SURREY, B.C. — A man ran towards Conservative Leader Stephen Harper during a rally in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday evening and was grabbed by RCMP officers before being taken away.
The incident came minutes after another protester at the Conservative event attended by many members of the South Asian community stood up with a sign reading “Climate Justice” before being taken away.
Members of the RCMP grab a protester during a campaign event for Conservative leader Stephen Harper in Surrey, B.C. on Thursday.
A third person who stood up to shout was also taken out of the hall where about 300 people were attending the speech by Harper.
Harper was in the midst of a speech he has given multiple times this week, suggesting opposition parties would pose risks to the economy with deficits and overspending if elected.
The man ran towards Harper just as he was saying the Liberals and NDP would harm the economy.
“They (the Liberals and the NDP) would significantly raise those risks friends,” he said, as the man bolted across the open circle at the centre of the gathering.
“A lot more than that,” Harper added calmly as the man was taken away and detained.
When another protester interrupted, Harper said, “let me finish,” and seconds later the woman was ejected.
“Friends you know they’re worried when they don’t come to their rallies and they come to ours instead,” Harper said as the woman was led out.
A group that opposed continued expansion of the Alberta oil sands issued a news release later in the evening saying their members had attended the event and one member was detained by police.
The release from 350Vancouver.org said they had attended, “to demand real climate action and express their concerns about the climate impacts of tar sands expansion.”
The group also said they are opposed to the proposed Kinder Morgan and Enbridge pipelines.
“Local organizers have pledged to continue organizing to stop tar sands from passing through Burnaby, Coquitlam or Langley, or through the newly proposed route through Surrey and Delta,” said the release.
By Canadian Press
