Planned protest over Penticton winter shelter gathers attention of local RCMP

A planned protest in Penticton on Friday afternoon has caught the attention of local police.

Earlier this week, city council in Penticton soundly rejected a request from BC Housing to keep a controversial winter shelter open for another year.

The 42-bed shelter, located at 352 Winnipeg St., was only given a temporary permit, which will expire on April 1st.

When council rejected BC Housing’s request to keep the shelter open until March 2022, it sparked immediate responses from the province and the local community, including a protest rally for Friday afternoon.

The rally is planned for 2 p.m., at Gyro Park.

“Please join us in taking a stand against the decision city council made to not extend this vital service in our community,” organizers wrote on a Facebook page promoting the rally.

“Bring down your tent and set it up in the park. Let’s show city council what the result of their decision will look like come April 1st.”

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On Thursday, though, Penticton RCMP issued a public-gathering warning, stating they are aware of the planned protest.

“The RCMP will enforce the public health orders in effect related to the Provincial Protective Measures Order,” police said in a press release.

“This may result in fines being issued against organizers and attendees of non-compliant gatherings.”

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“The Penticton RCMP supports everyone’s right to peacefully and lawfully protest. We take an impartial stance on the motivations for this event,” added Const. James Grandy.

“However, we’re reminding the organizers, and potential attendees, of the current public health orders in effect.

“These orders, which are aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19, explicitly prohibit organized gatherings of any scale, such as the one being promoted this weekend. Our officers have a duty to enforce these laws.”

In an email to Global News, Grandy said the main concern about this event is that it’s being heavily promoted with “little, to no mention that such gatherings are against the current provincial laws.”

Grandy also said organizers are encouraging people to bring tents to the rally, which “is of increased concern for COVID-19 spread.”

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