Friday, March 29, 2024
March 29, 2024

Salt Springers asked to not rally

Salt Spring RCMP members are asking residents to reconsider gathering and to explore other options to demonstrate their beliefs instead of attending protest events that were planned for the island later this week.

Detachment commander Sgt. Clive Seabrook issued a statement Monday in regard to the Rally for Freedom, which was planned to take place at Centennial Park Saturday at noon in conjunction with similar events happening around the world.

“We are aware there is a rally planned for this upcoming weekend and while we absolutely support a person’s democratic right to demonstrate, now is not the time to be gathering; we need to remain vigilant,” Seabrook said in his statement.

Seabrook said Salt Spring RCMP will continue to work with partners at the provincial health authority and the BC Prosecution Service to address all ongoing violations of public health orders. Organizers of planned events can face fines of $2,300 and attendees may also be fined $230, he said.

The sergeant noted even though provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry relaxed some of the restrictions around gathering outside with friends last week, there continues to be high numbers of new COVID-19 cases reported daily in B.C.

“The important thing to understand is that these gatherings are still limited to people within your own cohort and gatherings for events such as a rally or protest remain prohibited,” Seabrook said.

“I want to caution people who violate the provincial health order, and reassure the general public, that Salt Spring Island is an incredible place to live, with strong community spirit, which is why I am personally asking residents, instead of attending events like these that create division in our community, to please continue to work together to keep Salt Spring Island safe and healthy during this global pandemic.”

BC Ferries communications director Deborah Marshall said Monday the company is aware that protests are planned to take place on Saturday and that Salt Spring is slated as a location.

“We certainly recognize people’s right to protest or hold a gathering, as long as it doesn’t impede our operations,” Marshall said.

The company will enforce its rule about wearing masks on board ships, however, and may take extra steps if people are causing problems.

“We may have to call the authorities,” Marshall said.

BC Ferries banned a group of anti-mask protesters from using its services after they caused a disturbance on a sailing from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay last October.

The organizer of a second protest that was scheduled to run this Friday has decided not to proceed after speaking with RCMP about the regulations. Jean Wilkinson was coordinating a Forest March BC event in which participants would be wearing masks and be spaced two metres apart, but she reversed course with new understanding of enforcement measures.

Wilkinson urges people who are concerned about provincial forestry policy and wish to “Take a Stand for Trees” to protect ecosystem health and biodiversity to participate in other ways. They can start by writing letters to elected officials and ministers, Wilkinson said.

“Emailing and writing letters to government is the key thing in the long run. And the social media campaign could be a fun way to participate,” she said.

People are also invited to support the cause through the Tree Pose Challenge by taking a photo of themselves with their favourite tree or shrub and sharing it on Facebook (@forestmarchbc), Twitter (@bcforestmarch) and Instagram (@bcforestmarch).

For more information on the provincial health orders, visit the BC Government website

Sign up for our newsletter and stay informed

Receive news headlines every week with our free email newsletter.

Other stories you might like

Viewpoint: Care for cyclists will pay off

By SIMON ROMPRE I was very happy to read in last week’s Driftwood that BC Ferries is looking into making the ferry terminal safer for...

Editorial: Supporting cyclists means infrastructure improvement

It seems in our nature to look for increasingly simple solutions as the problems we face become increasingly complex.  Cycling on Salt Spring is already...

BC Ferries targets cyclist safety at terminals

New “wayfinding signage” for cyclists should be in place around ferry terminals on Salt Spring Island before this summer, although there is some skepticism...

Fourth quarter and year-end reports issued by Salt Spring RCMP

SUBMITTED BY THE SALT SPRING ISLAND RCMP DETACHMENT In the fourth quarter of 2023, Salt Spring Island RCMP responded to 646 calls for service,...

5 COMMENTS

  1. Re: Rally for Freedom Protest March 20th.

    Today is a sad day, March 17th. It marks the one-year anniversary of the ‘Health Care Emergency’. It is time to end this, and take back our freedoms guaranteed by the Charter of Rights. End the Health Care Emergency now!

    It is very hypocritical to support the protest on February 11th (About 120 people attended a Salt Spring rally in support of the Wet’suwet’en people’s protest against the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline being constructed through their unceded territory.), and condemn the Rally for Freedom protest on March 20th. The Driftwood published pictures of the protesters on February 11th standing around without masks and not socially distancing. Why didn’t the RCMP ticket anyone present?

    Why is the Driftwood taking sides? I will attend the Rally for Freedom protest, and risk the fine, because I do not blindly follow the dictatorial health care professional (be kind, be calm, be safe) who is making tyrannical decisions that arbitrary restrict my freedoms guaranteed by the Charter of Rights. I prefer to research facts, not blindly believe in the Covid-19 fear religion promulgated by our dictatorial health care professional and the media.

    William Steiner

  2. The Charter of Rights does NOT grant freedom to infect others with a very nasty virus. The “Freedom Rally” was misnamed. It should have been a “Fools Rally”. Or perhaps a “Selfish Me-First” Rally. I do, however, agree with Mr. Steiner on one point: that people congregating in public without masks should be fined, regardless of their reasons.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Weather

Salt Spring Island
overcast clouds
4.7 ° C
6 °
3.8 °
99 %
2.6kmh
100 %
Fri
7 °
Sat
8 °
Sun
9 °
Mon
10 °
Tue
10 °