Got this email through the witness grapevine. I do not know any of the people mentioned, nor do I know the persons who have related their experience below. However, I thought it was interesting that the witnesses felt the event focused on them - how orderly they were due to "theocratic training", etc, but the newspaper article praises the Calgary police.
All I know is that I would have been pissed if I had to stand outside for 2 hours in the heat with a kid (or in a costume) only to have to go back inside to finish the program. Honestly!!!
Just finished our convention here in Calgary, (Alberta, Canada). Very
encouraging and upbuilding.
We were pleased to have three brothers from New York at the convention:
Brother David Splain who is on the Governing Body, and another brother from
NY Bethel and one from Patterson.
We had some interesting events happen as we had to evacuate the building for
2 hours as there was a serious bomb threat made.....we did it in record time
12 min 14 sec. The police were very impressed with the orderliness and
calmness of the brothers. After, we were again allowed into the building no
one without a lapel card was allowed in without being thoroughly
searched.....highlighting of wearing our lapel cards at all times.
No word on if they found anything.....probably just a scare.
But the convention went on and we got the entire program....we just went
till 5 pm.
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We have just concluded our D.A. where we had David Splane (of GB) as our
"main speaker".
However, this morning (Sunday June 16th)....
The audience was about to sing the last verse of song that would introduce
the drama.. The drama participants were ready and waiting to perform when
two brothers appeared on the platform. A brother (not sure of his name but
he was probably in charge of security and he did an excellent job here) took
over the mike and made a statement (I am going by memory here).
"Brothers, I want you to listen very, very carefully about what I am about
to say. We want you to leave the building immediately. DO NOT PANIC and /
or rush.... just leave in an orderly fashion. Please pick up ALL your
belongings and move away from building as far as possible. Please follow
these directions. The brothers in front of me should proceed first, etc.
etc."
We later learned that because of our theocratic training we were able to
clear the Saddledome in just over 12 minutes (which made headline news at
least on one radio station I listened to tonight and will probably make
more headlines tomorrow).
No one pushed or shoved and we proceeded out in the blazing sun by the Bow
River. Well, it was just over two hours before we were allowed back in
building. As we re-entered the building we could see ambulance and "lots of
city police" inside bldg. Apparently it was a bomb threat that caused the
evacuation. They allowed the elderly ones to re-enter first.
We were told to take back our original seats. After about 20 minutes ALL
were back in seats and program was started. After drama concluded we had a
short intermission for lunch (although many ate their lunch during the
evacuation) and then program resumed. Instead of ending at 4:00 p.m. we
went till 5:30 p.m. Over 8,000 in attendance appreciated the theme of main
talk "The Scene of This World Is Changing".
********************************************
(Another personal account):
Dear Family of Friends,
We had some unexpected excitement at the convention today ... we had to
evacuate the building! Two people (who didn't have badges) were spotted
carrying a suspicious package. The security people went into action right
away, called in the bomb squad and sniffer dog etc. All of this was
happening as we were singing the song just preceding the drama. As we were
ready to sing the last verse, the song stopped playing and a brother took
over the microphone and said we had to evacuate the building for
approximately 45 minutes. Everything was done so orderly, calmly, smoothly
that the city police couldn't believe their eyes. In just over 12 minutes we
evacuated 8600 people. The police said it was the quickest, most orderly,
calmest emptying of the premises they had EVER seen. Certainly a good
witness, wasn't it?
You could actually feel a calm fall over the crowd, as if Jehovah's hand
were protecting us. No one panicked, no one walked quickly. And we waited
patiently outside in the scorching sun until they told us we could go back
inside. The had asked us to bring EVERYTHING with us when we left the
building...AND TO MAKE SURE WE HAD OUR BADGES! Then the attendants were
asked to search the sections row by row and if they found anything, they
were told to NOT touch it but report it to the police, who would look after
it.
The ones we really felt sorry for were those in costumes for the drama. They
must have really minded the heat!
Going back inside took much longer because everyone was being screened to
see if they had a badge. If they didn't, they had to produce some other form
of I.D., such as the Medical Directive card. A couple of little Chinese
sisters were really unfortunate...they had forgotten both at home...but they
dug around in their briefcase and found some house-to-house records and the
brothers realized that you'd only have those if you were doing service!
1000 young folks decide to take out their songbooks and began singing,
"We're Jehovah's Witnesses". Some brothers were able to witness to people
working nearby, who were wondering what was going on. One man said, "What's
this world coming to?" The brother replied, "That's exactly what the public
discourse is going to discuss this afternoon. Please feel free to attend."
One person who had only been baptized for 11/2 yrs. said this was the most
faith-strengthening thing to happen to her since she's taken the truth.
We had a wonderful day!
Love to one and all,
J&B
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http://www.canoe.ca/EdmontonNews/es.es-06-17-0031.html
Bomb scare disrupts Witness convention
CALGARY-Nearly 8,000 Jehovah's Witnesses evacuated a Calgary sports arena
yesterday after a bomb scare that turned out to be a hoax.
Delegates with the Jehovah's Witnesses Zealous Kingdom Proclaimers District
Convention - some dressed in biblical costumes - calmly filed through doors
at the Pengrowth Saddledome just before 11 a.m.
"We were alerted to a person carrying a suspicious package. We couldn't
identify that person," said convention spokesman Frank Billington.
A pack of sniffer dogs searched the building, but failed to turn up anything
that would pose a threat to the delegates.
Laurie Stang of Medicine Hat attempted to shade her 10-month-old son,
Hudson, from the bright sun during their long wait to get back inside the
building.
"We were partway through a song when we were told a situation had arisen,"
said Stang. "We were directed to the exits."
Calgary paramedics had to be called to treat two patients as a result of the
evacuation. A man suffering from chest pains and a woman in labour were
transported to hospital.
About 40 minutes later, the all-clear was sounded and security guards and
convention attendants began ushering the delegates back through the
Saddledome's west doors.
===========================================================================
http://www.canoe.ca/CalgaryNews/cs.cs-06-17-0026.html
Saddledome evacuated
CALGARY SUN
A mystery package forced thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses to evacuate the
Pengrowth Saddledome yesterday.
Streams of Jehovah's Witnesses capping their three-day Zealous Kingdom
Proclaimers Convention flooded out the building after a woman was seen
running past security and into the facility carrying a suspicious parcel.
Police were called by convention staff to the scene, and quickly emptied the
building of its 8,613 attendees.
Duty Insp. Brooke Bishop said a man created a diversion, allowing the woman
to slip past security. Neither they, nor the package, were found.
Despite the 45-minute excursion, convention spokesman Frank Billington said
it could have been worse and praised Calgary cops.
"They were very efficient, very helpful."