For the fourth time in as many weeks, demonstrators are blocking major routes on Vancouver Island as part of a series of protests against old-growth logging.
Saanich Police said the Save Old Growth protesters were blocking the Trans-Canada Highway at Tillicum Road in both directions Monday afternoon.
TRAFFIC ADVISORY: We are off with a group of protestors on the TCH at Tillicum Rd. Traffic is affected in both directions. Updates will be provided. pic.twitter.com/MPxe1pODGa
— Saanich Police (@SaanichPolice) January 31, 2022
Earlier in the day, the group also said it would stage a protest in Nanaimo from Diana Krall Plaza to the Commercial Street & Terminal Avenue intersection.
‘Save Old Growth,’ the campaign that is behind the protests, is an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, which is a civil resistance movement.
The group has carried out protests in Victoria, Nanaimo and Vancouver over the last four weeks, each time resulting in arrests.
At this point, campaign organizers say that over 40 people have been arrested as part of the protests so far.
“What oxygen is to our lungs, our ‘Save Old Growth’ rebellion is to hope for the survival of the planet’s life support systems,” says Nanaimo ‘Save Old Growth’ spokesperson Vic Brice.
“Clearcutting our ancient arboreal carbon sinks is beyond reprehensible. It fans the lethal-intensive flames of mega-fires, and further leads to the suffocating human deaths of future heat domes, and, as glaciers melt, the oxygen starvation of our oceans,” Brice adds.
READ MORE: Old-growth logging protestors arrested after blocking Trans-Canada Highway in Victoria
The group vows to continue blocking traffic along the Trans-Canada Highway until action is taken by the B.C. government to stop old-growth logging.
“The B.C. government is destroying the country, this is our last resort,” said Zain, a university student and an organizer of this campaign.
“We are scared of sitting down on the road but will keep doing it until the government throws us in prison or keeps their own promise to save old growth. Premier Horgan is destroying his own legacy.”
Last week, five activists were arrested by Victoria police after demonstrators took over the intersection at Douglas Street and Tolmie Avenue.
CHEK News
