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Pastor Artur Pawlowski who called cops ‘Gestapo Nazis’ in video arrested for church service flouting Covid rules

Pastor Artur Pawlowski was detained on Saturday, May 8, as he allegedly held a church service that flouted social distancing rules and where attendees were not covering their faces. In April, a video of Pawlowski yelling at cops went viral

A preacher from Alberta, Canada, has been arrested for violating the coronavirus pandemic rules. Pastor Artur Pawlowski was detained on Saturday, May 8, as he allegedly held a church service that flouted social distancing rules and where attendees were not covering their faces. The recent arrest came a few weeks after Pawlowski went viral for calling police officers “Nazis” during a confrontation.

Newsweek reported that before the pastor was arrested, Calgary Police, Alberta Health Services, got a “Court of Queen's Bench Order that applies to gatherings including protests, demonstrations and rallies. This order imposes new restrictions on organizers of protests and demonstrations requiring compliance with public health orders including masking, physical distancing and attendance limits.”

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Police said they arrested Pawlowski as well as his brother Dawid for disregarding the order. The statement from the department explained, “Service organizer acknowledged the injunction, but chose to ignore requirements for social distancing, mask wearing and reduced capacity limits for attendees, and continued the event. As a result [of the Saturday service continuing], Artur Pawlowski and Dawid Pawlowski have both been arrested and charged with organizing an illegal in-person gathering, including requesting, inciting or inviting others to attend an illegal public gathering, promoting and attending an illegal public gathering.”

“It is important to understand that law enforcement recognizes people’s desire to participate in faith-based gatherings as well as the right to protest. However, as we find ourselves in the midst of a global pandemic, we all must comply with public health orders in order to ensure everyone’s safety and wellbeing,” the statement added.

In April, a video of Pawlowski went viral in which he was heard saying to cops when they barged in during a Passover celebration at his Alberta church, “I don't care what you have to say, out! Out of this property, you Nazis. Out! Gestapo is not allowed here. Do not come back, you Nazi psychopaths. Unbelievable sick, evil people. Intimidating people in the church during the Passover. You gestapo Nazi communist fascists!”

At the time, Pawlowski told The Daily Caller: “I grew up in Poland under the boot of the Soviets, behind the Iron Curtain. What I see right now, I see everything escalating and moving to the new level. They’re acting just like the Communists were acting when I was growing up when the pastors and the priests were arrested, and some were murdered. Many were tortured.”

Meanwhile, after his Saturday arrest, people expressed different views over it as a handful seemed to be in his support while most condemned him. “Earlier this afternoon, my fellow pastor Artur Pawlowski was arrested in Calgary for the crime of holding a church service, as he does every Saturday morning. Are you awake yet? #standwithGod #freepastorartur,” another supporter said.

While a person wrote, “He was arrested for breaking the law. And it was long overdue.” The second person added, “My dude, I’m a pastor and have been holding church services virtually for over a year now. This man is not oppressed. The government is not stopping anyone from doing church. God’s spirit is still among us while athering virtually. Get over yourself.”