Vancouver police were called to eleven separate protests this past weekend, with the city seeing a marked increase in demonstrations compared to previous years.There were multiple protests from the Iranian-Canadian community over the ongoing uprising against the government, along with protests in support of Palestine, support for Israel, a rally by the Ugandan community about the suspicious re-election of that nation's president, and anti-ICE demonstrations, just to name a few.To highlight just how rally-flooded Vancouver was this past weekend, at one point there were seven protests happening at the same time in the downtown core on Saturday.In a statement, Vancouver police say that around 6,000 people had engaged in protests the weekend previous, with this number thought to have been massively surpassed this weekend..According to CBC News, the police had initially estimated that over 9,000 people had shown up for protests on the weekend, but this number was raised to over 15,000 just on Sunday.This increase is as much a reflection of Vancouver’s diverse population as it is of the rise in global conflicts..Over 130 officers were deployed specifically to control and monitor the countless protests and rallies that occurred in Vancouver this past weekend. “Everyone has a right to gather lawfully and to peacefully express themselves,” said Vancouver Police Sgt. Steve Addison in the previously mentioned statement.“Our officers will have a visible presence at protests and gathering spots throughout the city to ensure everyone’s safety.”This increase in demonstrations has also highlighted the need for more funding due to a needed police presence at each of these events.The Vancouver Police Department has requested a $50 million increase to the police budget in 2026 as police services become more and more expensive.In 2024, the most recent year figures are available, the cost for policing protests was $2.9 million. It's expected this figure has risen astronomically since two years ago in conjunction with the rise in protests.
