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The party welcomes members with diverging opinions, he said, as long as they agree on one thing: “We’ve gotta get the heck out of Canada.”

To serve that goal, the group is demanding the Kenney government hold a vote as soon as possible to ask Albertans if they desire independence.

However, in his speech, Downing indicated he doesn’t hold out much hope for Premier Jason Kenney, whom he criticized for being a federalist.

“He’s in love. He allowed (Intergovernmental Affairs Minister) Chrystia Freeland to come to Alberta and to speak French to him, right in front of all of us.”

Photo by Ed Kaiser / 00089473A

Airdrie resident Bridgit Frostad, who identified herself as an environmentalist, said she had found a political home with Wexit after becoming disillusioned with the provincial NDP. She said she disagreed with any hostility toward other parts of the country.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen. A lot of people in the Wexit movement have completely different views, that’s how things start. But what we do all agree on is that we are being treated unfairly, and our laws need to change, and you cannot keep treating your citizens this poorly,” she said.

Organizers sold Wexit gear with slogans such as “F— Trudeau” and collected signatures to petition to register as a provincial party. On Friday, Wexit Canada became an eligible federal party with plans to run candidates in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

“I want our own nation, desperately. I’ve been waiting for three decades for something like this to come,” said Darren Esayenko, who was waving a red, white and blue western independence flag behind the crowd throughout the rally.

While there’s underlying anger shared by Wexit supporters, Esayenko said he did not have any patience for racism or white supremacism.

Besides Downing, speakers included First Nations advocate Virginia Bruneau, and retired corporal and Afghanistan combat veteran Shaun Arnsten.

lijohnson@postmedia.com

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