Palestine Solidarity Activists Attempt to Disrupt Throne Speech at Legislature

Dozens of activists staged a die-in at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia in Victoria ahead of the Speech for the Throne, preventing the ceremonial entrance via the main gate, in support of a fellow on a hunger strike until the government divests from Israeli interests.

About sixty of us claimed the front stairs as early as 8:30 this morning. I expected the police to await us on the Legislature precincts, but they wouldn’t show up until 12:30, and only dispatched a total of eight officers. Protective services were in full alert, however, generating predictable tensions. Early on, one officer refused to identify himself upon request and put on a respirator to prevent his picture being taken. Eventually he would come back escorted by a colleague (presumably his superior), the both of whom then introducing themselves properly. This incident would set the tone for the rest of the event, however.

Originally the protesters had meant to cover every entrance to the building, but lacked the numbers so concentrated their efforts on the front entrance instead. It is said that VicPD respectfully requested the crowd relocate ahead of the traditional main gate entrance ceremony, but the organisers likewise respectfully declined. Varying numbers would instead hold the ground throughout the day, until the beginning of the Speech for the Throne at 2PM.

An emcee would routinely read Emily’s demands to passing MLAs and staff members crossing the stage to the front door, usually to be ignored, to the dismay and jeers of fellow demonstrators. A few have been nice enough to approach the crowd, but none have shown any support. Reception from passersby was in contrast largely positive, although we had a hostile encounter with a disturbed man rambling that our side somehow “raped and killed children,” which is most likely a grotesque distortion of debunked propaganda, and that we “should all be put in jail.”

We were 85 at peak attendance, at around 2PM, when Emily herself took the megaphone to state her demands, starting of course with a formal ceasefire call (which the BC NDP calls for but the government it leads has not yet acted upon), followed by blanket divestment from Israeli interests, putting pressure on the federal government to alter its own foreign policy, and offering support for Palestinians seeking refuge in the province.

Then the crowd marched around the building, looking for locations from which its calls could be heard from the inside. While I am not aware the tactic was successful in reaching into the legislative chamber, Rob Shaw from CHEK News posted footage of the protest from a window on the second floor. Not shown on the clip was a hilarious moment when an employee tied a pointless sign reading “No entry permitted” to a cordon nobody would cross anyway, if only for already being held by four officers.

UPDATE 2024/02/22: I heard from Emily that multiple sources, including journalists and sympathisers watching the live stream, attest the shouts could indeed be heard from within the legislative chamber during the speech; the recording was edited prior to release. I cannot independently confirm these claims.

At some point there was an awkward exchange between a protester and a security guard, the former who professed the Palestinian’s right of return, only for the latter to reply: “This sounds racist to me.” Such remarks are common from people claiming reverse racism, as a way of preemptively deflecting accusations away from the speaker. While I have conceded as of late that VicPD has learned a few lessons in policing protests, I dare say the Legislature’s protective services are in urgent need of retraining its agents and having an internal discussion pertaining to human rights and racial prejudice.

Although the media did show up and took notice of the action, actual coverage is scarce and superficial. Drawing public attention toward the protests in town has proven frustratingly difficult in the past few months, which is unsurprising amid repeated claims of bias and censorship within editorial boards, a phenomenon which is far from recent. Demonstrators may need to ratchet up the disruption, lest Emily die of starvation ten times over without even getting acknowledged.