Here's the backstory of Pastor Artur Pawlowski's rage in his standoff with several officers during their church's Passover service in Alberta, Canada.
Speaking to the Daily Caller, Pastor Pawlowski said that the officials "entered the church building uninvited on its holiest, most anticipated day for parishioners." For 13 months, he said that he had been harassed by the authorities. Throughout that period, he had repeatedly asked them to tone down their presence as law enforcers if they plan to enter the church building so as not to intimidate the parishioners.
"If they want to talk or inspect the building, they can call me and we can arrange that," he said.
The pastor explained that "they (officers) preferred a method of storming" and that "they just wanted to walk in in the middle of worship," thereby treating the church like "their own home."
At the beginning of his now viral video, Pawlowski could be heard yelling repeatedly at the authorities before they finally left the church's premises.
"I asked them to get out, and they would not move," said Pawlowski. When the officers refused, the pastor started filming with his phones.
"So everything started to intensify. And I raised my voice, and I said it again and again and again, and they just didn't want to go," he added.
In their officially released statement, the Calgary Police Department states that "the organizer of the gathering was uncooperative with the health inspector, and repeatedly raised his voice asking all parties to leave the premises, which they did approximately one minute after entry and in a peaceful manner."
Additionally, there were no tickets issued against the pastor for his demeanor.
Concerning his labeling of the officers as "communists," Pawlowski said that he uttered those because he's seeing a repetition of history.
"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," remarked Pawlowski.
Pawlowski also told the Daily Caller that after the incident, some police officers approached him on the street and were apologetic. He said that they "(feel) ashamed for their colleagues," and told him, "this was bad, there was no need for something like this."
The pastor clarified that he's willing to make arrangements for inspecting officers, but under the condition that they will not come with "their guns, tasers and handcuffs."
"This is unacceptable," he said. "Even during the times of the Middle Ages, the knights were commanded to leave their swords outside the church, they were not allowed to enter the church. But these days, nothing is holy for those people. They just walk in like it's a restaurant."
Also amused that the video he uploaded on Facebook went viral, Pawlowski said that "he hopes it gives others hope and courage to stand up to the authorities."
People also extended their support to Pawlowski for his courage to act on behalf of his parishioners.
"From my point of view, I'm not afraid of the disease. Because my God is bigger, and I pray for the people that are still sick and that they recover. I don't live a life of fear, because I have hope," he declared.
