Not clear who pulled the fire alarm during anti-SOGI event at UBC
Posted June 24, 2019 5:31 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Someone pulled the fire alarm at UBC last night during a presentation by a controversial speaker, but there was no emergency.
RELATED: Pride, prejudice, protests: LGBTQ still face discrimination on ‘progressive’ west coast
The alarm was pulled during a controversial presentation by Jenn Smith criticizing transgender rights and SOGI 123, an educational resource used in B.C. schools meant to protect LGBTQ students from bullying. Three people were arrested as protestors disrupted the event.
Vancouver Fire is confirming there was no good reason for the eight firefighters and two trucks to show up around 7 p.m. Sunday night, but punishment is out of their hands.
RELATED: Protests expected Sunday as event by controversial anti-SOGI speaker at UBC goes ahead
While RCMP could recommend a mischief charge for pulling the alarm, Vancouver’s bylaw to deter this kind of thing doesn’t apply since this happened on university lands, which are not within city limits.
Vancouver Fire says UBC could consider punishing the person responsible, if they are a student.
RELATED: Thousands of UBC staff call for cancellation of anti-SOGI event
The protests Sunday night followed requests for the presentation to be cancelled by an organization representing 5,000 UBC staff members and by the student club UBC Students Against Bigotry.
