On Monday, A gathering occurred outside British Columbia Health Minister Adrian Dix’s office on Kingsway in Vancouver. The assembly aimed to advocate for reintroducing mask mandates within healthcare settings. However, the event took a tumultuous turn as protestors arrived.
The situation evolved into a violent altercation after things got heated between pro-maskers and anti-maskers. Video footage of the incident shows an older man named Rob (an anti-masker) holding signs. It also showed supporters of the mandate pushing Rob to the ground and pulling his hair.
A fight broke out at a Vancouver, Canada protest demanding the return of Covid masking. pic.twitter.com/wNrC50AC7x
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) August 29, 2023
In the midst of this altercation one of the supporters cursed at Rob and accused him of assaulting another individual. Ultimately Rob’s signs were ripped from his hands and the individual who took them ran away.
The circumstances that caused the altercation remain unclear based solely on the video footage. It appears that these individuals couldn’t handle someone opposing the mask mandates. Rob expressed his resistance to reinstating these restrictive and unconstitutional mandates.
He asserted, “I’ve never worn a mask, and I will continue not to wear a mask.” Do No Harm, a nonpartisan action group in British Columbia, put together the event. They advocate for evidence-based safety protocols.
An image shared by the group on social media platform X showed Rob in a peaceful stance among the crowd before the altercation. He holds a sign that says, “CBC is gov funded media.” The reverse side said, “Bonnie Henry is a liar.”
British Columbia rescinded its universal mask mandate in healthcare settings on April 6. Regulations stipulate the need for face coverings in high-risk areas like interactions with cancer patients. The mask mandates are stirring up quite a bit of controversy just like they did the first time they were imposed on us.
Several places across the U.S. have reportedly seen a slight increase in COVID-19 cases and the emergence of two new variants. The World Health Organization previously labeled EG.5 as a variant of interest. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said BA.2.86 was also detected.
