On Sunday, citizens and activists from across Calgary gathered at City Hall to demand Coun. Sean Chu resign from his position as Ward 4 councillor over sexual misconduct allegations.
Organizers called for supporters to bring chalk markers to write slogans and gathered signatures for a petition calling for Chu to step down. The petition currently has over 3,500 signatures with a goal to reach 5,000.
A smaller counter-protest took place across the street from City Hall, but dispersed before any confrontation with the opposing group.
Chu has been under pressure since a story surfaced before the election that he was disciplined for inappropriate contact with a 16-year-old girl in 1997 when he was a 34-year-old police officer. Since then, more information has emerged, some of which conflict with Chu’s explanations.
He won the Oct. 18 vote by a slim margin. Despite objections from the mayor and council colleagues, Chu was sworn in on Monday and has vowed to serve his term.
One of the rally organisers, Taylor McNallie believes that the allegations faced by Chu aren’t an isolated incident, saying the Calgary Police Service as a whole have been abusing their power to avoid accountability for similar situations.
McNallie, a prominent activist, hopes that the protesters maintain their momentum saying, “all these people need to show up for us all the time.”