Removal of ‘Keep the RCMP in Surrey’ sign by city worker ‘unacceptable’: city councillor
Posted June 11, 2020 2:07 pm.
Last Updated June 11, 2020 7:01 pm.
SURREY (NEWS 1130) — After a city worker removed a “Keep the RCMP in Surrey” sign from someone’s lawn, one councillor argues staff have better things to do.
The picture is circulating on social media showing a city worker tossing that sign into the back of his truck.
Coun. Linda Annis. says people have the right to free expression.
Who ordered pro-RCMP signs to be confiscated? Feels like petty politics and anti-free speech. What a waste of staff time. We need a police referendum! pic.twitter.com/4qCusBXg4w
— Linda Annis (@LindaAnnisBC) June 11, 2020
“Clearly, it’s just petty politics and there’s no room for this here. We all live in a free country. We all value our freedom of speech and we should all be able to voice our opinions on this transition,” she says.
Annis explains many people in the community are unhappy about the plan to get rid of the RCMP and create a new police force next year.
“City workers are there to do a job. They’re not to get involved in political maneuvers. This is clearly not acceptable to me.”
In a statement, the city says workers were simply enforcing bylaws related to unauthorized signs.
Annis still says it’s wrong, even if the sign was on the border of public and private property.
“I don’t think any city worker should be given instructions to bring out the measuring tape to see how close it is to city property. If it’s within inches, or a foot or two it should not be removed. They have better things to do.”
She says people who put them up on their properties should be given the benefit of the doubt.
