Protest led by anti-mask activist draws massive crowds to Vancouver's Sunset Beach on 4/20

Massive crowds gathered at Vancouver’s Sunset Beach on Tuesday evening.

This year, however, it wasn’t due to the 4/20 celebrations that have occupied the space in years prior. Many attendees appeared to be participating in a rally hosted by a known anti-mask activist.

The gathering appeared to be led by Chris Saccoccia, also known as Chris Sky, who livestreamed the event on Twitch. He can be seen walking around and gathering participants on Sunset Beach while sharing hugs and handshakes with groups of unmasked people.

The stream shows Sky on a stage addressing a large number of protesters circled around him.

Anti-mask/ restriction rally at Sunset Beach today. Are these folks subject to fines for blatantly breaking public health rules cause they really should be IMO.

Pics from snap. pic.twitter.com/BE4D8LVdl7

— Simran Singh (@SimranRoohi) April 21, 2021

In late 2020, Sky shared a video of himself on social media flying without a face mask on an Air Transat flight.

• See also: 
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When asked about the protest, the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) said that “there were a lot of people out on the waterfront last night, including families, gatherings, and some protest groups.”

“VPD officers patrolled the beaches and monitored the gatherings and protests,” Sergeant Steve Addison told Daily Hive in an email.

“Our officers helped reunite a lost child with its parents and arrested a man who was trying to start fights on the beach.”

Addison said he’s unsure about how many tickets, if any, were issued during Tuesday night’s protest but said that more than $108,000 in fines have been issued to “COVID-19 rule-breakers” since the start of 2021.

“As the weather improves and more people come outside, we will look to our partners at the municipal and provincial level – including bylaws, Park Rangers, liquor inspectors and public health officers – to assist in creating a more coordinated approach to discourage unsafe public gatherings,” Addison notes.

“This may include increased enforcement, but also more education and information about social distancing and face coverings.”