The Victoria Police Department is changing its response to a weekly pro-Palestinian rally.
The department says that after more than two years of deploying officers to maintain public safety during these demonstrations, they are implementing the change to protect the health and well-being of its officers while upholding the right to peaceful assembly.
According to the department, more than 10,000 hours of officer time have been dedicated to managing these events, which have been taking place for 126 weeks.
It says that maintaining this level of service is no longer sustainable and that, as of April 4, officers will no longer provide traffic control or other related police resources for the street portion of the demonstration.
“We are responding daily to the highest calls for service per member in British Columbia,” Victoria police Chief Const. Fiona Wilson said. “Integrated teams, ongoing investigations, traffic safety and community-based policing priorities. We must ensure that our resources are aligned with our broader and ongoing demands.”
She said the decision announced on Wednesday is a thoughtful and necessary measure to ensure that police can continue to deliver effective and responsive policing in Victoria.
Insp. Conor King said they have informed key community partners, including representatives from the City of Victoria, the Muslim and Jewish community leadership, and demonstration organizers.
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Starting this Saturday, officers will begin sharing information with protest participants and businesses.
“Over the last several weeks and in the weeks ahead, we will continue to prioritize increased patrols and support for places of worship, in light of the ongoing geopolitical unrest,” King said.
“We will also continue to monitor ongoing safety concerns and assess demonstration activity as it evolves.”
King said the Victoria Police Department is committed to protecting the right to peaceful assembly, but they are urging participants not to march on roadways due to safety risks.
“Individuals that choose to enter the roadway do so at their own risk,” he added.
King said the pro-Palestinian rally is unique in that it has been ongoing for 126 weeks and does not stay in one location.
“VicPD will assess what these protests look like in the future, with an eye to policing and cooperation with the legislative officers on the grounds of the legislature as required,” he added.
King said this move is not about saving the Victoria Police Department money; it is about making sure officers have time off and do not burn out.
“This is 100 per cent an officer wellness decision,” he added.
At the press conference on Wednesday, Maureen Stone, the media liaison for the group Coast Salish to Palestine, which participates in the weekly rally, said the group has never requested any police presence at their rallies.
“We wanted to be clear that we have never asked for, it has been presented that (there are) these large costs, and we never asked for it,” she said.
“We were our own group that set up safety marshals to keep us safe and the police came to every rally without our request.”
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