A Calgary pastor has been arrested after refusing to comply with a court-ordered directive requiring him to issue a written apology to a public librarian for “hurting her feelings” after protesting a “Drag Queen Story Time” event for children — a ruling supporters describe as an example of state-compelled speech.
Derek Reimer, a street preacher and leader of Mission 7 Ministries, was taken into custody on December 3 after missing a deadline to submit the apology letter, which had been imposed as part of a conditional sentence related to his protests against the drag-queen events for children at Calgary Public Library branches.
Reimer gained attention in 2023 after attending and verbally protesting several “Reading With Royalty” events. He was arrested multiple times during that period, although some initial charges, including mischief and causing a disturbance, were later dismissed or resulted in acquittals.
In a separate case connected to subsequent incidents, Reimer was convicted of criminal harassment and four counts of breaching bail conditions. The court sentenced him to a 12-month conditional sentence, commonly referred to as house arrest, followed by two years of probation. Among the enumerated terms of the sentencing order was a requirement that he write and submit a formal apology letter to a library manager involved in the matter.
Reimer refused to comply with the apology order, stating that being compelled by the government to express remorse violates his freedoms of conscience, religion, and expression as protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
According to LifeSite News, Reimer told local media that issuing an apology would require him to admit fault, saying that to be “sorry” is to acknowledge that “you’re wrong” or that you have made a “mistake.” He explained that he informed the court he relied on his “freedom of conscience and a thorough study and my understanding of it, mixed with freedom of expression and religion” to argue why he could not comply. According to Reimer, his submissions outlined his deeply held religious beliefs and why writing the apology would violate his conscience.
Reimer also claimed that during his court appearance, Justice Karen Molle repeatedly interrupted him and did not allow him to fully present his arguments. “She was interrupting me many times, even before I started preaching; she didn’t want to hear me,” he said.
He further stated that his probation officer had written that one of the goals of his case was to “break down his traditional thoughts about the LGBTQ community,” a point Reimer said the judge dismissed as “irrelevant.” Reimer argued that this created a conflict of interest, noting that his probation officer’s office displayed pride flags and was supportive of LGBTQ causes, yet the officer had influence over how the apology should be written.
Reimer told the court he would not apologise based on what he described as a “fabricated narrative” that he had intimidated the librarian. He said the librarian never used the word “intimidated,” but reported feeling “anxious, upset, and threatened” because she interpreted Reimer’s comments about the program as referring to “pervert grooming sessions.” Reimer said he never used the word “pedophile” and that his lawyer confirmed he had not called the librarian a pedophile.
After missing the court-ordered submission deadline, authorities ruled that Reimer had breached the conditions of his sentence. He was arrested by Calgary police on December 3 and now faces the possibility of having his conditional sentence revoked, which could result in incarceration or the imposition of stricter probation terms.
