If you have plans to drive through the Victoria downtown area this Monday, you may want to check your route options.
Between 3:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., October 7th, Extinction Rebellion will be occupying the Johnson Street bridge to protest lack of climate action from national and global leaders.
Due to the closure of the eastbound lane of the Bay St. bridge that started this summer, the occupation will close off one of the only two ways to exit Victoria West.
With the Johnson Street Bridge closed to motor vehicle traffic, commuters will be forced to take to Tillicum Rd, or Admirals Drive to navigate around the Gorge waterway. Traffic will be severely impacted on this day.
Extinction Rebellion is a global social movement that aims to use civil disobedience and nonviolent protests to illicit climate action from government and policy makers.
The group was established in the United Kingdom in May 2018, with about one hundred academics signing a call to action in support in October 2018.
Victoria isn’t the only city to experience a disruption. Bridge occupations are planned across the nation for Angus L. Macdonald Bridge over Halifax Harbour, Burrard Street Bridge in Vancouver and Prince Edward Viaduct in Toronto.
See also: Protest groups to host rally against Premier Horgan’s “climate crimes” in Victoria
Extinction Rebellion wants to ensure that citizens of Victoria know this is a “serious protest,” adding that they want to send the message that “disruption is coming.”
However the group has instructed protestors to not to block the way of emergency vehicles, pedestrians or cyclists.
Victoria Police has confirmed to Victoria Buzz that they are “aware of the planned event on Monday and, as always with public demonstrations and protests, [their] focus will be on ensuring public safety at the event.”
Last month, the Victoria branch of Extinction Rebellion kicked off Global Climate Action week by occupying the intersection of Government and Belleville Streets for several hours.
According to the City of Victoria, Extinction Rebellion has not applied for, nor been issued a permit for their planned bridge occupation on October 7th.
BridgeOut Victoria
- When: Monday, October 7th, 3:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
- Where: Johnson Street Bridge
