Video shows man saying 'heil Hitler' after setting up tent near teepee camp protesters in Regina
Police confiscate knife Saturday after call from members of Justice for Our Stolen Children Camp
A member of the Justice for Our Stolen Children camp by the Saskatchewan Legislature said when a man showed up on Saturday, he declared he was protesting for his "German rights" before raising his arm in a Nazi salute.
In a video captured at the site, the man can be heard saying "heil Hitler."
Prescott Demas said he saw the man arrive, set up a tent and a put up a sign by the protest group, which has been camped at the site since the end of February.
"He had a sign that said 'free camping,' protesting his German rights that were being discriminated against," Demas said.
He said he took no issue with the man's statement. He noticed a knife in one of the man's hands as the two were talking, but said he did not point it at him.
The man then stuck the knife in the ground near his sign as he started talking to other people from the camp who were wondering why he was there, Demas said.
"He was being aggressive … he was kind of argumentative," he said.
At around 1:30 p.m., a member of the camp called police, saying the man had a knife and was behaving in an intimidating manner.
When officers arrived they found a 56-year-old man with a small tent and a sign who was also in possession of a knife, the police service said.
Demas said the man put the tent on top of his knife before police arrived.
Officers confiscated the knife and told the man he was free to remain in the park but that any alleged threats would be investigated.
Police said the man voluntarily packed up his belongings and left without further incident.
Regina Police Service said it is still investigating. Nobody was injured.
Demas said police said the man was within his rights to protest, before the presence of a knife was mentioned.
"I don't know what his intentions were but I can say that I don't think they were peaceful," he said.
Demas said he has no issue with people stopping by the camp.
"Come in a peaceful manner and we will talk to you. We will talk to you civilized, we'll talk to you peaceably, invite you in for something to drink maybe something to eat, a cup of coffee," he said.
"If they want to come in being aggressive, well, we're not here to be aggressive."
The Justice for Our Stolen Children camp was initially set up in response to the not-guilty verdicts in the Gerald Stanley and Raymond Cormier trials.
The first iteration of the camp was dismantled last month after police arrested some of the protesters in the earlier morning hours of June 15.
Regina police and the provincial government cited bylaws that prohibited people from sleeping in the park.
It was re-established a few days later and has since grown to 14 teepees.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe has backed calls for police to remove teepees.
With files from Heidi Atter, Chelsea Laskowski