Vancouver police investigating assaults at trans rights rally
Vancouver police say they believe at least two people were assaulted at a trans rights rally Friday, and they have launched an investigation.
The assaults happened during "violent confrontations" between rally-goers and a group of counter-protesters in Grandview Park, the Vancouver Police Department said in a news release Saturday.
Between 75 and 100 people had gathered in the park, according to police. The rally was being held to mark International Transgender Day of Visibility.
"Detectives from VPD’s Robbery, Assault and Arson Unit have been assigned to conduct a full investigation, which will include a review of bystander video, eyewitness accounts, and victim statements," police said in their release.
"The investigation will consider all of the circumstances surrounding the incidents."
Police said they believe there may be additional witnesses who haven't spoken to investigators, "as well as a bystander video that may show different perspectives of what occurred."
The VPD also shared "parts of video and images posted online by a victim," saying it hopes more people who witnessed the altercations will come forward with information.
Those with information about the assaults are asked to call 604-717-2541, police said.
In one of the videos, a person holding trans and Pride flags screams profanity at the victim before punching them.
In the other, the assailant is wearing a camouflage hoodie and pushes the victim to the ground.
Police did not identify either the victims or the suspects in Friday's incidents, writing in their release that they "do not have the authority" to identify victims or release names of suspects who have not been charged.
An activist who goes by the moniker Billboard Chris has identified himself as one of the assault victims, and has been posting videos of the incident and the police response to it since it occurred.
His website focuses on his opposition to the use of puberty blockers to treat children with gender dysphoria and claims children are being "indoctrinated" into believing they were born in the wrong bodies.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.
Student anti-war protesters dig in as faculties condemn university leadership over calling police
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Hamas is reviewing an Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as possible Rafah offensive looms
Hamas said Saturday it was reviewing a new Israeli proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, as Egypt intensified efforts to broker a deal to end the months-long war and stave off a possible Israeli ground offensive into the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
'The world is too messy for bureaucratic hurdles': Canada still bars Afghanistan aid
Ottawa has plans to finally stop blocking Canadian development aid to Afghanistan this year.
Harvey Weinstein due back in court, while a key witness weighs whether to testify at a retrial
Harvey Weinstein will appear in a New York City court next week, the first step in potentially retrying the film mogul after his 2020 rape conviction was overturned.