The mayor of Maple Ridge is concerned about a protest rally and march this weekend and has called the gathering illegal.
Mayor Mike Morden said the city along with the Ridge Meadows RCMP are aware of a planned gathering in Memorial Peace Park on Saturday.
However, he said, the group hasn’t obtained the proper permit from the city.
“It is appropriate for the group to contact the city and go through our local permit process, just like anyone else would be expected to follow,” said Morden, explaining that it’s the law.
“And given the group hasn’t procured a permit the gathering is not legal and public safety is important for all,” he noted.
A poster for the event titled “Strong and Free” was circulating online on Friday.
The event is being called a Freedom Rally and March to end mandates.
But it is unclear who is organizing the Jan. 29 event.
Back in November, however, a group of about 200 people marched through Maple Ridge before gathering at Memorial Peace Park to protest vaccine passports and call for an end to COVID-19 mandates.
The group Action4Canada were the organizers behind that march that also saw police standing by the entrance to city hall, making sure those taking part didn’t enter the building.
The same group was behind an anti-vaccine protest around Webster’s Corners elementary on Oct. 26, where a group of about 20 people were handing out information sheets about the HPV vaccine to parents who were dropping off their children for class.
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Morden is hoping the protest will be peaceful.
“Not to diminish the right to protest, but I’d expect the group to respect the law while conducting a protest or exercise any other right under democracy but do so with respect and lawfully,” he said.
The rally is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. in Memorial Peace Park, downtown Maple Ridge.
• The News reached out to the Ridge Meadows RCMP for comments but have not heard back as of yet.
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