4 arrested during Extinction Rebellion 'die-in' at downtown Vancouver intersection
Four people were arrested at a "die-in" that blocked a downtown Vancouver intersection Saturday afternoon.
Vancouver police estimated that about 50 people took part in the Extinction Rebellion march to the intersection of Georgia and Burrard streets, where 13 people lay on the ground, blocking traffic.
Two men and two women were arrested for mischief, taken to jail and released pending a future court date, police said in a news release.
The protest was the first of 14 consecutive days of planned civil disobedience ahead of the COP26 climate change meetings in Scotland.
Extinction Rebellion Vancouver member Lauren Emberson told CTV News Vancouver the theme of the two weeks of protests is that Canada's government needs to stop subsidising the fossil fuel industry and do more to reduce the country's carbon emissions.
"This government, our government, is paying the fossil fuel industry $40 million a day in subsidies, and we say that that is not right," Emberson said. "We say that this industry is part of what's heading us towards climate catastrophe."
"We want them to end the subsidies now," she added. "That's the minimum that they can do."
The $40 million figure appears to be based on a report from the advocacy group Environmental Defence, which concluded that the federal government provided at least $18 billion to oil and gas companies in 2020.
Many of the subsidies listed in the report are intended to help with emissions reduction, environmental cleanup and other "green" initiatives, though others have no discernable climate-change-related purpose.
On Sunday, Extinction Rebellion plans to march down Commercial Drive and block traffic at the intersection of Commercial and Broadway.
Emberson said the disruptive protests are part of the tradition of nonviolent civil disobedience activists have employed for generations. From her perspective, less disruptive protests and activism have been unsuccessful.
"We're sorry for the disruption," Emberson said to those frustrated by the protests. "But this is the only way to change the system."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.
Woman, 18, killed by co-worker's vehicle on Highway 1 in Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw police say an 18-year-old woman who was at work has died from injuries she sustained in a collision with a vehicle being driven by her co-worker last Thursday.