A small group of angry anti-vaxxers hurled insults and mocked people who showed up to a Chilliwack craft brewery on Thursday afternoon.
The anger and racism confused many people, but was likely related to a provincial NDP caucus retreat scheduled in Chilliwack over the next few days.
Premier John Horgan was in attendance for an invitation only event along with local MLAs Dan Coulter and Kelli Paddon.
“We didn’t know it was closed and tried to go in,” a Chilliwack resident told The Progress who went to Farmhouse Brewing on South Sumas Road.
“Anti-vaxx loser protestors were there, they yelled racial slurs at our truck. Had megaphones. Anyone that went inside they were yelling at, pretty disturbing.”
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Chilliwack resident Rollie Keith attended the invitation-only meeting with the premier and said the protesters were there at the entrance to the brewery for the duration of the event.
“They were very loud, quite disrespectful and annoying,” he said.
Other visitors told The Progress they felt intimidated and threatened by the protesters who harassed anyone who went anywhere close to the location.
“It’s private property and they were being ignorant to our staff so the local RCMP was there to make sure they didn’t come onto our property,” according to a Farmhouse spokesperson when asked via Facebook.
“Staff were outside and the ignorant people were harassing via their megaphones.”
A video posted on social media indeed showed individuals screaming at people in vehicles who were trying to leave the property.
The people with signs screamed epithets about conspiracy theories and held cardboard signs with insults about the prime minister, and expressed anti-vaccination misinformation.
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