k9RJP1
— Laura Krause (@LauraKrauseNews) April 11, 2021
Approximately 400 people gathered outside the church on Sunday, according to the Edmonton Journal. The Christians were not able to get inside the church, so they sang hymns and listened to Bible readings outside the building.
The crowd at GraceLife Church has nearly doubled in size in less than an hour. A new group walked up with music and a large wooden cross #GraceLife #covid19ab #abpoli pic.twitter.com/Td6IfOJens
— Laura Krause (@LauraKrauseNews) April 11, 2021
A convoy of supporters drove from Calgary to Red Deer then onto Spruce Grove, AB this morning showing support for Pastor James Coates and GraceLife church. GraceLife was shut down by AHS for not adhering to public health orders. #gracelifechurch #abpoli pic.twitter.com/Kqa9iOpABn
— Hal Roberts 🇨🇦 (@Hal__Roberts) April 11, 2021
A church in Edmonton, Canada wouldn’t obey politicians and lock its doors. So they jailed the pastor for 35 days. The church still wouldn’t close. So police raided it, turned it into an armed garrison & occupied it. And still the Christians come. pic.twitter.com/yNZRUXXudl
— Ezra Levant 🍁 (@ezralevant) April 11, 2021
Farmer for Justice Jim Ness was at the GraceLife protest today.
Jim spent time in jail for his act of civil disobedience against the Wheat Board. pic.twitter.com/RweeANk9nw
— Sheila Gunn Reid (@SheilaGunnReid) April 11, 2021
The crowd began to sing along pic.twitter.com/QIWd6plw7C
— Laura Krause (@LauraKrauseNews) April 11, 2021
Some of the people outside of the building began to tear down the fence, despite pleas from the crowd to “leave the fence alone!” – READ MORE
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