Police say they are investigating manure left at the front doors of Premier John Horgan's local constituency office in Langford.
A news release from RCMP Wednesday said officers were called to a report of manure being dumped and signs being posted at Horgan's community office around 9 a.m.
It says the suspects are believed to be supporters of Save Old Growth and the incident is under investigation as mischief.
In a statement posted on the group's website, supporters of Save Old Growth claimed responsibility for their action and likened the government's policies to manure.
“The NDP Horgan government doesn’t seem to give a sh-- about following through on their promises to protect old growth, so we gave him some,” spokesperson Sophia Papp said in a news release.
Save Old Growth called on the province to take action on the 14 recommendations from the 2020 report of the province’s Old Growth Strategic Review panel, which include prioritizing ecosystem health and resilience, and deferring development in old forests where ecosystems are at high risk of irreversible biodiversity loss.
In its release, Save Old Growth said it’s part of a network of civil resistance campaigns taking place across the world, demanding climate action.
The Office of the Premier responded to a request for comment with a statement from Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth saying peaceful protest is part of a democratic society, but “vandalizing property, preventing people from accessing services, and harassing local businesses is deplorable behavior.”
“For those who employ these reprehensible tactics, I can assure you that you achieve nothing but increasing the frustration of the local community.”
Farnworth also expressed his “heartfelt appreciation” to the local residents and business owners who quickly helped clean up the area where the manure was dumped.
— With a file from The Canadian Press
