As anti-mandate convoys continued to protest across the country, COVID-19 protests continued in Whitehorse this weekend.
On Friday the Whitehorse United Church held a candlelit vigil calling for “civility in the current protests, and for healing of divisions in our society.”
“We respect the right of any Canadian to protest. We are asking for, and committing ourselves to, respectful discourse and action. We’ll be praying for a peaceful, respectful and honourable way forward in this country. We’ll stand together with light in our own hands, as a sign of our intent,” said minister Bev Brazier in the invite.
The gathering included no speeches or spoken prayers but did feature candle lighting, songs and signs calling for dialogue.
On Saturday afternoon, downtown Whitehorse sounded completely different with the sound of honking filling the air as weekend protests continued.
A long line of trucks and cars — decorated with flags, anti-mandate signs and the occasional gas canister — paraded from the Transportation Museum to downtown on Feb. 12.
Along the route, they passed a sizable counter-protest outside the courthouse before joining an enthusiastic crowd outside Shipyards Park.
Protesters have been gathering weekly since summer 2021, calling for an end to mandatory vaccine mandates, masking and other COVID-19 restrictions.
(Haley Ritchie)