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Park Board Continues anti-cannabis campaign after 420

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The Vancouver Park Board continued its campaign against the 420 Vancouver protest, closing the fields at Sunset Beach the day after the protest. Originally, the park board said it could take up to 10 weeks (two and a half months!) before the park was reopened to the public, but in a statement on Apr. 23, the park board said the park would likely reopen in 6 weeks.

While this is great news for anyone who uses the park, it can also be seen as the park board’s tacit acknowledgement that yes, perhaps 10 weeks was a little hyperbolic.

Classic Fearmongering by Vancouver Park Board

In addition the update on when the park will reopen, the park board also explained its reasoning for fencing off parts of Sunset Beach in the first place, saying the fencing was a protective measure- particularly for the damaged field, children, and dogs.

But why dogs and children? Well, according to the park board’s statement, there are

“objects such as glass and discarded edibles on the field that posed a danger to the public.”

Funny that the City is so concerned about the “dangers” of edibles on the ground, yet having to do a quick check for needles before using some fields in Vancouver is standard procedure for many of the city’s rec leagues.

And what did the Park Board mean when referring to “glass”? It’s very doubtful that the fields would be covered in broken glass, which is what the park board is seeming to imply in an attempt to stoke anti-cannabis sentiment- unless people accidentally broke their bongs and glassware to the point it became a safety issue. That’s highly unlikely though.

Besides, a group of people peacefully smoking cannabis together is a far cry from the bottle-smashing rowdiness of the drunk crowds that come to the same area for the annual fireworks, and it seems like the board wants to paint the 420 protest with a similar brush to try to win over the public.

So much canna-bias from the park board and mainstream media

When the park board announced the Sunset Beach closures on social media, it was accompanied by pictures showing the supposed aftermath of the 420 protest.

But the park board did not post any pictures from before 420 to compare it to as the tweet below helpfully points out:

It also turns out that CBC used a picture of garbage from 2016’s 420 Vancouver protest as the featured image for their lead story on this year’s protest, which helps to promote a similarly biased anti-420 agenda, but it should be noted that CBC corrected this after being called out on social media by 420 organizers.

So what does the park really look like?

Luckily, 420 organizers had the foresight to take pictures of Sunset Beach in the days prior, rightfully anticipating the park boards’ anti cannabis tactics.

Rosy Mondin 🌱 (@rosymondin) April 21, 2018Here are some replacement photos you may use — of locals enjoying Sunset Beach today on April 21st 2018.

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