Protesters deface statue of Queen Victoria at B.C. legislature
A group of protesters vandalized a statue of Queen Victoria at the B.C. legislature on Friday.
Protesters splashed cans of red paint on the statue and used red spray paint to scrawl the words “Land Back” on the statue’s podium.
The paint was also poured into a fountain on the legislature grounds.
The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. when hundreds of protesters converged on the legislature to voice opposition to the logging of old-growth forests in British Columbia.
The organizers of Friday's rally told CTV News they do not condone the vandalism and feel betrayed by those who defaced the statue.
Victoria police are asking any witnesses of the incident to come forward.
"Safe, peaceful and lawful protest is permitted under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Vandalism is not," said the police department in a release Friday.
It was the second straight day of protests against old-growth logging at the B.C. legislature after a group of seniors descended on the legislature grounds Thursday, shutting down a street in the area.
It’s not the first time this year that a royal likeness was vandalized in Victoria.
In February, a bust of Queen Elizabeth II in Beacon Hill Park was decapitated in the midst of a citywide vandalism spree.
The Beacon Hill bust was created to commemorate the royal visit to Victoria in 1959.
Anyone with information on Friday's incident is asked to call Victoria police at 250-995-7654 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Iran's judiciary confirms rapper Toomaj Salehi death sentence
Iran's judiciary confirmed the death sentence of well-known Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi but added that he is entitled to a sentence reduction, state media reported on Thursday.