Hundreds march to Richmond city hall to oppose quashed supervised consumption site
CTV
Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in Richmond on Family Day in opposition to city council’s recent vote to explore a local supervised consumption site, despite health officials already having quashed the idea.
Hundreds of demonstrators rallied in Richmond on Family Day in opposition to city council’s recent vote to explore a local supervised consumption site, despite health officials already having quashed the idea.
Attendees gathered at Minoru Park before marching on city hall, many of them carrying professionally printed signs reading “No more silence.”
CTV News observed a case of “Shame on You Day” signs being distributed to the crowd outside the nearby Richmond Public Library. There were also handmade placards and banners reading “Vote them out,” “(Mayor Malcom) Brodie must go,” and other slogans.
A favourite statement was, “The silent majority has awakened.”
The event was intentionally organized for Family Day by several groups, including one calling itself “Voice for Kids in Richmond,” to emphasize their concerns around children’s safety and well-being. Attendees repeatedly chanted “No drugs.”
Speaking English, Mandarin, and Cantonese, an array of local residents, aspiring Conservative Party candidates and organizers reiterated concerns and sometimes misinformation that’d been voiced last week at a city hall, where they felt they were dismissed and brushed aside by mayor and council, who voted 7-2 in favour of exploring a supervised consumption site at Richmond Hospital.
Days after the hearings erupted in vocal clashes, with threats sent to at least one councillor, Vancouver Coastal Health issued a statement shooting down the proposal and stating it was not “the most appropriate” service for the city. B.C. Premier David Eby addressed the idea one day prior, questioning whether it was necessary.
