Report by C.Y. Anderson, photos by Matt Rowan, YCLers from Vancouver
Over the last months, the fascist so-called “trucker” convoys have terrorized cities across Canada. British Columbia has seen several convoys that have harassed residents and threatened medical workers, and a fake bomb has been planted in a local hospital. In response to these provocations by the convoys, local community members have banded together to show these convoys that they are not welcome in our city.
On Saturday, February 19, Vancouver members of the YCL joined protests organized by Community Over Convoys – Vancouver. They joined a crowd of local residents, community organizers, and sympathetic passersby. The counter-protest aimed to prevent the convoy from passing through the Downtown Eastside or near hospitals. This counter-protest followed a set of similar actions on February 5, which successfully delayed and rerouted the convoy by blocking an intersection.
Police responded, shoving counter-protesters and refusing to allow pedestrians to use the crosswalks, all to ensure the convoy was allowed to pass unimpeded to the Pacific Highway border crossing in Surrey. Once there, the convoy blocked the crossing for several hours and assaulted news crews.
