A union representing prison guards rallied in front of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Calgary constituency office Saturday to complain about Conservatives' crime policies.
The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers says prison guards are on the frontline of having to deal with the effects of Harper's tough-on-crime agenda.
Critics say the government's move to tougher sentences for some offences will cause a boom in the inmate population.
Many guards cheered as national union president Pierre Mallette stood on top of a bus and complained that overcrowding and double-bunking is leading to increased prison violence.
Mallette says the union has been trying repeatedly to meet with Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, but hasn't had any success.
Toews noted in July that the number of people behind bars was 3,000 fewer than what the Correctional Service of ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ had predicted for this year.
Officials, however, have pointed out the number of eople behind bars is still rowing.
Meanwhile, the Public Service Alliance of ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ held rallies across ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½ on Saturday against government public-service cuts.
Protests, organized by the Public Service Alliance of ÎÚÑ»´«Ã½, included the staging of a so-called "People's Court" in Toronto that tried an effigy of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Mock trials were also held for effigies of Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, Ontario Tory leader Tim Hudak and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford over cutbacks to public spending.
Other scheduled national protests included ones outside two of Defence Minister Peter MacKay's Nova Scotia constituency offices and the unveiling of a "Defending Quality Public Services" mural in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Ontario Federation of Labour president Sid Ryan acted as a prosecutor in the mock trial in Toronto.
He accused the paperhead figure of Harper of driving down wages and eliminating jobs with international free trade agreements.
