Protesters gather against the Buffalo Party’s 51st state discussion

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Protesters who gathered outside the Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan’s “51st State Discussion Fundraiser” quarrelled with some event attendees as they exited the Regina German Club venue Saturday.

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The protesters, totalling almost 30 over the span of the day, took issue against the event topic, at one point shouting “No Trump, No KKK, No fascist U.S.A.” to attendees as they exited.

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The right-of-centre political party describes its March 1 fundraiser discussion as what Saskatchewan could potentially stand to lose or gain from joining the U.S. as its 51st state. The event comes after U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threats against Canada’s territorial sovereignty.

Joely BigEagle-Kequahtooway, one of the protest organizers, takes issue with the provincial political party using the buffalo — a symbolic animal for Indigenous peoples — while holding an event that aligns itself with Trump’s politics. She is a cofounder of the Buffalo People’s Art Institute, and wrote a letter calling on the party to rename itself.

“I’ve known about them for years, but enough is enough,” said BigEagle-Kequahtooway about the Buffalo Party. “Their ideologies, their beliefs, their bylaws, constitutions, their position papers on their website from True North, I don’t agree with those. I’m here today to be physically present today and show my support for the true ideologies of what the buffalo means to Indigenous people.”

More than 40 people, made up of Buffalo Party members and non-members, attended the ticketed all-day fundraiser. A mock referendum vote was held on whether to join the U.S. with 55 per cent voting in favour, though the vote does not determine actual party policy.

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Buffalo Party Leader Phil Zajac described some of the online messages leading up to the event as aggressive and said that in addition to hiring security and asking for a police presence at the event, he also filed reports with the Regina Police Service, he told the Leader-Post in a Feb. 20 interview.

Another protester who called on others to join her outside the venue is Kaitlyn Abel, who says she’s been concerned with the rise of the “far right” in Saskatchewan a for a while.

“I feel like they’ve just kind of been able to spread their rhetoric for far too long going unchecked,” said Abel. “When I saw they were talking about the pros and cons of becoming the 51st state I just thought this has gone too far, they’re feeling far too emboldened.”

Some travelled in from outside Regina to attend the event, as was the case for non-party member Lloyd Hauser from Grenfell, which is around 125 kilometres east of Regina.

“What country are we becoming where you can’t discuss ideas, and if you discuss ideas you’re called fascist,” Hauser said, standing in front of the venue after the event finished. “What’s happening to our country? In a democracy, are we not allowed to discuss topics? Where do these people protesting get off calling me a fascist?”

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He says the event was necessary to discuss important topics. Some of the questions asked during the open discussion were about surgery wait times and the safety of nuclear energy.

The event agenda included Tim Kasprick, a Buffalo Party candidate for Yorkton in the 2024 provincial election, who performed a comedy act as his “alter ego Timothy Trump,” who is “very pro Saskatchewan becoming the 51st State,” according to the event listing.

Lee Harding, a journalist with the Western Standard and former Saskatchewan director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, argued against separation.

Lise Merle, a 2024 Regina public school board trustee candidate, also spoke in favour of removing “radical gender ideology from education.”

Hired security monitored the doors for the event and walked attendees to their vehicles. The Regina Police Service were present in the area, in vehicles stationed across the parking lot.

nyking@postmedia.com

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