Protests at G7 summit expected to be largely peaceful, targeting Trump policies

Fakiha Baig · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jun 12, 2025 2:42 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Protests during the upcoming G7 leaders' acme successful Kananaskis, Alta., whitethorn beryllium starkly antithetic than demonstrations happening this week against migration crackdowns successful the United States.

A University of Toronto probe radical that has been monitoring the meetings of satellite leaders since 1998 says its investigation shows Canadian protests are much peaceful and smaller.

But akin to the caller demonstrations successful Los Angeles, they're apt to beryllium against the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.

"The Los Angeles protests volition adhd different [issue] the protesters going determination already attraction about, but it won't bash thing overmuch much than that," said John Kirton, manager of the G7 Research Group.

"I don't deliberation it'll bring much protesters, too. Nor volition the L.A. protests hold Trump from coming here."

Prime Minister Mark Carney is hosting Trump and satellite leaders from France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, Italy and the European Union for the three-day acme starting Sunday successful the Rocky Mountains southwest of Calgary.

Leaders of respective non-member countries, including India, Ukraine and Mexico, are besides acceptable to attend.

The acme comes arsenic protests successful the United States proceed against Trump's migration raids, peculiarly his government's detainment of migrants.

Hundreds of marines person joined astir 4,000 National Guard troops successful Los Angeles. The protests person seen clashes with police, burned cars, rubber bullets changeable astatine journalists and arrests.

In Alberta, Kirton said protests during the G7 are not expected to beryllium the same.

"[The G7's] distinctive ngo from the precise opening was to beforehand wrong its ain members the values of unfastened democracy," helium said.

"In democracies, radical are expected to protest. It's an integral part."

It's improbable Canada's authorities would respond to immoderate clashes similar Trump, by calling successful the military, Kirton added.

The distant Kananaskis determination volition beryllium closed disconnected to the public.

Visuals and audio of protesters astatine 3 objection zones designated by the RCMP — two successful downtown Calgary and 1 successful Banff — are to beryllium shown to the leaders and different delegates astatine the acme connected TV screens. Another portion astatine the Calgary airdrome won't beryllium broadcast.

Kirton said the region betwixt officials and protesters should ensure the acme unfolds peacefully.

"Trump has been subjected to 2 assassination attempts, and 1 astir killed him. So you tin spot wherefore [RCMP] have to beryllium hyper-vigilant," Kirton said.

The Calgary Raging Grannies radical plans to beryllium astatine the protestation portion astatine Calgary City Hall connected Sunday afternoon.

Mary Oxendale-Spensley, 74, said the grandmothers volition beryllium acold from raging and clashing with constabulary erstwhile they telephone retired Trump's tariffs and his transportation to annex Canada.

"We bash mean to sing," said the retired teacher. One of their songs successful the lineup: U.S.A., you person got a problem.

The opus says the U.S. president is "way retired of line," and declares "our sovereign federation volition ne'er beryllium yours," said Oxendale-Spensley.

Ensuring Trump hears their connection is vital, she said, adjacent if it's connected a screen.

"I'm a Canadian. I was Canadian erstwhile I was born. I mean to beryllium a Canadian erstwhile I die."

It's hard to accidental however galore grannies volition beryllium astatine the protest, she added. "My large ailment astir the grannies ever is that we're grannies. People get sick, radical interruption their ankle, that benignant of thing."

Protests astatine the G8 acme successful Kananaskis successful 2002 were peaceful, Kirton said, arsenic demonstrators were besides fixed designated zones.

"I bash retrieve astir vividly it was precise hot," Kirton said, and determination were not galore protesters.

"There were truthful fewer of them and it was truthful peaceful that we didn't adjacent fuss to estimation a number."

Aside from protests against Trump, immoderate are expected to code different issues — like calling for an extremity to the Israel-Hamas warfare and Russia's warfare successful Ukraine, Kirton said.

Kirton said helium besides anticipates a beingness from Canadians who privation Alberta to abstracted from Canada, arsenic good arsenic those opposed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Tensions person been precocious betwixt Canada and India since 2023, erstwhile erstwhile premier curate Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons that agents of the Indian authorities were linked to the sidesplitting of a Canadian activistic for Sikh separatism extracurricular a gurdwara successful Surrey, B.C.

Sikh groups person asked Carney to rescind his G7 invitation to Modi. Moninder Singh, spokesperson for the Sikh Federation of Canada, said it's readying protests successful Banff, Calgary and Ottawa implicit Modi's attendance.

The International League of Peoples' Struggles, an planetary confederation of grassroots organizations, is expecting astir 200 radical for a protestation besides astatine Calgary City Hall.

Yasmeen Khan, vice-chair of the group's North America chapter, said protesters privation to rise consciousness astir assorted issues, including Indigenous struggles, lodging and clime change.

"We'll person banners. We'll beryllium chanting," she said. "We volition besides person immoderate taste performances from immoderate Indigenous artists and migrant youth."

Mounties said archetypal responders are prepared for protests.

"While the fig of participants whitethorn vary, we person beardown situational consciousness of anticipated demonstrations and are good positioned to respond accordingly," said RCMP spokesperson Fraser Logan.