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A protester on Vancouver Island was taken to hospital after the ladder he was on collapsed, RCMP reported.
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June 13, 2022 • 45 minutes ago • 3 minutes reading • 36 comments Save Old Growth protesters block the north lane of the Iron Workers Memorial Bridge on June 13, 2022 Photo: NICK PROCAYLO / PNG
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A group of environmental protesters blocked three major thoroughfares in the Vancouver and Vancouver subways on Monday, causing traffic disruptions and delays during peak hours.
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Coordinated demonstrations began just before 6 a.m. when about a dozen activists blocked the Pat Bay Highway, stopping traffic north, including ferry traffic to Swartz Bay Terminal.
Around 7 a.m., protesters blocked the northern entrance to the southern Massi tunnel, blocking traffic on Highway 99 between Richmond and Delta, including vehicles heading to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal.
Protesters also marched on the western lanes of the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge between Vancouver and the North Shore.
A total of nine people were arrested.
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The protests were quickly resolved by police, although delays continued due to traffic jams.
In Vancouver, police arrested five protesters, including four who tried to lock themselves behind the wheel of a car on the bridge deck.
As a precautionary measure, police also seized three unoccupied vehicles strategically placed by protesters near the bridge, which they said were intended to be used to block traffic on the bridge.
“Illegal protests that clog vital parts of infrastructure put people’s safety at risk,” said a Vancouver police spokesman. Steve Addison.
In Richmond, Mounties broke a blockade of three people sitting on the highway and a fourth man landed on a platform ladder who was found to be violating the terms of a previous protest in another jurisdiction.
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In a statement, the RCMP said it planned to prosecute all those arrested.
On the island of Vancouver, a protester was injured after the ladder on which he collapsed, said RCMP. He was taken to hospital.
Protest organizer Sofia Pap said a protester had fallen because a “disappointed” driver snapped a support beam onto a platform holding the protester.
“I understand the frustration of people stuck in traffic, but compared to the destruction of climate change, it’s insignificant,” said Pope.
Berube said some frustrated travelers had tried to circumvent the blockade. “While we understand the frustration of travelers, the RCMP does not approve of illegal actions taken to circumvent the blockades,” he said.
Tamara Megit, organizer of a group called Clear the Road, which is in the process of gathering information from a planned group case against protesters, said she would not be surprised to hear of more incidents between drunken drivers and protesters.
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“It’s so frustrating for people,” she said. “For some, it may be the drop that broke the camel’s back.
But she said drivers should not take matters into their own hands. “It’s their game. They want to anger people. So refrain and just record, document and contact us. Tell us how it affects you so we can move this forward. ”
Megitt said she had been contacted by “dozens and dozens” of people who had suffered financial losses or missed medical meetings due to delays due to the protests.
Save Old Growth warned in a news release that it plans to install additional blockades until their request is met.
The group, which wants an immediate end to all the old logging in British Columbia, has escalated its tactics in recent months as activists have blocked busy transport routes in the Lower Continent and Vancouver Island.
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Last week, Save Old Growth protesters ran onto a football field during a CONCACAF League of Nations match between Canada and Curacao and tried to cling to doorposts. Two people have been arrested, Vancouver police said.
Save Old Growth spokesman Zayn Hack said the group’s nonviolent protests were aimed at sparking public debate and changing government policies to listen to climate science, and that its members were ready to go to jail.
The government said it was following the recommendations of an independent review of old forest management in BC.
chchan@postmedia.com
twitter.com/cherylchan
– With files from Victoria Times Colonist
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