WATCH: Organizers say they’re pleased with the outcome of Monday night’s demonstration on the Johnson Street Bridge.
Organizers say they’re pleased with the outcome of Monday night’s demonstration on the Johnson Street Bridge.
On Monday around 6 p.m., about 250 demonstrators from several different community groups blocked traffic on the Johnson Street Bridge in a bid to call on governments to increase their actions to fight climate change.
It was originally planned to be a 12-minute protest but ended up lasting around two hours.
“Certainly the bridge was closed for longer than we had anticipated, but that’s just a reflection of the amount of passion there is in this community,” said Keith Cherry, one of the organizers. “Once we had people out there, they didn’t want to leave. People were staying, they were talking, they were sharing, and you have be able to respect that energy.”
The demonstration drew both support and ire.
Some cheered them on from the sidewalk, while others took to social media to vent their disapproval.
Police say the impact on traffic was reduced because many drivers knew about the event beforehand and changed their routes accordingly.
BC Transit says a small number of bus routes were detoured, similar to occasions when the bridge has to raised to accommodate vessels.
Despite some backlash, experts say civil disobedience has been responsible for many of society’s advances.
“People had to break laws in order to even get the right to protest and hold up signs. So a lot of the things that we take for granted were at one point incredibly contentious things to do, just like this is,” said UBC sociologist Rima Wilkes.
In the end, six people were arrested and ticketed for failing to remain on the sidewalk – a $108 fine.
Calvin To
