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Opinion: Awful anti-vaxxer vandalizes Burnaby MLA’s office. This is out of control

Vandalism followed protest on Wednesday
vandalism katrina chen mla
Burnaby-Lougheed MLA Katrina Chen announced on Twitter that the window of her constituency office had been vandalized.

The terrible behaviour of anti-vaxxers that we saw on Wednesday when they blocked the path of an ambulance and cancer patients in front of Vancouver General Hospital has spread into Burnaby with a despicable act of vandalism.

Burnaby-Lougheed MLA Katrina Chen announced on Twitter that the window of her constituency office had been vandalized. The words “no passport ever” were smeared on the window, referring to the upcoming B.C. rule that will restrict some activities of unvaccinated residents, like going to a movie.

This is out of control. How long until this conspiracy theorists start physically attacking people?

I get that people who refuse to get vaccinated – despite the well-documented health benefits – are feeling whiny because they won’t be able to do everything they want to do, but committing acts of vandalism is a ridiculous way to protest.

“Getting vaccinated is a choice,” Chen tweeted. “A choice to protect yourself, your loved ones and our community together. This is your choice - you can make it a positive one.”

These anti-vaxxers also disrespected our health-care workers in a heinous way with their protests, which have backfired on them by rallying B.C. residents to support restrictions even more. No way Premier John Horgan backs down from this. 

For one health-care worker, Wednesday's protests felt cruel.

Kari Way took to Facebook to state that while the demonstrators had the right to protest, choosing a hospital had a series of heartbreaking consequences on patients and staff. 

"Overall, in addition to, hopefully unintentionally, disturbing patients and families trying to survive and heal from illnesses - both [COVID-19] and non-[COVID-19] - you have accomplished another thing," she wrote. 

"You have made us feel deeply disrespected."

Way added that the protest made some staff, as well as critically ill patients and grieving family members, cry.

Good work, people. Hope it was worth it.

  • With additional reporting by Elana Shepert, Vancouver is Awesome

Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44