Hundreds of mostly unmasked people gathered on the grounds and surrounding streets of the B.C. legislature Wednesday afternoon to protest the province’s vaccine policies.
Signs were aplenty amongst the boisterous crowd, mostly relating to freedom of choice around being vaccinated, the B.C. government’s announced vaccine card program and constitutional rights. A distinct anti-government, anti-mask, anti-vaccine feeling was in the air and a variety of speakers took to the microphone to voice their views.
People also gathered on both sides of Belleville Street in front of the legislature, and a number of drivers honked in apparent support of protesters.
There was no visible police presence around the event and Belleville Street was not closed during the protest.
The roughly hour-long event was spurred in part by a widely circulated social media notice entitled Worldwide Walk Out, subtitled No Jab = No Job. The notice called for people to walk off their jobs at 1 p.m. and hit the streets in protest to “stop the shot, stop the tyranny.”
Other protests were held throughout B.C., including large protests outside Vancouver City Hall, Kelowna General Hospital and the Cowichan District Hospital in Duncan.
It is believed these protests are being held to voice opposition to the B.C. Vaccine Card, which will require people to have at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 13 to access a number of social and recreational events.
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Anti-vaccine passport and anti-mask protesters gather outside the Legislature on Wednesday and along Belleville Street for an afternoon demonstration. (Don Denton/News Staff)
Anti-vaccine passport and anti-mask protesters gather outside the Legislature on Wednesday and along Belleville Street for an afternoon demonstration. (Don Denton/News Staff)
Anti-vaccine passport and anti-mask protesters gather outside the Legislature on Wednesday and along Belleville Street for an afternoon demonstration. (Don Denton/News Staff)
Anti-vaccine passport and anti-mask protesters gather outside the Legislature on Wednesday and along Belleville Street for an afternoon demonstration. (Don Denton/News Staff)
Anti-vaccine passport and anti-mask protesters gather outside the Legislature on Wednesday and along Belleville Street for an afternoon demonstration. (Don Denton/News Staff)
September 1, 2021 - Anti vaccine and mask protesters gather outside the Legislature buildings and along Belleville Street for a noon-2pm demonstration. Don Denton photograph
Anti-vaccine passport and anti-mask protesters gather outside the Legislature on Wednesday and along Belleville Street for an afternoon demonstration. (Don Denton/News Staff)Anti-vaccine passport and anti-mask protesters gather outside the Legislature on Wednesday and along Belleville Street for an afternoon demonstration. (Don Denton/News Staff)
