Two people arrested at B.C. legislature for painting messages in chalk
Credit to Author: Lynn Mitges| Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2020 21:45:23 +0000
Two people supporting Indigenous young people occupying the B.C. legislature’s front steps were arrested Thursday morning for painting messages in water-soluble chalk on and around the building.
Their actions constitute “defacing government property,” said Alan Mullen, chief of staff for the Office of the Speaker.
The Legislative Assembly Protective Services made the arrests, the first since the second occupation of the steps began Monday. Protective services employees are special provincial constables appointed under the Police Act who protect the legislature building and grounds and have authority to make arrests.
Mullen said the two people were taken into the building to be processed and released shortly after, with charges pending. They are banned indefinitely from returning to the property.
Mullen said the arrests are not related to a B.C. Supreme Court injunction that prohibits anyone from blocking, physically obstructing or intimidating people entering the legislature building.
He added that the fact the chalk was water soluble doesn’t mean the act was not an offence worthy of arrest.
“You cannot spray-paint private property or government property like that,” Mullen said. “It has proven a bit of work to remove it.”
Shay Lynn Sampson, who is Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en, said the group used water-soluble chalk, because “we didn’t want to leave anything that would be permanent, like graffiti.”
Sampson said the messages were removed by legislative staff within about 15 minutes.
The two supporters arrested are not part of the core group of Indigenous young people occupying the legislature steps and were writing messages such as “Land back” and “Respect Wet’suwet’en law” when they were arrested, Sampson said.
The group was planning similar actions for this afternoon, but isn’t sure whether they’ll go ahead after the arrests.
Sampson said Victoria police officers were present while demonstrators were writing the messages, but did not make arrests.
In a statement, police said multiple people were spraying messages on the building’s walls, driveways and sidewalks, and some of the messages included profanity.
They said officers remain at the scene “to ensure protests remain safe, peaceful and lawful,” a message they have repeated frequently since the demonstrations began three weeks ago.
Police have taken to Twitter and Instagram to explain their actions during the dispute. On Monday, they used both to explain that a van brought to the legislature was to keep officers warm and not an indication of imminent arrests.