While many across the country have come out in support of 21-year-old Ocean Wiesblatt following his arrest at an outdoor hockey rink in Calgary, it appears members of his own family do not feel the same way. His uncle, David Wiesblatt, has released a statement on social media condemning his actions and the way the incident has been handled in the aftermath.
"A statement regarding the family situation out in Calgary," said Wiesblatt, a professor and McMaster University in Ontario. "Ocean was being fined for not complying with COVID19 regulations, which resulted in criminal charges of refusal to provide identification and obstruction of justice. We DO NOT support his actions towards the two female officers and protesting regulations. To comply [with] the law is to get this pandemic under control and flatten the curve. There is a substantial amount of privilege here in that compliance would have resulted in a fine that could be contested in court. Furthermore, the choices made subsequent; to partner with alt-right news with a history of pseudo-nazism and oppressing minorities for publicity do not align with our morals or values. We will not be signing any petitions to support this. Lastly, we are disappointed that it has come to us needing to make a public statement about our family. Please stay safe."
We can only assume the news outlet he is referring to is The Rebel, which did a feature on Ocean and his family following his arrest.
Ocean released a statement on his own social media accounts following the incident stating he was attempting to stand up for his rights. Calgary police insisted he refused to identify himself despite several requests from police officers that he do so, leading to his arrest.
The video of Ocean's arrest has been circulated widely on social media. It shows two police officers attempting several times to take him down to the ground without any success. He is also threatened with a taser at one point. Ocean and his brothers are heavily involved in hockey, with one of them being a first round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks.
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