B.C. considers ‘bubble zones,’ other legal action after COVID protesters enter schools, block hospitals

SALMON ARM (NEWS 1130) — He doesn’t know what it will look like yet, but B.C.’s public safety minister says action is coming after anti-COVID-19 vaccine protesters blocked access to hospitals and barged into schools this month.

Schools in and around Salmon Arm were forced into a hold-and-secure Friday after protesters opposing COVID-19 vaccines and pandemic policies brought their protest inside the buildings. Earlier in the month, demonstrations against COVID-19 vaccine policies and mask mandates outside a number of B.C. hospitals impeded access for ambulances and patients.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth says the province has been looking into its legal options to prevent such actions during protests since the Sept. 1 hospital demonstrations.

“We’re looking at what measures might be available to government to ensure this kind of thing does not happen,” he said. “Blocking hospitals and schools is just not acceptable.”

While a timeline on possible action has also not been set, Farnworth says all options are on the table, including injunctions and so-called ‘bubble zones’ which would prevent protesting within a certain distance from particular buildings or services.

“Obviously, some are easier to implement than others and there’s clearly legal issues that the attorney general’s ministry would have to examine, but we are looking at what options are available to us,” he said “Depends on each circumstance. For example, trespass may be an option… abusive behaviour, aggressive behaviour. Anything that could be perceived as criminal activity, anything that was seen as threatening could be cause for all kinds of potential charges. Those avenues are there and are in place right now.”

Related Articles: 

• Trustees condemn anti-COVID vaccine protests in Salmon Arm schools
• Anti-vaccine protesters enter Salmon Arm schools, triggering ‘hold and secure’
• Protesters target B.C. hospitals disrupting patients, staff

Parents, the B.C. School Trustees Association and the provinces Education Minister have all condemned the protesters.

“These individuals, or these idiots frankly, need to realize they’re not helping their cause one bit. The public, overwhelmingly, does not agree with what they’ve been doing” Farnworth said. “So we will be looking at whatever measures we can take to ensure that our schools are safe, and that we don’t have to worry about these idiots.”

The minister says his government will be monitoring any potential future demonstrations in Salmon Arm to ensure safety in schools.

Ideas from school districts are also encouraged.

Bubble zones would prevent ppl from protesting within certain distance of particular buildings
"These individuals, or these idiots frankly, need to realize they're not helping their cause one bit. The public, overwhelmingly, does not agree with what they've been doing" -Farnworth

— Lasia Kretzel (@rhymeswpretzel) September 19, 2021

Education minister calls protests ‘unacceptable’

Through a series of tweets, Education Minister Jennifer Whiteside said schools need to be safe for everyone and protestors were undermining public safety efforts.

“That behaviour is appalling and unacceptable,” Whiteside told NEWS 1130. “To have members of a community storm a series of schools and frighten children, create very challenging environments for staff to cause schools to have to go into their lockdown protocols is complete unacceptable.”

She adds if people are unhappy with policies, they should focus their response on government representatives, not hospitals or schools.

Ministry staff have offered assistance to School District 83, Whiteside said, adding a response from the province is coming.

“We’ll be working with districts, in terms of what their needs they’ve identified, what they’re hearing on the ground, how things are operating with their lockdown procedures and working across government and across ministries on on the response,” she said, though she did not provide details on what that response could be.

“The number one issue though, frankly, is that people have got to stop doing this. They have got to stop protesting and impeding the work that is happening in our in our schools and they have to stop interfering with children in schools.”

These protests undermine our collective safety efforts.
Ministry staff have offered assistance to School District 83 and are in regular communication with all districts related to COVID guidelines and health measures, and any incidents involving protesters at schools. 3/3

— Jennifer Whiteside (@JM_Whiteside) September 19, 2021

Monday ‘hold and secure’

The North Okanagan-Shuswap School District, which includes Salmon Arm, says outside doors to schools in the district will be locked during the day, and those who want to enter a school are asked to contact staff.

“This means that students were not able to leave and enter the building throughout the remainder of the day. The “hold and secure” was lifted at the end of the day,” the District said online.

Monday is an inservice day, which typically sees only teachers on site, but it is not clear if that will be the case.

“SD83 will be working with the RCMP to ensure that these protests are kept from all district property.”

– With files from Monika Gul