Written by: Paige Riding, News Writer

“Make Orwell Fiction Again,” read a tweet under the #EndtheLockdown hashtag on Twitter, a trend created by individuals protesting the current government orders regarding COVID-19. 

In the Vancouver area beginning in April 2020, participants gathered and rallied against the pandemic countermeasures around the city, claiming that the measures will devastate the economy and cause more harm than good. On multiple occasions in the past month, Vancouverites took to the streets with posters and chants. 

The protestors took to social media platforms, using the #EndtheLockdown hashtag to speak against the COVID-19 procedures currently in place across Canada.

“If residents are concerned tell them to stay at home, stay 2m from people, and be sure to wear a mask. Whatever becomes of the COVID-19 it will be remembered that there were at least a few brave people in Vancouver willing to stand up to medical tyranny. #EndtheLockdown,” wrote a Tweet from @AlexanderTheNo7.

On May 3, a group of around 100 individuals including children joined together to march the streets, beginning at Science World and walking to the Costco on Expo Boulevard. 

“Wake up!” chanted the crowd. Another video of this day’s protest showed the crowd saying  “Trudeau has got to go!” along with other group chants.

“Open the schools. I want to see my friends to hug them and play,” read the sign held by a child amid the group.

Interestingly, many members of the group wore cloth masks over their noses and mouths. 

Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson, a candidate for the People’s Party of Canada in the 2019 elections, posted a video to her YouTube account of her interviewing protestors outside of Science World.

When asked why the individual, named Greg, showed up, they responded, “I’m here for every Canadian to try to protect their sovereignty, whether they understand it or not.

“It’s not just what’s happening in the immediate,” the protester continued. “The immediate you can sort of justify or have reason with, but it’s where that leads you to that you really need to understand. So what’s going on in this country? Well, financially, they’re destroying the value of our currency [ . . . ] When your savings are destroyed, you’ll realize what’s actually being done here. 

“We have a right to our rights,” said a second interviewee, also named Greg. “Let’s do some deep dives on where the real research is coming from. Find out for yourselves what’s really going on.”

The Vancouver Police Department will continue to monitor the protests of these groups and their gatherings will not be stopped as long as they remain peaceful.