Canadian Court Empowers Police to ‘Do Anything Necessary’ to Disrupt Church, Find Pastor

The Polish pastor known internationally for telling Canadian health officials he does “not cooperate with Nazis” is facing more targeting by the government.

Through a quietly signed warrant, Court of Queen’s Bench Justice David Gates authorized police and health officials in Alberta “to use such reasonable force as they deem appropriate to gain access” to the building belonging to The Fortress of Adullam Church in Calgary, led by Pastor Artur Pawlowski.

Gates issued the warrant on April 23, but it was not shared with Pawlowski’s attorney, Sarah Miller, until this week, according to Rebel News.

The warrant furthermore forbids the pastor or anyone else operating on his behalf from interfering with officials, should they attempt to gain access to the church or try to reach Pawlowski. If anyone tries to impede their actions, the judge has permit law enforcement officers “to do anything necessary” to detain and arrest Pawlowski.

According to the Calgary court document, the pastor “shall grant access to any executive officer (as defined in the [Alberta Public Health Act]) in order for him or her to attend at the property without notice, during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., to allow the executive officer to exercise his or her powers under [section] 59 of the Act.”

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If Pawlowski “or any other person” denies access to government agents or “hinders or interferes with the executive officer in the exercise of his or her powers,” any police officer “shall be permitted to accompany and assist the executive officer and use such reasonable force as they consider appropriate to gain access to the premises.”

“It is further ordered that, in making an arrest under this order, law enforcement is authorized to do anything necessary to carry out the arrest, including the use of as much reasonable force as may be necessary to make the arrest, and without a warrant to enter any place where on reasonable grounds law enforcement believes that the offending person may be found,” the judge explained.

The warrant also specifies that, if there are “reasonable grounds” to believe Pawlowski or anyone else has violated the court order and failed to come into compliance after being asked to do so, police are empowered “to forthwith arrest that person, restrain him or her, and bring him or her, at the earliest possible time, before a justice of the Court of the Queen’s Bench to show cause why he or she should not be held in contempt of court.”

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Pawlowski first gained widespread attention when he kicked government health officials out of his church’s sanctuary over Easter weekend. Calgary Police said in a statement to the Toronto Sun there was “concern” at the time that the congregants “were not adhering to the government’s COVID-19 public health orders,” which limits the capacity of worship services to 15% of any given facility’s total operating capacity.

On April 3, Pawlowski demanded government officials leave the sanctuary of his church “immediately” unless they “come back with a warrant.” He condemned them as “Nazis” and “Gestapo.”

They came back this past Sunday with a warrant, but he denied them entry again, telling health officials they needed to contact his lawyer first.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, he argued government officials and police “could come any day of the week” but choose to interrupt worship services “because they have a purpose, they have an agenda.”

“If you’re not seeing it, then you’re plain either stupid, blind, and deaf,” Pawlowski said. “Either you’re going to keep pushing as hard as you can, or you’ll be swallowed by those people. They’re going to keep coming, keep taking your rights, one after another, destroying you by thousands of cuts, one cut at a time.”

Pawlowski said police “want me in jail” and “want to arrest us only because we dare to worship our God and we want to do it in peace.”

“They’re coming very heavy,” he said. “They’re bringing documents, they’re bringing SWAT team, they’re bringing health inspectors, police officers, and bylaw officers.”

Canadians are “living in a total takeover of the government with their thugs, goons, the brown shirts, the gestapo wannabe dictators,” he said earlier.

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Pawlowski isn’t alone in the treatment he has faced from the provincial government.

As Faithwire previously reported, James Coates, who pastors GraceLife Church in Edmonton, was jailed for 35 days over his refusal to comply with the government’s 15% cap on worship service attendance. While Coates is no longer behind bars, he is still facing legal charges for his disobedience.

Government officials raided and barricaded the sanctuary belonging to GraceLife earlier this month, forcing the congregation to begin meeting in secret.

According to the Calgary court document, the pastor “shall grant access to any executive officer (as defined in the [Alberta Public Health Act]) in order for him or her to attend at the property without notice, during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., to allow the executive officer to exercise his or her powers under [section] 59 of the Act.”

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

If Pawlowski “or any other person” denies access to government agents or “hinders or interferes with the executive officer in the exercise of his or her powers,” any police officer “shall be permitted to accompany and assist the executive officer and use such reasonable force as they consider appropriate to gain access to the premises.”

“It is further ordered that, in making an arrest under this order, law enforcement is authorized to do anything necessary to carry out the arrest, including the use of as much reasonable force as may be necessary to make the arrest, and without warrant to enter any place where on reasonable grounds law enforcement believes that the offending person may be found,” the judge explained.

The warrant also specifies that, if there are “reasonable grounds” to believe Pawlowski or anyone else has violated the court order and failed to come into compliance after being asked to do so, police are empowered “to forthwith arrest that person, restrain him or her, and bring him or her, at the earliest possible time, before a justice of the Court of the Queen’s Bench to show cause why he or she should not be held in contempt of court.”

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

Pawlowski first gained widespread attention when he kicked government health officials out of his church’s sanctuary over Easter weekend. Calgary Police said in a statement to the Toronto Sun there was “concern” at the time that the congregants “were not adhering to the government’s COVID-19 public health orders,” which limits the capacity of worship services to 15% of any given facility’s total operating capacity.

On April 3, Pawlowski demanded government officials leave the sanctuary of his church “immediately” unless they “come back with a warrant.” He condemned them as “Nazis” and “Gestapo.”

They came back this past Sunday with a warrant, but he denied them entry again, telling health officials they needed to contact his lawyer first.

In a video posted to his YouTube channel, he argued government officials and police “could come any day of the week” but choose to interrupt worship services “because they have a purpose, they have an agenda.”

“If you’re not seeing it, then you’re plain either stupid, blind, and deaf,” Pawlowski said. “Either you’re going to keep pushing as hard as you can, or you’ll be swallowed by those people. They’re going to keep coming, keep taking your rights, one after another, destroying you by thousands of cuts, one cut at a time.”

Pawlowski said police “want me in jail” and “want to arrest us only because we dare to worship our God and we want to do it in peace.”

“They’re coming very heavy,” he said. “They’re bringing documents, they’re bringing SWAT team, they’re bringing health inspectors, police officers, and bylaw officers.”

Canadians are “living in a total takeover of the government with their thugs, goons, the brown shirts, the Gestapo wannabe dictators,” he said earlier.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

Pawlowski isn’t alone in the treatment he has faced from the provincial government.

As Faithwire previously reported, James Coates, who pastors GraceLife Church in Edmonton, was jailed for 35 days over his refusal to comply with the government’s 15% cap on worship service attendance. While Coates is no longer behind bars, he is still facing legal charges for his disobedience.

Government officials raided and barricaded the sanctuary belonging to GraceLife earlier this month, forcing the congregation to begin meeting in secret.