Environmental activist David Suzuki equates truckers to anarchists during anti-old growth logging rally in Victoria

Drea Humphrey
  |   February 27, 2023

Hundreds gathered in front of the provincial legislature in Victoria, British Columbia on Saturday to attend the “United We Stand for Old Growth Forests! Declaration, March, and Super-Rally” event, which included a surprise performance from musician Neil Young.

While the demonstration was peaceful, David Suzuki, an environmental activist known for using violent rhetoric about pipelines being bombed, also took the stage and used his invitation to speak as an opportunity to lambaste truckers, “anti-vaxxers,” and pro-freedom activists.

“Go down to the corners in Vancouver now, there are signs, ‘Recall David Eby,’ have you seen that?” Suzuki asked the crowd. “It’s a legacy of the truckers, the anti-vax movement, all of this stuff, and when you confront them, it’s about freedom. Freedom without responsibility is not freedom. That’s anarchy and that’s a rejection of society,” Suzuki added.

Many in the crowd cheered in response to Suzuki’s divisive and seemingly out of place comments, considering the groups he labelled as anarchists focus on medical freedom as opposed to pro-logging activism. The “Recall David Eby” signs Suzuki referenced during his speech relate to a quickly-growing grassroots movement that has far from rejected societal democratic norms.

Instead of forming illegal blockades and throwing manure at the premier’s office like anti-old growth logging activists in B.C. have done, the activists behind the Recall David Eby campaign seek to use B.C.’s existing recall legislation to get rid of NDP Premier David Eby’s ability to sit in the legislative assembly by recalling his MLA seat.

The civil campaign against Eby was birthed out of the rushed passing of Bill 36, the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) under his leadership, in November of last year. The controversial bill is set to drastically change how health-care workers are regulated in the province, tighten up the government's control on how they can provide care, and could lead to imprisonment for medical professionals who dare to openly disagree with the new changes.

The bill is increasingly stirring up concerns amongst health-care professionals. Some have even told Rebel News that if the bill remains law, they will retire early or relocate to work in another province, in a time when British Columbia's health-care system is already critically short-staffed.

But even more ironic than Suzuki labelling everyday truckers, medical professionals and other concerned citizens seeking to recall David Eby as anarchists — is that he did so while speaking at a protest which had a “Anarchists' Network of Vancouver Island” flag hoisted up behind him.

If you appreciate that Rebel News brings you the other side of the story to contrast with the state-backed media's narrative, while people like David Suzuki use extreme labels to diminish citizens' concerns about medical freedoms, consider supporting our journalism by shopping at RebelNewsStore.com.

Drea Humphrey

B.C. Bureau Chief

Based in British Columbia, Drea Humphrey reports on Western Canada for Rebel News. Drea’s reporting is not afraid to challenge political correctness, or ask the tough questions that mainstream media tends to avoid.

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