A Calgary man has been charged after allegedly striking a protester with his SUV outside a place of worship in southeast Calgary.
Police say about a dozen people had gathered to protest a religious event at a worship space in the 400 block of Meridian Road S.E. on Feb. 7
The Towhid Centre — a registered charity serving members of Calgary’s Iranian and Farsi-speaking communities — shares an address at that location.
According to the Calgary Police Service, individuals from the centre exited the building and verbally threatened protesters. Soon after, a man driving an SUV in the area steered his vehicle toward the protestors and struck one person.
The victim suffered minor injuries.
Police said both the protesters and members of the centre are Iranian, and that the protest was linked to “recent geopolitical events.”
“We recognize that this incident is closely connected to deeply felt political and human rights tensions internationally, and that members of our community hold strong and differing views,” Calgary police acting Supt. Cory Ma said in a news release.
“Our role is not to take sides in political disputes, however when the incident involves threats, violence or intimidation, it is our responsibility to conduct a fair and objective investigation.”
The Calgary police hate crime prevention team is leading the investigation due to a mix of political and religious elements associated with the case, police said.
Officers gathered witness accounts and CCTV footage as part of the investigation.
Police said there is no evidence to suggest the protesters entered the building at any point.
Payman Esmaeili, 49, is charged with one count of assault with a weapon. He is scheduled to appear in court on May 22.
Investigators are looking at whether hate was a motivating factor in relation to the accused’s charges.
The investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be pending, police said.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Calgary police at 403-266-1234. Anonymous tips are accepted through Calgary Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, on the organization’s website, or via the P3Tips mobile app.