“The shutting down of this protest organized by a racialized community is an affront to the constitutional right to protest. Freedom of expression and freedom of association are fundamental democratic rights that must be respected,” stated Meghan McDermott, a policy director and staff lawyer with the BC Civil Liberties Association in a release sent from Our Avaaz, the organizers of the protest.
“This was an event that took safety measures and provincial health orders seriously but was arbitrarily and unjustly shut down by the Surrey RCMP even before any opportunity for alleging non-compliance arose.”
Yesterday Surrey RCMP shut down protest by Punjabi-Canadians despite compliance with health orders permitting drive-in events.
SURREY, B.C. Attendees and those involved in planning a drive-in rally in Surrey on Saturday remain critical of the RCMP’s decision to break up the event before it even started. “What the RCMP did was not right. They did not have the right to do that,” said Sukhpreet Singh. Singh said he was set to perform on stage during the rally as an estimated maximum of 500 hundred cars would listen in on their radios. He said volunteers had planned to ensure those arriving would stay in their vehicles and be from the same household to adhere to B.C.’s COVID-19 safety protocols.
Surrey RCMP blocked a protest supporting farmers in India on Saturday, Jan. 16.Brendan Kergin
A protest planned to take place yesterday in Cloverdale was shut down by the Surrey RCMP according to organizers of the event. The Surrey RCMP blocked the protest from happening, despite provincial health orders allowing drive-in events, write organizers on their website. One person was even unfairly issued a $2,300 ticket for hosting a non-compliant event simply for attending the protest and speaking with the RCMP.
However, organizers say the event would have been in compliance with the provincial health orders in regards to the pandemic. The rally they were planning would have been a drive-in protest, which is allowed, and organizers argue they would have been within the conditions outlined.
A Year Later, Complaint about RCMP Actions During Wet’suwet’en Conflict in Limbo
Complainants called for an independent review, but instead police investigated themselves and pressured them to drop their case.
Amanda Follett Hosgood lives and writes amidst the stunning mountains and rivers of Wet’suwet’en territory. Find her on Twitter @amandajfollett. SHARES RCMP officers with a police dog stand guard as workers disassemble a gate near the Unist’ot’en Healing Centre earlier this month.
Photo by Amanda Follett Hosgood.
A year after filing complaints with the RCMP’s civilian oversight body over RCMP actions during the Wet’suwet’en protests, Cody Merriman (Wedlidi) and Delee Nikal are frustrated by delays and what they call a broken system.