Pastor Artur Pawlowski of Street Church in Calgary was arrested last month for allegedly inciting “mischief” by addressing a crowd of truckers gathered at the Canada-United States border to protest the mandate requiring truck drivers who transport goods between the two countries to either get the vaccine or quarantine for several days upon re-entry into the country.
Critics of the Canadian government, including Rebel News’ Ezra Levant, described Pawlowski’s arrest as “an attempt to stop him from expressing himself politically to these truckers.” Rebel News also created a website, SaveArtur.com, to raise money for the pastor’s legal bills.
In a previous interview with The Christian Post, Pawlowski accused the local government of abiding by a double standard regarding the enforcement of coronavirus worship restrictions because while they targeted his church for holding in-person worship services, “the mosques were fully operational and no one harassed them, no one interfered with them.” He also contended that government officials had developed a “personal vendetta” against him.
Pawlowski’s attorney Sarah Miller said that a judge agreed to release the pastor from custody on bail conditions that she characterized as “quite strict.”
The Calgary Herald reported that Pawlowski’s bail conditions include “a nightly curfew of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., with exceptions that include Street Church services, and that he does not attend any protests.” Should Pawlowski violate the terms of his bail, his wife and son could be forced to pay $20,000 and $4,000, respectively.