Dueling protests over vaccine mandates to be held in B.C. Saturday

Nearly two weeks after a so-called freedom convoy left B.C. and descended on Ottawa, protesters are vowing to block traffic again in the Lower Mainland and Victoria.

On Saturday, the convoy is set to begin in Langley before heading west along Highway 1 toward Vancouver to rally along Robson Street.

Organizers say it will begin at 9 a.m., and are expecting to create traffic delays along several vital corridors including Grandview Highway, Kingsway, Broadway, and Burrard.

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It’s also expected the parking lot where the group is gathering to begin their protest, near 200 Street and 91a Avenue in Langley Township, will also be affected.

It’s unclear if any truckers will be a part of the protest, and if the demonstration is at all connected to last week’s protest over truckers now required to be immunized if they are crossing the U.S.-Canada border.

Messaging on the poster only urges people to “stand united against fear” and calls for “no more lies.”

Ahead of the protest, the UBC Students Against Bigotry posted a warning on social media over community safety concerns.

Counter protests planned

Meanwhile, at least two counter-protests are being organized for Saturday in B.C. Those against the actions of protesters in Ottawa are being asked to gather in Victoria at 11 a.m. in front of the Legislature.

In Vancouver, some are organizing a counter protest made up of cyclists, according to Reddit, where posters are vowing to disrupt and delay the movements of those opposing vaccine mandates.

In Ottawa, where hundreds of protesters remain, a large counter-protest is also being organized. Police are vowing to respond to any harassment, violence, or bylaw infractions surrounding the ongoing tensions in the capital city.

Many have taken to social media to say they will join the counter-protests across the country to show respect for health-care workers and those who continue to follow public health guidance around COVID-19.