Climate change protesters shut down Burrard Bridge, but cause little disruption
Credit to Author: Susan Lazaruk| Date: Tue, 08 Oct 2019 01:26:21 +0000
Dozens of protesters blocked vehicles from the Burrard Street Bridge on Monday as part of a protest staged by an international group concerned about climate change.
The protest organized by the U.K.-based group Extinction Rebellion coincided with similar events across Canada, including in Victoria, and in other countries.
Vancouver police set up roadblocks on Burrard Street and Cornwall Avenue and officers diverted cars and city buses to the Granville Street Bridge.
The protest started around 9:15 a.m. and didn’t disrupt the morning commute, VPD spokesman Sgt. Aaron Roed said in an email.
At noon, there were about 200 people on the bridge. Roed said the protest was expected to affect afternoon rush hour on the bridge that connects the West Side to downtown, and had asked motorists to avoid the area.
Protesters were arrested at similar blockades in Sydney, Australia, Amsterdam, Halifax, Toronto, New York, and London.
As of mid-afternoon, VPD had made no arrests.
“We will have a visible presence to keep the peace, provide a safe environment, and limit any negative impact on the general public,” said Roed. “The safety of those attending the function, the general public and police is our top priority.”
Climate activists with Extinction Rebellion took over the Burrard Bridge on Monday as part of a non-violent global protest.
During the morning, in a chilly rain, protesters huddled under umbrellas, canopies and tarps and engaged in occasional chants, songs, or speechmaking.
They had set up a circle of house plants in the middle of the road near the north end of the bridge as a centrepiece of the blockade and strung the area with colourful flags with slogans and banners. There was a food tent providing free vegan wraps.
About a dozen police officers stood in small groups at a distance and didn’t react when one of them climbed a bridge girder to secure a tarp over the walkway.
“We wanted to be here on a Monday morning because that would cause the most disruption,” said organizer Jess Causby, 23, who is from Manchester, England, and is unemployed. “We want to be like a fire alarm that goes off in the house and grab your attention.
“I’m sorry if people are inconvenienced, but climate change is going to be much worse.”
Climate activists with Extinction Rebellion took over the Burrard Bridge on Monday as part of a non-violent global rebellion in Vancouver, BC, October 7, 2019. The #BridgeOut event will see a number of activists occupying Burrard Street Bridge, as a continuation of the thousands-strong climate march that took place last month.
Amy Scaife, who is from the U.K. and in the spring told Postmedia she formed the Vancouver chapter of Extinction Rebellion, didn’t return several messages left for her online and by phone on Monday.
Scaife apparently wasn’t at the protest, but posted messages to the chapter’s Facebook page.
“I’m just having a really super-proud mum moment … right now,” Scaife posted midday.
Drivers trying to access the bridge were told by traffic officers to take the Granville or Cambie bridges. Traffic on the Granville bridge mid-morning was light.
In Victoria, organizer Mark Nykanen said the Vancouver Island chapter released a red vegetable dye into the fountain at the provincial legislature to protest LNG and fracking projects in B.C., and planned to block the Johnston Street Bridge during the afternoon rush hour.
He said the protests were intended to bring attention to what he said was the lack of government action on reducing emissions.
The group was co-founded by ecoactivist Roger Hallam, who calls for civil disobedience to force governments to address climate change, and is calling for two weeks of protests.
He was arrested last month after he flew drones near London’s Heathrow Airport to try to disrupt flights.
“We are not shying away from breaking the law, we believe it is necessary due to the inaction of our government on this climate and ecological emergency,” the group’s website said.
It is not clear if the Vancouver chapter plans further protests.
In Victoria, Nykanen said any future action will be decided upon by members of the Victoria chapter.
The Extinction Rebellion movement wants politicians to take urgent action on climate change and disappearing wildlife, and for governments around the world to reduce its carbon emissions to zero by 2025.
It raised about $2.5 million Cdn in the last year, with the biggest spike in donations — over $800,000 — coming in April, when it called for protests. About half of its funding comes from crowdfunding and the other half from individuals and trusts, according to its website.
Its website said it receives its money from “crowdfunding, major donors, NG0s and foundations, with the majority of incoming during 2019 coming from crowdfunding online.”
Torbjorn Fyrvik walks across the Burrard Bridge after protesters with the group Extinction Rebellion occupied it and closed it to vehicle traffic.
https://vancouversun.com/feed/