Date: Friday, February 25, 2022

File: 22-5942

Victoria, BC – Traffic disruptions are anticipated in downtown Victoria and in the area of the BC Legislature during a protest on Saturday. CCTV cameras will be deployed in support of our operations to ensure public safety.

The ability to protest in a safe, peaceful and lawful manner is a key Canadian right that is enshrined in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Our role as a police department during protests is to remain neutral while we ensure that public safety and people’s rights to protest safely, peacefully and lawfully are upheld. Dangerous and/or unlawful acts will be met with de-escalation and enforcement, including Criminal Code, Motor Vehicle Act and Municipal Bylaw investigations. Officers issued seven violation tickets in relation to last weekend’s protests. These tickets were for offences such as excessive noise, obstructing traffic, and no driver’s license. Some of these tickets were mailed to drivers after the event had concluded.

VicPD would also like to remind the public that the Victoria Inner Harbour and surrounding area is controlled airspace and drones are prohibited from operating within three nautical miles (5.6 kilometers) of an airport, or one nautical mile (1.9 kilometers) of a heliport. Transport Canada prohibits the use of drones as they poses a risk to aircraft and bystanders. Police may take enforcement action to prevent drone operation.

We have heard and understand the concerns of James Bay residents during recent protest events and will continue to work to minimize disruptions in the area. Please refer to the information below in order to report incidents to police:

  • For crimes in progress or emergencies, please call 911.
  • For non-emergency incidents, call the non-emergency line at (250) 995-7654 and upon hearing the recording, select option 1 for the Report Desk.
  • For non-emergency traffic incidents, please have use our online reporting tool here: https://vicpd.ca/services/report-a-crime-online/.

CCTV cameras will be temporarily deployed and monitored in public spaces in accordance with B.C. and national privacy legislation. Temporary signs are posted to ensure that those in the area are aware. If you have questions or concerns about our temporary CCTV camera deployment, please email: [email protected].

Traffic disruptions are anticipated during these protests. For the most recent updates on traffic disruptions, please visit our VicPD Twitter account #yyjtraffic posts.

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