A couple dozen people gathered outside the Cowichan Valley Citizen office in downtown Duncan on Wednesday afternoon, Sept. 8, waving signs and standing on the sidewalk for several hours.
It was one of a number of protests that continued this week across the province, as a segment of British Columbians object to measures enacted by the provincial government to fight the COVID-19 virus, including mask mandates and vaccine cards.
Protesters at the Citizen held signs saying things such as “Fake News”, “Stop Lies”, and “Freedom is the right to choose”.
A larger group gathered earlier this week outside of Cowichan District Hospital, as well as numerous other health care facilities in the province.
Premier John Horgan and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced new COVID-19 measures on Aug. 30, citing statistics that show 90 per cent of new coronavirus cases involve people who haven’t been fully vaccinated.
The vaccine card comes into effect with one dose being required for entry into many non-essential businesses including indoor ticketed events, bars and restaurants and fitness centres as of Sept. 13. As of Oct. 24, patrons will be required to be fully vaccinated.