REGINA – Update: The man leading a group that planned a peaceful protest at the RCMP Training Depot in Regina – and every police station across Canada – on Sept. 11 has stepped down from the leadership role.
“I’ve decided to step aside,” Marcus Ray told SASKTODAY.ca in a phone interview late Wednesday.
Ray said other freedom activists and groups have chosen to “crucify” him on social media and it’s hurting the movement.
Original story: A large group of protesters plan to converge on RCMP Training Depot in Regina – and every police station across Canada – Sept. 11 to stage a peaceful stand against the World Economic Forum.
The group - organized by a former reserve police officer who goes by the name of Marcus Ray – is a grassroots organization led by the people, Ray told SASKTODAY.ca Monday.
“There are no second chances here, there are no do-overs, no dress rehearsals, there is only one chance to get this right,” Ray told his followers in an email statement. “If Canada does not stand united on 911 our country and our children’s futures will be lost."
On Sept. 9 a convoy from the east will meet in Manitoba and a convoy from the west will meet in Alberta. Then on Sept. 11 the two convoys will converge on RCMP Training Depot in Regina, said Ray, whose real name is Marcus Anthony Ray Chilcott.
“On this same day, simultaneously across every town, city, and province of Canada, at noon Central Time, organized groups of freedom fighters will descend upon their local RCMP and local Police Stations for a peaceful stand for justice.”
Ray said his group hopes that Canadian men and women of law enforcement will come to their aid.
“We will peacefully request that they will honour their oath to uphold the law, and we wish for the arrest of those who are responsible for atrocities to the Canadian people,” he said. “This action will be taking place across the entire country. It will be coordinated by group leaders, who have been working hard with me over the past few months dedicated to seeing an end to this tyranny.”
Over the last several months, Ray has travelled across Canada meeting with leaders and supporters consisting of what he says are ex-military and former police officers.
On June 11, in an interview on Freedom Canada, Ray said violence isn’t the answer.
“We need a country that’s peaceful. If we want to keep it peaceful we have to take it back in a peaceful manner; lawfully and peacefully. We can’t become them. The way to fix this is to hold people accountable.”
Ray said they want to get two-thirds of the Canadian population to join the Constitutional Sheriffs and hold politicians to account in court in a lawful manner.
“This is not about overthrowing the government, this is about showing who they are and what they have done and let the Canadian people decide what happens to them.”
Ray has said he has thousands of supporters but it isn't certain how many supporters plan to attend the Canada-wide protests.
RCMP National Head Quarters in Ottawa said they are aware of the planned protests.
“The RCMP is aware of the situation and is monitoring it closely,” Robin Percival from RCMP Head Quarters in Ottawa told SASKTODAY.ca Tuesday.
Likewise, Regina RCMP Depot Division provided SASKTODAY.ca with the same response.
“The RCMP is aware of the situation and is monitoring it closely,” said Communications Services RCMP Depot Division, Regina.
Percival wouldn’t elaborate on what measures the RCMP has in place saying the RCMP doesn’t generally “comment on specific investigative methods, tools and techniques outside of court.”
Trudeau’s former sniper urges people not to join
Saskatchewan-born Daniel [Danny] Bulford who was an RCMP officer with RCMP National Division Emergency Response Team in Ottawa and was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s personal sniper, has urged Canadians not to join the Constitutional Sheriffs.
“I don’t want any Canadians to get themselves put in prison when real changes are happening,” Bulford tweeted on June 16. “Including Marcus Ray and Christopher James. I fear their plan will play right into JT’s hand. Stay strong.”
Bulford, who grew up in Alberta, spoke out publicly against the forced vaccine mandate in November 2021. On Dec. 15, 2021, after speaking out against mandated Covid-19 injections on behalf of Mounties 4 Freedom, Bulford resigned and walked away from his 15-year career with the RCMP. Mounties 4 Freedom is a dedicated group of RCMP members who are opposed to what they call coercive mandates and discrimination against Canadian’s fundamental rights to bodily autonomy.
Bulford joined the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa in January and February. He was one of the protesters arrested but was not formally charged.
Police on Guard opposed
The group Police on Guard cautioned Canadians about joining any organization that does not support peaceful resolutions towards any level of government.
POG said they have become aware of Marcus Ray and that he claimed to be a member of POG.
“After speaking with Marcus and realizing he signed up under his real name and not the alias he’s been using, he has been removed from our membership, as he does not align with our Mission Statement,” stated POG on their website.
POG went on to say that they are “extremely concerned with the content of Marcus Ray’s talks and action he’s claiming to take... POG will not condone or support anything other than legal court actions against our governments at any level. POG has always and will always advocate for a peaceful resolution in the restoration of our charter rights for all Canadians. We are and will continue to exhaust any peaceful avenues to come to a successful conclusion in defence of our charter.”
POG is a group of active duty and retired police officers who united in opposition to what they call “unconstitutional Public Health orders,” which they say have resulted in the permanent closure of small businesses, declining mental health of adults and children, and tainted reputation of Canadian law enforcement.
“In the face of the pandemic multiple Charter violations have occurred in the arresting of many Canadians for various reasons, from publicly protesting to restricting mobility rights, as just a couple of examples,” said POG on their website.
“These infringements have occurred in the name of the pandemic.”
POG said they, along with Veterans for Freedom and Canada Marches ask that all Canadians become engaged in a democratic manner to restore our Charter of Rights in a peaceful manner.
Ray regrets previous comments
Ray said he knows there has been a lot of pushback on social media against him with some thinking his intentions are violent.
“Many months ago I did a speech in Hundred Mile House [B.C.] in front of a log cabin,” said Ray in his recent email to supporters. “It was tapped [sic], put onto social media and went viral. It hinted to the fact that I would be causing an aggressive movement against the so-called leaders of this country. Although now I do regret the content of that speech, it was the turning point that woke up so many to see that there was a problem brewing.”
In June, during an interview with Freedom Central, Ray said he had made those comments when he was with a group of his ex-military and former police officer friends and there was a lot of emotion after one of their children had died, which they believe was caused by the vaccine.
“I’m an old guy and I just got up spewing,” he said.
“I can see where that sounded a little aggressive. We are off training and we’re not going to overthrow the government or do something stupid like that.”
Ray said the Constitutional Sheriffs have started training under younger guys teaching them self-defence.
“We were all in Ottawa. I just don’t want a club to hit me on the head. I’m sorry, I’m not going to be aggressive but I will defend myself.
“We can’t just stand and fall. We need to stand and protect ourselves and we are going to draw the line and hold it.”
Ray maintains that the pandemic is being used by the World Economic Forum to take control of Canada and Canada will soon lose its autonomy.
Critics have accused Ray and his group of being domestic terrorists. However, Magali Deussing, spokesperson for Public Safety Canada in Ottawa directed SASKTODAY.ca to its website of listed terrorist entities, which Ray's group isn't on.
Story updated to include comments from the RCMP Head Quarters in Ottawa and Public Safety Canada.
