Campbell River is ready for a “freedom” convoy this weekend as long as participants are planning a peaceful affair.
“We understand that they want to establish a rallying point,” Peter Wipper, Campbell River’s director of community safety, said Tuesday.
“They’re expecting maybe a half-dozen rigs and numerous cars.
“At this point we don’t have a location.”
Wipper said Campbell River RCMP have been in contact with organizers and are waiting for more information.
“It sounds like they’re still planning this event.”
A participant at last weekend’s rally at the legislature against COVID-19 health measures recently wrote on Facebook that people are talking about starting the next rally in Victoria, with Campbell River as the destination, in response to police efforts to close off the legislative precinct to all but local traffic.
Rallies against health measures, involving people honking horns and waving flags, have been held at the legislature for several weekends. Last weekend, police began prohibiting all but local traffic in the area to reduce noise and disruption, implementing several checkpoints on routes into the zone.
Officers continued to operate the checkpoints on Tuesday, keeping non-local traffic out of the legislature precinct and James Bay. They include police from Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay and Central Saanich as well as Victoria traffic officers.
Non-local vehicles continue to try to enter the restricted area, said Victoria police spokesman Bowen Osoko. “We continue to turn them away.”
Officers are becoming familiar with who will attempt to get through the checkpoints, he said.
“The protesters are all kind of the same group,” he said. “We have a pretty good idea of who folks are.
“But we also chat to people and find out what their plans are. We are certainly seeing some new faces.”
Osoko said police are assessing the need for checkpoints each day, noting waits have not been long since the weekend.
Officers are inviting people to park their vehicles and walk to the legislature, and a small group took them up on that Monday, Osoko said.
“That’s great. That’s exactly what we want.”
The cost of keeping the checkpoints going was not immediately available.
The RCMP is also monitoring convoy activity on the Island via social media and tips from the public, as well as keeping tabs on the convoy group’s plans, said B.C. RCMP Const. Alex Berube.
