Calgary police say they're working with organizers ahead of downtown rallies

Calgary police say they expect "temporary disruptions" downtown as demonstrations are expected to continue Sunday in response to the Israel-Hamas war.

This follows protests in recent weeks at Calgary city hall involving pro-Palestinian supporters and those supporting Israel. 

Supt. Joe Brar, of the Calgary Police Service's operational support division, said smoke devices have been deployed at the protests. CBC previously reported that at a protest last month, approximately 2,000 people took part, most of whom were peaceful, police said.

At that march, on Nov. 19, a group of roughly 100 people broke off from the main body of pro-Palestinian protesters and blocked traffic at an intersection.

He noted police are working with rally organizers to mitigate disruptions to nearby businesses and the public. 

"We work with protest organizers throughout the week, in between events, to ensure that we have a shared understanding of how the protest should go, the march routes and things along those lines," he said. 

"The majority of the group is very lawful and peaceful and co-operative. There are individuals in there that choose not to be, and that's not reflective of what we expect from Calgarians or any demonstrators." 

Brar said any blocking of cars and access routes will be addressed by officers. 

The protests come as heavy fighting resumed in Gaza on Friday after a truce collapsed. 

"What happens overseas does generally tend to impact what happens here locally in Canada and in Calgary," Brar said. 

"There was an end to the ceasefire … we've worked closely with the organizers to ensure that we still have a shared vision on this."