CALGARY—A protest close to downtown Calgary grew heated when demonstrators against government COVID-19 mandates came face-to-face with counter-protesters at a park where weekly “freedom rallies” have been held on Saturdays for months. A heavy Calgary police presence, including mounted and bicycle officers, was on hand to keep the event at Central Memorial Park in the Beltline neighbourhood under control on March 19. Despite a largely peaceful gathering, several heated confrontations and an arrest were observed. Lloyd Green, carrying a pro-freedom sign, has been coming for six months to support the rallies, which often attracted large crowds. “It all focuses on the government overreach, the medical apartheid, and the mandates,” he told The Epoch Times. “There’s a lot of injustice that’s been taking place in Canada. There’s a lot of things that have to happen to put things right.” Green said he has been directly affected by the vaccine mandates. “I …