A Vancouver subway tunnel and bridge were blocked by protesters during Monday morning’s trip, which led to several arrests.
Members of Save Old Growth, a group behind other traffic-disrupting protests in recent months, said they would block the northern entrance to the George Massie Tunnel on Monday, stopping traffic south.
The British Columbia Department of Transport has confirmed that the tunnel was blocked around 7:15 a.m., saying drivers should “expect major delays and congestion”.
The Richmond RCMP said three people were sitting on Highway 99 and one person was “perched on a platform ladder” when officers arrived. All four were arrested and one man was found to be violating the terms of a previous protest, Mounties said.
“We respect people’s rights to legitimate, peaceful and safe protests, but when blocking a major highway is neither legal nor safe, the police must mitigate the situation. The police have a mandate to ensure public safety and the safety of everyone, including protesters, “said Mark Baxter in a press release.
Members of the group also blocked traffic on the Second Narrow Bridge on Monday morning. At around 7:30 a.m., police were in the area and removed protesters from the checkpoint, and five people were eventually arrested. Police said four cars were also seized.
“Illegal protests, which clog vital parts of the infrastructure, put people’s safety at risk,” said a sergeant. Steve Addison said in a press release. “As long as we support the right of everyone to assemble legally and express their views peacefully, the Vancouver Police Department will continue to work actively to prevent illegal protests and allow people to move around the region safely.
By 9 a.m., protesters had been cleared of both the Massi Tunnel and the Second Narrow.
Save Old Growth said it had taken a six-week break to recruit and train more protesters, adding that it was resuming a series of blockades of highways and bridges across the Vancouver and Vancouver subways.
The group calls for an end to deforestation in British Columbia through legislative changes.
“They may not like our tactics, but they want to save the old growth,” protester Sam Nguyen said of the impact of the demonstrations on travelers.
“We tried petitions, we tried to talk about civil rights, 30 years have passed, nothing has happened – we do not want to go on the roads. We don’t want to stop these people from working. “
A group of counter-protesters, called Clear the Road, has accused Save Old Growth of holding the hostages and plans to launch a group case against them.
“I am very concerned that their actions will simply escalate and escalate to the point that it is even more dangerous for travelers and the RCMP,” said Clear the Road organizer Tamara Megit.
“Anyone who has been affected by these (protests), anyone who has lost their jobs or something like that, tell us your story. We are looking to document and a class action lawsuit will be discussed with law firms. ”
This is an evolving story. Check again for updates.
With files from Shannon Patterson and Regan Hasegawa from Vancouver on CTV News
Add Comment