Local anti-animal-cruelty activists are alleging that volunteers of the Al Azhar Shrine Circus at the Crossroads Furniture Mart were verbally and physically abusive to them and prevented patrons who had animal rights pamphlets from entering the show last weekend. Now they want to sit down and discuss the incident with circus officials.

“I was shocked by their behaviour,” says activist Lisa Shaw, who says circus volunteers were cursing and grabbing pamphlets from the hands of protesters and patrons. “One expects people to have a difference of opinion and be polite and respectful. My kids were shocked.”

Lloyd Norman, chairman of the Calgary committee for the circus, says he is unaware of any specific incidents, but acknowledged he ordered at least one volunteer move away from the group of protesters. “I have told our volunteers to ‘Just stay the hell away from those guys because they will push you,’” he says. “That’s what they do.”

Heather Anderson, founder of animal support group Daisy Foundation, says she was pushed by a circus clown. “Until Lloyd came and put a stop to it, they would not allow anyone with a pamphlet in their hand to come into the circus,” she says.

Two years ago, security guards at Deerfoot Mall allegedly attacked an animal rights activist protesting the Shrine Circus.

***UPDATE***

Video provided by Jeremy Thomas, one of the animal rights protesters, shows security guards preventing Shrine Circus-goers from entering until handing over any animal-rights literature.

Shrine Circus security confiscates animal rights pamphlets from Trevor Howell on Vimeo.