Photos: Vancouver anti-prorogation protesters march to Victory Square

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      More than 1,000 protesters marched through the streets of downtown Vancouver on Saturday (January 23) to register their condemnation of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's prorogation of Parliament.

      Protesters gathered outside the Vancouver Art Gallery in early afternoon and then marched to a rally at Victory Square, where they heard from several speakers and chanted "Get back to work! Get back to work!"

      The demonstration was one of 50 held across Canada on the same day and orchestrated by a 200,000-member Facebook group called Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament.

      Speakers included Jason Gratl, vice president of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, and Shoni Field, a member of Fair Vote Canada's national council.

      Elected federal politicians from the Liberal and New Democratic parties, as well as Green party representatives, attended the protest.

      On December 30, 2009, Harper shut down Parliament until March 3.

      Video: Vancouver anti-prorogation protest calls on Stephen Harper to "get back to work"

      Photos by Stephen Hui


      Protest signs outside the Vancouver Art Gallery at the start of the march.


      Vancouver police escort the march.


      The march reaches Victory Square.


      NDP MP Libby Davies at the rally at Victory Square.


      Liberal MP Joyce Murray, candidate Wendy Yuan, and MP Hedy Fry.


      Shoni Field addresses the rally.


      Protest signs at the rally.


      MC Charles Demers speaks to the crowd.

      You can follow Stephen Hui on Twitter at twitter.com/stephenhui.

      Comments

      10 Comments

      thank you!

      Jan 23, 2010 at 10:33pm

      true patriots!

      Well done!

      Jan 24, 2010 at 3:51am

      Thank you, everyone, for showing up. For each of you there, there are a hundred others that share your righteous indignation at Harper's dirty tactics which subvert our democracy and betray his oath of office.

      pragprog

      Jan 24, 2010 at 7:07pm

      Yes oui Can-ada!

      Go Canada!

      Jan 24, 2010 at 11:32pm

      Forget about the Olympics, lets take Harper and those privileged brats out of power.

      Anise

      Jan 25, 2010 at 1:03am

      Everyone who came, and everyone who was there in spirit, we have shown great zeal in our opposition to Harper's undemocratic move to prorogue parliament. I'm going to continue writing my MP to voice my displeasure, and Harper will definitely be getting some mail and phone calls over the next few weeks.
      We need our democracy to work. In order to do that, parliament has to be open!

      RodSmelser

      Jan 25, 2010 at 12:09pm

      In Maple Ridge, B.C., a group of more than 50 people gathered on Saturday from 2pm to 3pm in front of the constituency office of Conservative MP Randy Kamp. There were people there from the Green, Liberal and New Democrat parties.

      While a crowd of 50 is not going to make the national TV news, it was large enough that Kamp's people had one of their helpers stationed across the street, perched on the front bumper of her car for over half an hour, taking dozens of pictures and texting away.

      The cost of organizing this protest? About $20 for felt pens and coloured paper, a good deal less than the Gov'ts multi-million dollar ad campaign promoting the "Economic Action Plan".

      At one point the megaphone was handed over to a young lady, about age ten, who had joined the group on her own. She wanted to know what to say, and a local Councillor suggested she should coin her own slogan, which she did:

      Canada Rules - Harper Drools!
      `
      Rod Smelser

      Lindsay Brown

      Jan 25, 2010 at 12:10pm

      Thank you to everyone who is standing up against the corruption; against Stephen Harper and his thugs!!

      dharmachick

      Jan 25, 2010 at 1:36pm

      So great to see so many different folk unified there - families with strollers, older citizens, members of the Conservative Party wearing party buttons, members of other parties respecting those Conservatives for marching, teens, radicals, not-so-radicals, perogy fans.... A good afternoon.

      glen p robbins

      Jan 26, 2010 at 7:10pm

      I have conducted dozens of federal public opinion polls--and invested plenty in research of federal politics--but as soon as I heard the announcement--I realized what a stupid mistake this was. To be successful in politics it is much better to have people rally around you and against a common enemy. Writing a political script that presents yourself as the common enemy -- with the premise of that position being NOT working -- when many cannot find work or are afraid of losing work--may go down in Canadian history as one of the dumbest political moves in a generation.

      Barb R

      Jan 30, 2010 at 11:48am

      Thank goodness for the bravery of these patriots!! How DARE Jean Chretien and his thugs prorogue FOUR TIMES. What was he trying to hide?! We the people DEMAND to know!! Let's not let him get away with it ....! Hmmm? Pardon me? You're talking about Stephen Harper? Oops, sorry. Never mind.