Surrey RCMP preemptively shut down drive-in rally supporting Indian farmers

SURREY (NEWS 1130) — A drive-in and park protest supporting farmers in India was shut down by Surrey RCMP before it started Saturday, with officers citing COVID-19 concerns.

Insp. Dale Carr says Mounties had to be proactive, confirming they preemptively broke up a planned rally in support of Indian farmers Saturday at the Cloverdale Recreation Center.

Carr says this is because they had reports of as many as 10,000 people were expected to attend.

“If there’s a gathering of 9,000 to 10,000 people, I’m certainly concerned and we were concerned about how would they manage to ensure that all those people were to remain in their vehicle.”

READ MORE: Organizer questions RCMP shutdown of Surrey rally supporting Indian farmers

This weekend’s demonstration included a number of speakers and performers who were lined up, according to Carr.

“It suggested to us that it was going to be more of a festival than a simple one-hour protest or two-hour protest, and that our gathering of that size is a concern to public safety — specifically centred around the COVID measures that are in place under the public health order,” he says.

RELATED: ‘We want to show solidarity’: Vancouver demonstration supports Indian farmers

In the past to make the rallies COVID-safe, volunteers have asked participates to stay in their cars and listen to the event on their radios.

Carr confirms volunteers and officers have had ongoing and consistent conversations around demonstrations.

“These organizers weren’t always on board with having a conversation with us, they were more focused on what their plan was. However, we today met with them at the site and had a lengthy conversation, and the event has otherwise been moved along,” he says.

RELATED: Massive convoy of supporters for farmers in India driving through Metro-Vancouver

Demonstrators concede they did not receive a permit for the gathering.

“Let me make this clear. First of all, the public health order says there’s to be no large gatherings, period. Now, we are not in a position to start to you know getting physical with people over protesting or over large gatherings,” Carr says.

“Our primary goal is education and compliance with the public health order. And if we can’t get education and compliance to be understood, then we have to take that final step — which we don’t want to do — and that’s enforcement.”

Those who were hoping to attend the Indian Farmers rally taking the protest instead outside the Green-Timbers RCMP detachment instead.

At issue in India are laws passed by the Indian government that farmers and their supporters say will leave them at a disadvantage in favour of large, corporate land-holders.

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