As the struggle continues to plug the Gulf of Mexico oil leak, people plan to gather on beaches across B.C. this weekend to oppose offshore drilling.

Participants will be encouraged to join hands at noon on June 26 during events on English Bay, in Victoria, in Kelowna, and on Hornby Island.

“There is a message for people to wake up and see the damage that is being done and to say ”˜no,’” said Renee Lindstrom, an organizer.

The gatherings are connected to Hands Across the Sand, a global movement that launched in Florida just weeks before the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in April, triggering a devastating oil spill across the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Lindstrom said hundreds of Hands Across the Sand events are planned in more than 30 countries this weekend.

The Victoria resident described the rallies as non-political with an aim to spread hope.

“This is not replacing any of the environmental groups or the work that they’re doing,” she told the Straight today by phone.

A mother of two teenagers, Lindstrom stressed the need to protect B.C. waters, marine life, and coastal economic activity from potential environmental disasters.