Buffalo Party adds security to upcoming fundraiser event in Regina

One of Saskatchewan’s political parties is beefing up security at an upcoming fundraiser in Regina.

Saskatchewan’s Buffalo Party has been taking some heat online after announcing an upcoming event at the Regina German Club titled “Should Saskatchewan Become the 51st US State?”

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According to the party, the event will feature a mock debate where members will discuss the pros and cons of Canada joining the United States, and will also feature a variety of local speakers.

News of the event has caused an uproar online, with people flocking to both the social media pages of both the party and the venue to voice their displeasure.

Reese Hunstad, president of the Buffalo Party, said since the announcement of the event a few weeks ago, the backlash has only grown worse.

“Probably in the last week, there have been more kinds of emails and comments coming in from people who misunderstand the event and are pretty irate about it,” said Hunstad.

“The common misunderstanding that everybody seems to be most upset about is that they think we are abdicating to join the U.S. They think that this is a discussion about why we should become the 51st state. And that’s not what it is,” he said.

Hunstad said he would like to see the people commenting online attending the event to see it for themselves.

“I would encourage them to come join the discussion and really do some digging to understand the reason for it, that it’s not a pro-American rally but rather a discussion about why someone like Trump looks at Canada and thinks Canada would be better off not being Canada,” he explained.

Due to the influx of hateful comments online and a rumoured protest scheduled for the date of the fundraiser, the party has hired security for the event.

“Due to some of this backlash, a private security company did reach out to the Buffalo party and say that they would be willing to provide a couple of security personnel, just on the off chance that something happens,” said Hunstad.

“So we will have security there at the door just, you know, because threats have been made and we want to keep people safe, and people that want to come and have the discussion, we want that to happen in a safe environment.”

The Regina Police Service is also aware of the event. In a statement sent, the police service said it will address it in a similar manner to other planned protests.

“As we do any time there is the possibility of a protest, we gather as much information as we can about the situation, assess that information, and use it to determine next steps in relation to how we respond,” the police service said in a statement.

“If it is determined police presence is required, we will have officers attend.”

Hunstad said that rather than protesting, people targeting the group online should join in the discussion.

“But if you don’t want to be part of it, just protest peacefully,” he said.

“You know, violent threats are not something that we should have in Canada. We never used to. And so if you want to protest, that’s your right, just be peaceful and respectful of people that do want to engage in the conversation. That’s all I would ask. And they’re more than welcome to come and join the conversation themselves.”

The Buffalo party’s fundraiser is planned for March 1 at the Regina German Club.