Calgary Mayor calls anti-mask protests 'thinly veiled white nationalist' and 'anti-government' protests.

Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi spoke with The West Block guest host Abigail Birman on Sunday about the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic in his city and across the country, saying that the anti-mask protests happening were "thinly veiled white nationalist supremacist" protests.

Alberta province is currently deep in the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Canadian province recording some of the worst numbers both nationally and internationally.

"Ultimately, we are in an emergency right now. This is a crisis," said Nenshi, adding that now was not the time to stand and point fingers, now is the time to act.

Nenshi pointed out that despite the number of people getting vaccinated and now able to get the vaccine with the recent new eligibility groups, vaccination isn't going to be enough with the current rate of growth.

The Mayor added that "we've got to be able to follow the rules" involved with curtailing the pandemic, making a point to touch upon the numerous anti-mask protests happing across the country.

"Those people at those anti-mask protest, lets not kid ourselves, they're not people who need to eat," said Nenshi, speaking on the anti-mask and anti-lockdown protests happening across the country, "They are people who are marching in thinly veiled white nationalist supremacists  anti-government protests, and they don't deserve that kind of sympathy."