Trial gets underway for repeat Kelowna COVID-19 protester

A Kelowna man who made national headlines and earned widespread condemnation two years ago when video footage of him unleashing a racist tirade at a South Asian security guard went viral, is now on trial for his actions that day.

Bruce Orydzuk will be in a Kelowna courtroom for the next three days on the charge of causing a disturbance. The allegation relates to his behaviour outside a community COVID-19 vaccination clinic on July 13, 2021, during the height of the pandemic.

2:21 ‘Freedom rallies’ will continue in Kelowna without permits, says organizer

At that time, Orydzuk was one of the more vocal anti-vaccine, anti-mask protesters in the Central Okanagan, appearing front and centre at a number of rallies and events.

His political leanings, however, are not the focus of the trial, Crown counsel Kevin Short told the court.

“The Crown’s case is focused on the conduct of Mr. Oryzduk, not the conduct of any colleagues that he may have had at that date and time, or what the underlying purpose was of the assembly there,” Short said.

Specifically, Short said, the Crown’s case will look at whether Orydzuk was in or near a public place when he used insulting and obscene language and whether his behavior “crossed a line” from communicating to causing a disturbance.

1:56 Head organizer for Kelowna freedom rallies back in court

Short said he is expecting to bring eight witnesses forward to make his case during the trial.

The first three include a nurse who was working at the clinic, a reporter who filmed Orydzuk as he shouted at the security guard, and the security guard himself.

Orydzuk is representing himself in the case and told the court he was not anticipating testifying. Whether he is calling on other witnesses is not yet known.

In addition to that episode, Orydzuk was also charged with “uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm” after he verbally attacked a Global TV reporter in August 2021 at a different anti-vaccine gathering. That charge was stayed.

For the duration of his trial, Oryzduk has asked Linda Jackson to take notes. She is also facing charges for protests and actions in connection with pandemic-related precautions.

In April, she was charged with one count of “disturbing order or solemnity of a meeting,” after she had allegedly disrupted an informal Remembrance Day ceremony at Kelowna’s Cenotaph in November 2021.