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Thousands of Iranian Canadians and their supporters marched down Vancouver’s West Georgia Street in solidarity with protesters in Iran on Sunday.
It was one of at least 11 demonstrations that took place in the city over the weekend.
At one point on Saturday, there were about seven protests happening in the downtown core at the same time, say police.
One of those protests included Kurdish Canadians who gathered outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, calling for an end to violence against demonstrators in Iran.
Among those in attendance was Kozad Vizheh, a Kurdish Canadian based in Burnaby.
He said downtown Vancouver has become the natural place to voice their concerns.
“This is the heart of the city,” Vizheh said. “People hear our voice. Everyone is coming to the downtown.”
Vizheh said protesters understand the strain demonstrations can place on the city, but says people need to know about the injustices and violence that affects communities elsewhere.
“We will never disturb the people here and we will always obey the law to make all the protests safe and peaceful,” he said. “We know Vancouver is a democratic city and a democratic country. We appreciate people’s patience.”
Police deploy extra officers
Other protests in Vancouver included pro-Palestinian rallies, demonstrations of solidarity with Israel and protests over U.S. immigration enforcement.
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) says it deployed additional officers throughout the downtown core to manage demonstrations the demonstrations.
“Everyone has a right to gather lawfully and to peacefully express themselves,” said Sgt. Steve Addison in a statement. “Our officers will have a visible presence at protests and gathering spots throughout the city to ensure everyone’s safety.”
VPD said about 6,000 people protested at various locations the previous weekend and while most protests were peaceful, police say officers had to physically separate some groups outside the art gallery to prevent physical conflicts.
But the size and number of demonstrations increased this weekend. Police initially estimated about 9,000 people turned up at various rallies over the weekend, but later told CBC News that there were more than 15,000 on Sunday alone.
More than 130 officers were deployed for 11 planned protests.
Global affairs drive local demonstrations
Stewart Prest, a political scientist at the University of British Columbia says Vancouver is a diverse city, which is why global events often resonate locally.
“There are a number of very serious things happening around the world with clear implications for people living in Vancouver,” Prest said. “Anything that happens around the world will be personally relevant to some subset of the population here.”
Prest pointed to unrest in Iran, anti-ICE demonstrations in the U.S. and other international conflicts as drivers of increase in protest activity.
“In a democratic society such as Canada’s, having the opportunity to voice one’s opinion and to register protest is part of our rights as citizens and members of a free society.”
Who pays for policing protests?
But the growing frequency of protests comes with rising costs.
The total cost of policing protests in Vancouver was $2.9 million in 2024. Figures for 2025 weren’t available.
The Vancouver Police Board made a budget request of just over $497 million in 2026, a $50 million increase over 2025’s final budget.
A further $9 million is earmarked for “underfunded items,” including policing protests among other things.
But Prest said the burden of policing costs should not outweigh democratic rights.
“The cost of not having this far outstrips the financial costs of the right to protest.”
The Vancouver Police Department has the biggest budget in the city, but as Justin McElroy reports, while other departments are being asked to find cuts, the police board is asking council for a significant increase.
But former B.C. solicitor general and former police chief Kash Heed said Vancouver taxpayers are carrying a disproportionate burden.
“Certainly the cost borne by the taxpayers in Vancouver is very, very excessive,” said Heed, now a Richmond city councillor. “The local taxpayers should not have to cover that.”
Heed argued that because many protests stem from international issues that might be tied to federal foreign policy, Ottawa should help cover the costs.
Police said no arrests or major public safety incidents were reported over the weekend during any of the protests.
