VANCOUVER -- Vancouver police responded multiple emergency calls on Tuesday in what they called a "very busy" night.

Police received what they described as "high priority 911 calls" over a four-hour period, including one for a report of a firearm.

In the first call, police said they closed down one lane of traffic on the Lions Gate Bridge around 3:30 p.m. to conduct a search of the water related to a police incident on the bridge. Officers responded to the bridge and the VPD Marine Unit assisted from the water.

A few hours later, a small group of protesters shut down the intersection of Main and Hastings streets to traffic. The group managed to halt traffic for about an hour starting around 5:30 p.m.

"VPD officers monitored the protest to ensure the safety of the protestors and the public," police said in a news release.

Officers were called to Expo Boulevard and Griffiths Way around 6:30 p.m. for a report of a man seen putting a gun into a backpack.

"Multiple police resources, including the emergency response team, were dispatched to respond," police said. "Officers located the man and recovered a replica Smith and Wesson handgun with clip, which the owner relinquished."

Around 7 p.m., police received a report of an assault involving one suspect and two victims near East Broadway and St. George Street.

"Police arrived on scene very quickly and arrested a 40-year-old Vancouver resident for assault," police said. "The two people attacked were rushed to hospital with serious injuries." The victims have since been released and the suspect remains in custody. He may face charges of assault and impaired driving, police said.

"We have been letting people know over the course of the pandemic that our calls for service are down," said Sgt. Aaron Roed, who emphasized, however,  that the VPD's high priority calls have not decreased as the city deals with COVID-19. "They have sustained through the pandemic, but we want people to know that our officers are out there. We are providing the same policing service and we are having to deal with the same emergency situations as before the pandemic."

Roed encouraged anyone who notices any suspicious or criminal activity to continue to call 911.

"We will be there to provide the public safety that we always have," he said.