Suspended CPS officer continues vaccine rebellion with appearance at 'freedom protest'

Suspended police officer speaks at rally Const. Brian Denison, who was suspended from the CPS because of comments he made about the pandemic, spoke at an Okotoks rally. Timm Bruch reports.

A Calgary Police Service officer who recently compared vaccine mandates with religious and racist prosecution that led to the death of more than 6 million Jews during the Holocaust took his views to an anti-immunization rally.

Organizers say it was part of an ongoing series of "Freedom Protests," where Albertans gather to speak out against vaccines, restrictions and what many believe to be a fake virus being used to trick people into receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

Const. Brian Denison took the podium Sunday afternoon, speaking about a battle he believes attendees are fighting.

"It's a war, and we will win this war," he said to loud cheering. "Stand up and be who you are, and don't let anyone say otherwise. You are on the right side of this."

Denison doubled down on controversial Holocaust views and claimed some of his colleagues also attended the rally.

"I am not the only Calgary Police officer. I just have to be the face," he said. "There's more out there."

Denison was recently suspended with pay over a September video he created while in uniform. During the rant's extended runtime, the officer called the CPS vaccine mandate "very reminiscent of many years ago during the World War that Hitler was perpetrating against the Jews."

The vast majority of medical and scientific experts say COVID-19 vaccines have not only helped slow the virus spread, but prevented an increasing number of deaths across the world.

"Just start taking a look at some of the correlations there between what has happened (in 1940s Germany) and what is happening," the officer said.

As recently as 2012, Denison was a member of the CPS Hate Crimes Unit.

According to his employer, he has been suspended for failing to comply with the service's pandemic policy. That policy says all officers must be fully immunized or face regular COVID-19 testing.

CPS says it is also "pursuing relief from duty without pay under the provisions of Alberta's Police Act."

The police chief has not publicly commented on the matter, and no specific disciplinary timeline has been given.

As a result of the situation, Denison was given an extended break from his duties.

The open schedule has allowed him to be interviewed by The Western Standard, where he called the mandate a "travesty to justice."

Denison spoke at length about the policy, saying he knows "a lot of (officers) within CPS that did not want to partake in that.

"I think that my stance is what is right in this world," he said.

Ward 9 Coun. Gian-Carlo Carra sits on the Calgary Police Commission.

"The tone from the top is missing for me right now, with regard to our police service," he told CTV News on Dec. 3.

"It's a free country, but if you are taking a public salary to be at the forefront of public safety as a public servant and you want to espouse those views, there's a serious problem," he said. "That's a conversation that we need to have as a commission, with our police chief and our police service."

Leighton Grey also took the podium at Sunday's event.

Grey is an outspoken lawyer who has been criticized for his extreme views regarding the pandemic.

He also recently represented Calgary pastor Tim Stephens, who was charged for violating Alberta's public health orders earlier this year.