{"id":5248,"date":"2020-12-19T23:55:26","date_gmt":"2020-12-20T04:55:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/?p=5248"},"modified":"2020-12-19T23:55:26","modified_gmt":"2020-12-20T04:55:26","slug":"5248","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/?p=5248","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Placard-waving protestors gather at key Penticton retail corridor intersection<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<figure><iframe><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Placard-waving demonstrators gathered on all four corners of \nthe busy South Main Street and Warren Avenue East intersection at noon \ntoday to protest what they feel are oppressive mask regulations and \ndwindling societal freedoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pentictonnow.com\/files\/files\/images\/20201219-209020.jpg\" alt=\"<who&gt;Photo Credit: NowMedia<\/who&gt;\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo Credit: NowMedia<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A\n demonstrator identifying himself as Bill Smith, of Rutland, estimated \nthe turnout at one point numbered 80. When PentictonNow arrived on the \nscene at 1 pm, we saw approximately 40.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure><iframe allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure><iframe src=\"about:blank\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The rally had a scheduled 2 pm end point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pentictonnow.com\/files\/files\/images\/20201219-209010.jpg\" alt=\"<who&gt;Photo Credit: NowMedia<\/who&gt;\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo Credit: NowMedia<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The\n event seemed peaceful, with demonstrators waving their hand-designed \nposters at passing cars, and numerous drivers honking in response &#8212; \nsome with a thumbs-up and a smile, others with far less favourable \none-finger salutes and scowls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pedestrian reactions were\n equally mixed. While some steered a wide berth around the occupied \nsections of sidewalk, others walked right through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pentictonnow.com\/files\/files\/images\/20201219-209016.jpg\" alt=\"<who&gt;Photo Credit: NowMedia<\/who&gt;\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo Credit: NowMedia<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\n did witness one unpleasant exchange, when an elderly pedestrian \ncomplained the sidewalk was too crowded and a demonstrator replied that \nthe group had the right to assemble. The volume of the conversation \nincreased in a quick back-and forth before the pedestrian moved on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re just trying to express our viewpoint peacefully, as is our right,&#8221; said protestor Cherise Clarke of Penticton.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I\n have a right to not wear a piece of cloth over my face that I feel \ndamages my health. I have a right to access services without being \ndiscriminated against for my beliefs. I don&#8217;t think masks work, and I \ndon&#8217;t think the threat of COVID is what it&#8217;s being portrayed as in the \nmedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pentictonnow.com\/files\/files\/images\/20201219-209012.jpg\" alt=\"<who&gt;Photo Credit: NowMedia<\/who&gt;\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo Credit: NowMedia<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;If\n fundamental freedoms are suspended in an emergency, where does that \nleave us? We&#8217;ll lose those fundamental freedoms so fast the pandemic \nwill be the least of our worries.&#8221; <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Smith, society is being deceived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I\n can&#8217;t live with myself letting people be deceived by international \nlobby groups who want to tear apart our societal norms. There is no \nevidence of a medical emergency. It&#8217;s a created disease panic \nmind-control operation that the government is doing.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pentictonnow.com\/files\/files\/images\/20201219-209021.jpg\" alt=\"<who&gt;Photo Credit: NowMedia<\/who&gt;\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo Credit: NowMedia<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Other\n protestors exhibited an obvious distaste for the media, calling it \n&#8220;leftist&#8221; and saying their treatment thus far has been &#8220;unfair.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I\n do want to say though,&#8221; added Clarke, &#8220;that we make an announcement \nwhenever we gather saying it&#8217;s a completely peaceful demonstration. No \nviolence, no yelling, no responding, no giving the finger back.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pentictonnow.com\/files\/files\/images\/20201219-209019.jpg\" alt=\"<who&gt;Photo Credit: NowMedia<\/who&gt;\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo Credit: NowMedia<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Asked if Penticton can expect more of the same in the coming weeks, Clarke was definitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Absolutely. Until we are safe at work and safe at travel without our fundamental freedoms being denied.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pentictonnow.com\/files\/files\/images\/20201219-209018.jpg\" alt=\"<who&gt;Photo Credit: NowMedia<\/who&gt;\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Photo Credit: NowMedia\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Placard-waving protestors gather at key Penticton retail corridor intersection Placard-waving demonstrators gathered on all four corners of the busy South Main Street and Warren Avenue East intersection at noon today to protest what they feel are oppressive mask regulations and &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/?p=5248\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2788,2787],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5248"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5248"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5249,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5248\/revisions\/5249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cafe.nfshost.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}