Protest against anti-Asian racism leads to confrontations at Richmond court
Anti-racism protesters rallying outside Richmond provincial court on Wednesday ended up in tense confrontations with two different people, both of which were caught on camera.
In one incident, protesters can be seen shouting at a woman entering the building. The woman then came back out, and videos of the altercation show her shouting and swinging her bag at the protesters and camera operators.
Multiple protesters have contacted CTV News Vancouver to say that the woman was a passerby. They allege that she started the confrontation by smashing protesters' signs near the street before entering the building, and became violent when the demonstrators attempted to ask why she had done so.
In the other incident, a man seen leaving the building gets into a lengthy argument with protesters while television cameras are recording.
The man tells the protesters that Chinese people brought COVID-19 to Canada, and goes on to express opposition to immigration from China.
"Do you like French food?" He asks the demonstrators. "Do you like Vietnamese food? You like all foods? You have no preferences? I have preferences. I prefer to have English or French or German than Chinese in this country."
The protesters identified themselves as members of Stop Anti-Asian Hate Crimes advocacy group, which has organized rallies against anti-Asian racism around Richmond in recent months.
Wednesday's gathering was the second the group has held outside the city's courthouse during court appearances by people charged with mischief in an incident at a coffee shop in the city in March.
Police were called to Rocanini Coffee Roasters in the city's Steveston neighbourhood after the manager reported an alleged assault on March 29, according to Richmond RCMP.
Staff said two customers came in, ignored COVID-19 protocols and then became agitated after being asked to move tables. Surveillance video captured drinks being poured on the floor and an object being thrown as a couple was leaving the coffee shop.
Authorities were told racial slurs were uttered during the incident as well.
Ivan Pak, a spokesperson for the Stop Anti-Asian Hate Crimes group, told reporters Wednesday's gathering was intended to send a message that there's no place for hate and racism in Richmond.
"It's a very important message to the community, that hate-crime-related incidents have consequences," Pak said.
While neither the man nor the woman who confronted protesters on Wednesday said their name on camera, the man appears to reference the Rocanini incident during his shouting match with the protesters.
"We took some coffee and we threw it on the floor," he says. "That's our crime … That's got nothing to do with Chinese. That's not racist."
When protesters shout back their allegations of racist remarks made during the incident, the man responds by arguing that his expressed "preference" for non-Chinese people is part of his right to freedom of expression.
"We're not in China," he says. "This is Canada. We have free speech. If we don't like Chinese, we can say it. And I don't like Chinese. And I say it."
Astrid Maria Secreve and Michel Jean-Jacque Berthiaume are each charged with one count of mischief in connection to the March incident in Steveston.
Richmond RCMP initially recommended a mischief charge against one suspect at the beginning of May, prompting outcry from the Stop Anti-Asian Hate Crimes advocacy group.
The group launched an online petition calling for additional charges of inciting hatred and assault in connection with the incident. No such charges have been laid.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women in Winnipeg, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.