About 150 protesters taking part in the Occupy Vancouver movement took to the streets Saturday, stopping in front of four downtown banks that police say were not damaged in any way.
The march lasted about two hours, beginning with a stop at the RBC Bank at Burrard and Georgia streets, where some participants said they wanted to close their accounts in protest.
The branch was closed, and much of the crowd moved on – though some remained in the street, briefly blocking traffic at the busy intersection.
Saturday marked the seventh day of the sit-in protest, which suffered through difficult weather in recent days that soaked many of those camping out in tents behind the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Weather has caused the number of protesters to fluctuate, but crowds returned in full force Saturday to hear Canadian icon David Suzuki address the international phenomenon fueled by outrage over financial inequality and corporate greed.
"Let's take back the agenda. We want democracy for people, not corporations," Suzuki said.
Critics say they're skeptical the Canadian protests will last because the country isn't experiencing the same financial hardships and unemployment rates of the U.S. and Europe.
But dozens in Vancouver have at least demonstrated a willingness to battle the elements, hoisting their tents onto wood pallets and setting up tarps at the protest site. On Friday, some of the soggy protesters also dug trenches at the art gallery to help drain water onto the street.
Const. Jana McGuinness says Saturday's protests were peaceful, and no arrests were made.
Police will continue to update businesses surrounding the protest site of planned marches and traffic disruptions, she added.
Vancouver and its police force confirmed this week they had spent more than $500,000 keeping a watch on protesters, but said the daily cost has drastically decreased.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Nafeesa Karim
