Site C Dam protesters asked to move from BC Hydro front yard
Anti-dam protesters at the downtown office of BC Hydro have been asked to leave following nearly a month of occupation, and the hospitalization of hunger striker Kristin Henry.
Protesters were served a letter by BC Hydro on April 7, which stated that their “entry on [the] property is prohibited.” The letter was also accompanied by a small map that designated a protest area, which they could use between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
“We’re here for a protest so it’s preliminary stuff, because they’re beginning to realize that we’re being a thorn in their side, so to speak. They’re gonna try and remove people,” says Dan Wallace, a protestor at the site.
“We’ve been talking to the fire marshal pretty regularly, and we re-arrange the camp to make sure everything is accessible, just in case of an emergency,” he says. “It seems like a little power play between space and stuff like that.”
Wallace says the last time BC Hydro communicated with them was during the first few days of the protest, telling Kristin Henry to be cautious in staging a hunger strike. Henry has since been hospitalized and released, and said via a Facebook post that she would be taking time to recover.
“It’s growing through a consistent group of people, it’s slowly growing more and more,” says Wallace, referring to the size of the protest area.
The Runner was not allowed into the headquarters, nor was anyone from BC Hydro available for comment Thursday. An interview has since been arranged, and this article will be updated following comment from BC Hydro.
