Date: Monday, January 10, 2022

File: 22-1016

Victoria, BC – Officers with the Greater Victoria Public Safety Unit (GVPSU) arrested seven people during a protest blocking a highway in Victoria this morning.

Shortly before 8 a.m. this morning VicPD officers attended to the intersection of Douglas Street and Burnside Road East where a group of protesters were blocking the highway. Several protesters were positioned in the southbound lane blocking all traffic in that direction.

After several hours of working to negotiate with the protesters to leave the highway, officers advised those blocking the highway that they would be arrested for mischief.

At approximately 11 a.m. officers with the GVPSU attended the scene and arrested seven people who refused to leave the highway. Traffic on Douglas Street, between Hillside Avenue and Finlayson Street, was closed during this time.

Officers transported the suspects to VicPD cells where they were later released with a court date and conditions. Six of the suspects were adults. One of the suspects was a 17-year-old youth. There were no injuries reported.

This incident remains under investigation.

If you have information about this incident, please call our Report Desk and (250) 995-7654, extension 1. To report what you know anonymously, please call Greater Victoria Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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