Vancouver police deployed to 11 planned protests in 1 weekend
CBC
Thousands of Iranian Canadians and their supporters marched down Vancouver's West Georgia Street in solidarity with protesters in Iran on Sunday.
It was one of at least 11 demonstrations that took place in the city over the weekend.
At one point on Saturday, there were about seven protests happening in the downtown core at the same time, say police.
One of those protests included Kurdish Canadians who gathered outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, calling for an end to violence against demonstrators in Iran.
Among those in attendance was Kozad Vizheh, a Kurdish Canadian based in Burnaby.
He said downtown Vancouver has become the natural place to voice their concerns.
“This is the heart of the city,” Vizheh said. “People hear our voice. Everyone is coming to the downtown.”
Vizheh said protesters understand the strain demonstrations can place on the city, but says people need to know about the injustices and violence that affects communities elsewhere.
“We will never disturb the people here and we will always obey the law to make all the protests safe and peaceful,” he said. “We know Vancouver is a democratic city and a democratic country. We appreciate people’s patience.”
Other protests in Vancouver included pro-Palestinian rallies, demonstrations of solidarity with Israel and protests over U.S. immigration enforcement.The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) says it deployed additional officers throughout the downtown core to manage demonstrations the demonstrations.
“Everyone has a right to gather lawfully and to peacefully express themselves,” said Sgt. Steve Addison in a statement. “Our officers will have a visible presence at protests and gathering spots throughout the city to ensure everyone’s safety.”
VPD said about 6,000 people protested at various locations the previous weekend and while most protests were peaceful, police say officers had to physically separate some groups outside the art gallery to prevent physical conflicts.
But the size and number of demonstrations increased this weekend. Police initially estimated about 9,000 people turned up at various rallies over the weekend, but later told CBC News that there were more than 15,000 on Sunday alone.
More than 130 officers were deployed for 11 planned protests.
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This First Person column is the experience of Andrew Stetson, a writer and storyteller in P.E.I. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
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