A Polish pastor in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, kicked three uniformed police officers and three other officials from his church Saturday as they were apparently attempting to shut down the service due to COVID-19 restrictions, and it was captured on video that has gone viral.
Footage of the incident showed Pastor Artur Pawlowski repeatedly demanding the officials leave his church, referring to them as “Nazis” and “Gestapo,” Nazi Germany’s secret police, and warned them not to come back without a warrant.
“Please get out. Get out of this property immediately get out. Get out of this property immediately,” Pawlowski said. “I don’t want to hear anything. Out of this property immediately.”
“Out of this property immediately until you come back with a warrant,” he said, later adding, “Out of this property you Nazis. Out! Out! Gestapo is not allowed here. Immediately! Gestapo is not allowed here.”
He continued, “Do you understand English? Get out of this property. Go. And don’t come back without a warrant! Out, Nazi. Out!”
Pawlowski told the group that “Nazis are not welcomed” in his church and warned them again not to return without a warrant.
“You understand that? You’re not welcome here. Nazis are not welcome here. Gestapo is not welcome here. Do not come back you Nazi psychopaths,” he yelled as the group eventually exited the church. “Unbelievable sick, evil people. Intimidating people in a church during the Passover. You Gestapo, Nazi, Communist, Fascist! Don’t you dare coming back here.”
After the officials left, the Polish pastor turned the camera on himself, reiterating his disbelief.
“Can you imagine those psychopaths? Passover. The holiest Christian festival in a year and they’re coming to intimidate Christians during the holiest festival? Unbelievable,” he said. “What is wrong with those sick psychopaths? It’s beyond me.”
On Sunday, Calgary Police issued a statement regarding the incident in which they confirmed it was due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“The concern was that the people in attendance were not adhering to the government’s COVID-19 public health orders, which are in place to ensure everyone’s safety,” the statement read.
“The organizer of the gathering was uncooperative with the health inspector, and repeatedly raised his voice asking all parties to leave the premises, which they did approximately one minute after entry and in a peaceful manner.”
According to the department’s statement, no tickets were issued at the time, but subsequent enforcement will be determined by Calgary Police’s “partner agencies.”
“We understand the pandemic has caused great disruption to all Calgarians in their professional and personal lives. We do not wish to disrupt anyone’s holidays or religious or spiritual events, however we must support our partner agencies when called upon to help ensure everyone can safely celebrate these occasions,” the statement added.
The pastor shared another video in which he called on Canadians to stand up against “fascism” via the government sending “their thugs, guns, the Gestapo wanna-be dictators” to disrupt and intimidate church attendees.
“People, if you do not wake up, stand up, wow, I do not know what is going to happen tomorrow if Canadians will not rise up. Look what is happening in Germany? Fascism. Germany is taken over by fascism again. The wannabe Hitlers are already ruling….Friends. You have to join the fight,” he said.
The pastor continued, “If you will not be vaccinated like a dog or a cat, you will not be able to buy or sell. You will not be able to go to school or work. Is that the future you want? Is that what you want for your children and your grandchildren? Is that the future of Canada?”
