Farnworth mirrors commuters’ frustrations after Save Old Growth blockades around B.C.

B.C.’s Public Safety Minister calls the series of highway blockades impacting the morning rush in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island “just unacceptable.”

Monday morning, Save Old Growth protesters targeted lanes near the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge and the Massey Tunnel causing drivers to be stuck in gridlock.

“They are accomplishing absolutely nothing other than aggravating, annoying and frustrating people who are trying to go about their daily business,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going through their mind because they’re not helping their cause in any way, shape, or form,” Mike Farnworth said, echoing the frustration of many of the province’s drivers.

Farnworth said while Canadians have the right “to do lawful protest,” blocking highways is illegal. He also echoed the frustration of many commuters.

On top of that, he adds demonstrators potentially put themselves and others in danger.

But Save Old Growth co-founder Zain Haq says the real danger is global average temperatures rising.

“We’re looking at mass starvation, at a scale we’ve never seen before because it’s going to be impossible to grow food in many parts of Canada,” he said. “We’re looking at societal collapse and an extreme amount of unprecedented danger to public safety.

“So what we’re trying to do is, we’re putting ourselves in harm’s way in order to prevent harm in the future.”

On Vancouver Island, demonstrators blocked northbound traffic on the Patricia Bay Highway in North Saanich. Here, one person was taken to the hospital after he fell from a 15-foot ladder during a protest.

The man has serious injuries, according to the group. However, RCMP confirmed the fall but categorized the protestor’s injuries as non-life-threatening.

Save Old Growth claims an “enraged man” destroyed a support, causing the ladder to collapse.

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The group has protested at Fairy Creek but arrest there surpassed the largest act of civil disobedience in Canadian history, Clayoquot Sound. Over the years, the group also has hung banners, written letters to politicians and led petitions.

Now, Haq says what remains for the old growth forests is 2.7 per cent.

“We need to be adults about this and see and recognize the fact that whatever we’ve been doing over the past few years, just hasn’t been successful. So obviously, there’s no guarantee that what we’re doing will work. But what we know is that everything else has failed. So this is the only option that we see we have left,” he explained.

“We don’t have any good options left.”

Haq admits it will be a painful process for British Columbians and demonstrators themselves as the group vows to keep ramping up demonstrations until the province comes to the table.

“We’ve delayed this for too long. And now it’s time to actually do something about it,” he said. “It’s going to be painful for us, as people on the highways because we risk being run over we risk being arrested, we risk being thrown in prison, we risk being hospitalized. And that’s a risk we were prepared to take because what’s coming down the road is 100 times worse.”

Sidney/North Saanich RCMP confirmed five people were arrested in connection to the blockade on the Patricia Bay highway. Richmond RCMP arrested four people, while Vancouver police made five arrests. Criminal charges are being pursued.

Previously, the group has targeted routes like the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, the Lions Gate Bridge, and Highway 1, among others sites on the Lower Mainland and other parts of the province.

– With files from Nikitha Martins, Denise Wong and Mike Lloyd