Close X
Saturday, November 16, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. port terminal among sites blocked in co-ordinated pro-Palestinian protests

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 16 Apr, 2024 10:14 AM
  • B.C. port terminal among sites blocked in co-ordinated pro-Palestinian protests

A blockade by pro-Palestinian protesters at a major port terminal in Metro Vancouver disrupted operations for several hours before dispersing on Monday.

Terminal operator GCT Canada said the protesters' actions were illegal and stopped container trucks from accessing the Deltaport facility by blocking the Roberts Bank causeway for several hours. 

Photos and videos sent by the protesters, who called the event the "People's Picket for Palestine," showed demonstrators standing on the causeway, waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans such as "victory is very near" as they blocked traffic. 

"I am here today to say that the Canadian government and Canadian businesses, like GCT Deltaport, must take a stand and refuse to do business with Israel," protester Atiya Jaffar said in a statement.

The Port of Vancouver is the largest port in Canada, and GCT Deltaport is the country's largest container terminal with capacity to handle 2.4 million standard 20-foot containers every year.

GCT spokesman Marko Dekovic said the company was not warned of the blockade beforehand and did not know why Deltaport was targeted.

"There are two other terminals in Burrard Inlet, DP World Centerm and GCT Vanterm, as well as DP World Fraser Surrey that were not blockaded," Dekovic said in a written response.

Dekovic said Monday's blockade was at one point "severely impacting" the terminal's ability to operate but declined to discuss the port's recovery capabilities "as it may give the protesters other ideas on how to negatively impact the operation."

Trade and transport infrastructure experts say while the disruption from such a blockade is inconvenient for truckers stuck at the terminal gates, it is unlikely to cause serious backlogs. 

"The cargo in containers is not so perishable or valuable that a day’s delay makes a difference," said Simon Fraser University professor of urban studies Peter Hall. "A blockage needs to go on for a while before it has appreciable impact."

University of British Columbia Sauder school of business associate professor Werner Antweiler agreed that the impact of such a blockade should be limited, despite Deltaport seeing about eight trains and 3,500 trucks moving in and out every day based on a 2021 study.

But Antweiler said a bigger question may be on the possibility of similar disruptions from protest blockades in the future.

"Some provinces such as Alberta have adopted laws to protect critical infrastructure, B.C. hasn’t." he said in a written response. 

"Protest is a legal right, but a blockade is not. If the protest is deemed an illegal blockade that disturbs the peace, it could — and should — be removed."

The Delta Police Department said earlier that its officers were at the scene and had been working to restore use of the roadway. 

Protesters said in a statement that the demonstration was co-ordinated with protests around the world aimed at blocking "major choke points in the economy" to cause "the most economic impact."

Other protests on Monday included one in Chicago where pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked a freeway leading to three terminals at the city's O’Hare International Airport, temporarily stopping traffic into one of the world's busiest airports and causing headaches for travelers.

The B.C. protest contingent said more than 100 demonstrators participated in the blockade.

MORE National ARTICLES

Canadian evacuees tell of chaotic scenes in Maui wildfire 'war zone'

Canadian evacuees tell of chaotic scenes in Maui wildfire 'war zone'
Canadians returning from Maui have told of harrowing scenes during their escape from the fire-devastated Hawaiian island. Among the evacuees was British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Matthew Taylor who drove through the ruined town of Lahaina on Thursday and said it resembled a "war zone."

Canadian evacuees tell of chaotic scenes in Maui wildfire 'war zone'

BC midwives and Province agree on 3 year wage increasing agreement

BC midwives and Province agree on 3 year wage increasing agreement
The new deal includes a series of fee increases and measures that the province says will provide more supports for Indigenous midwifery. A vote among members of the Midwives Association of British Columbia on July 31 garnered 99 per cent support for the agreement, with 89 per cent of eligible association members taking part in the ballot.

BC midwives and Province agree on 3 year wage increasing agreement

Harjot Singh Samra wanted Canada wide

Harjot Singh Samra wanted Canada wide
Harjot Singh Samra, 27, was to report to his halfway house in Vancouver once he was released from prison yesterday, but failed to do so. Samra is 5’9″, weighs 252 pounds, and has a heavy build. He has brown/black hair with a balding hairline, and brown eyes. 

Harjot Singh Samra wanted Canada wide

Collision between fuel truck and train in northern Alberta

Collision between fuel truck and train in northern Alberta
Emergency crews are at the scene of a collision between a fuel truck and a train in northern Alberta. RCMP say its officers received a report of the collision on Highway 43, near the junction of Highway 32, in Whitecourt, which is located about 180 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.  

Collision between fuel truck and train in northern Alberta

Feds to provide wildfire update

Feds to provide wildfire update
Officials have already said Canada is experiencing its worst fire season on record, charring more than 130,000 square kilometres to date, which is more than six times the 10-year average. Natural Resources Canada said last week there were more than 650 fires burning across Canada, about two-thirds of them in B.C. 

Feds to provide wildfire update

Concrete actions must accompany diverse cabinet: Canada Research Chair

Concrete actions must accompany diverse cabinet: Canada Research Chair
An academic expert on inclusive politics says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's move last month to introduce more diversity into his cabinet won't have much effect unless it goes beyond surface-level representation. Trudeau added seven new faces to his governing team in July including the first Filipina Canadian woman MP and the first Sri Lankan Tamil to serve in cabinet.  

Concrete actions must accompany diverse cabinet: Canada Research Chair