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Vancouver police are deploying more officers downtown Saturday as big crowds are expected because of several rallies, including one against U.S. aggression and the other against protesters who’ve been killed in Iran.
“Everyone has a right to gather lawfully and to peacefully express themselves,” said Sgt. Steve Addison earlier this week.
“Our officers will have a visible presence at protests and gathering spots throughout the city to ensure everyone’s safety. We hope people will respect each others’ points of view and rights to express themselves, even if they don’t agree.”
A rally to protest U.S. aggression and threats against the sovereignty of Greenland begins at Jack Poole Plaza before moving to the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver. Another demonstration was planned for the Vancouver Art Gallery to demand an end to the killing of thousands of protesters in Tehran.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday said “several thousand people” died in this month’s anti-government demonstrations, his first acknowledgment of the deadly scale of the unrest.
Some of those were killed “brutally and inhumanely,” Khamenei said without offering detail in a public meeting broadcast on state TV. He accused the U.S. and Israel of aiding the killings and said the Islamic Republic has evidence to support the claim.
Vancouver police said 6,000 people gathered at different locations in the city last weekend to protest the uprising in Tehran, the war in Gaza, and conflicts in the U.S.
While the majority of protesters were peaceful, Addison said VPD officers had to physically separate some groups outside the Vancouver Art Gallery to avoid physical conflicts.
Police expect the size and number of protests to increase this weekend, and said more than 130 officers are scheduled to be deployed for 11 planned protests, which are expected to draw thousands of people to the downtown core throughout the weekend.
“Our objective is to maintain order, provide a safe environment for peaceful gatherings, and to minimize disruptions for people who are not involved in the demonstrations,” said Addison.
On Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10 per cent import tax starting in February on goods from eight European countries because of opposition to U.S. control of Greenland.
He then threatened on social media to raise the tariff to 25 per cent in June unless a deal is reached for the “complete and total purchase of Greenland.” The tariffs will apply to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands and Finland, he said.
More to come…
With files from Bloomberg News