Protesters to greet Justin Trudeau during his Vancouver visit today
Justin Trudeau is spending the second half of this week in Western Canada and that includes a stop in Vancouver today.
The Prime Minister will be in the city to participate in a clean-tech roundtable at 5:45 pm.
The event takes place inside the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, but outside the hotel, another gathering of people is planned as well.
However, those outside won’t be there to show support.
Instead, they will be part of an anti-pipeline protest being organized by members of the activist group, Leadnow.
“After nearly 200 arrests on Burnaby Mountain of people taking bold action to stop Kinder Morgan, this Thursday, Justin Trudeau is scheduled to be in Vancouver raising money for his own re-election campaign,” said the event’s organizers. “Trudeau is fundraising at the same time he’s trying to shove an unwanted pipeline through Vancouver, Burnaby and all of BC. ”
People are being encouraged to arrive at the Vancouver Art Gallery at 5:30 before marching to the fundraiser “to make noise and make sure Trudeau knows how much supporting KM will cost him. “
Those attending are also encouraged to bring wooden spoons, pots, and pans to help make that noise.
“It’s a tactic that Quebec students and community members used in 2012 to make a whole lot of noise, and we think that Trudeau needs his ears to ring with our opposition,” said Leadnow.
While the group admits they “don’t have the money to get into Trudeau’s event, we do have people power, and we can show that no amount of dollars is going to help this Prime Minister come election day if he continues to ignore our climate commitments, disrespect Indigenous rights, and put this coast in peril.”