'Rocks in their head': B.C. officials condemn traffic-disrupting protests

Officials are criticizing a series of traffic-disrupting protests disrupting Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island traffic, saying demonstrators don't have support from the public.

Members of Save Old Growth once again stopped traffic on a Metro Vancouver highway Tuesday, this time blocking the route to a ferry terminal.

At about 8 a.m. demonstrators with Save Old Growth blocked Highway 1 for traffic heading towards Horseshoe Bay.

The West Vancouver Police Department said three people glued their hands to the roadway and were arrested.

Traffic was flowing again in the area about 30 minutes later.

Members of the group said commuters can expect to see escalated action, after they took a break for six weeks to recruit and train more people. The group is calling for an end to logging of old growth forests in British Columbia through legislative changes.

On Monday, members temporarily halted traffic on the Second Narrows Bridge and for those heading south through the George Massey Tunnel. Another protest blocked a highway on Vancouver Island and access to the Swartz Bay ferry terminal.

"They might not like our tactics, but they want to save old growth," protester Sam Nguyen said Monday about the impacts the demonstrations are having on commuters.

"We've tried petitions, we've tried to talk to MLAs, it's been 30 years, nothing's happened … we don't want to be on the roads. We don't want to be stopping these people going to work."

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth praised police actions and told reporters Monday there was no tolerance for illegal behaviour. He went even further in criticizing the group.

"The public does not support what they're doing and if they think it does...they've got rocks in their head," Farnworth said.

A group of counter-protesters, called Clear the Road, accused Save Old Growth of holding commuters hostage in their demonstrations and plans to launch a class-action lawsuit against them.

“I’m very concerned that their actions are just going to escalate and escalate to the point that it is even more dangerous for commuters and for RCMP,” said Clear the Road organizer Tamara Meggit.

"Anybody who has been affected by these (protests), anybody who has lost shifts at work or anything like that, let us know your story. We are looking to document and a class action lawsuit will be in discussions with law firms."