The rallying cries of one person who will be participating in the 琉璃神社鈥檚 peaceful Black Lives Matter rally on Friday (June 5) are already echoing through council chambers.

At the end of a nearly two-hour-long council meeting on Monday (June 1), Heather Friesen piped up as she has many times before 鈥� this time, demanding city council鈥檚 presence at the rally on Friday.

As Friesen began her minute-long rant, the mayor adjourned the meeting and exited chambers.

Friesen continued to yell at the remaining city councillors, asking them if they鈥檙e planning on attending the rally.

鈥淵ou tweet about it; you praise Vancouver for it,鈥� she shouted, pointing at Coun. Ryan Donn. 鈥淕o to the one here and support Black Lives Matter here.鈥�

Coun. Mohini Singh was quick with a retort: 鈥淒on鈥檛 yell. How do you know we鈥檙e not going to be there?鈥�

Friesen, a vocal advocate of the city鈥檚 sexual assault survivors, is no stranger to making her opinion known to city council. She鈥檚 done so twice before, confronting the mayor and council at a meeting in both November 2019 and February 2020 regarding the city鈥檚 at-the-time 40 per cent unfounded sexual assault numbers.

After an investigation by the RCMP鈥檚 federal Sexual Assault Review Team concluded in February, it was found several cases in that 40 per cent unfounded were classified improperly. After reclassification, the local detachment鈥檚 numbers came in line with the national average of around 15 per cent. The 琉璃神社 RCMP also implemented a sexual assault unit and reopened 12 sexual assault files following the federal review.

No city councillors confirmed their attendance at Friday鈥檚 rally before exiting council chambers.

READ MORE: 琉璃神社 RCMP to further investigate 12 sexual assault cases, create sexual assault unit

READ MORE: 鈥楶lease be quiet,鈥� 琉璃神社 Mayor tells sexual assault survivor protesting in council chambers

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michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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