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Locals react to 'March to Unmask' protest in Downtown Vancouver (PHOTOS)

"The purpose is to raise awareness for the risks and dangers associated with wearing masks as well as to say NO to mandatory masks in general"
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Anti-mask demonstrators at the protest in Calgary Sunday. Photo: jessedurbano / Instagram

Protestors gathered in Downtown Vancouver Sunday afternoon to protest the mandatory wearing of masks in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Hosted by the group called March to Unmask, the demonstrations took place in multiple cities Canada-wide on Sunday, July 19. In Vancouver, protestors met at Jack Poole Plaza at 1 p.m. to listen to speeches. After that, they marched along Burrard Street down to Granville Street.

On the event's Facebook page, organizers state that, "The purpose is to raise awareness for the risks and dangers associated with wearing masks as well as to say NO to mandatory masks in general"

The group also remarks that, "Many people are being affected by mask restrictions; salon owners, business owners, customers, employees at work. We can't allow mandatory masks to be introduced into law."

The BC Centre for Disease Control states that masks can have a role to play in preventing the spread of COVID-19, especially for healthcare providers and for people that have COVID-19. This is because masks act as a barrier and help stop the spread of droplets from a person’s mouth and nose when talking, laughing, yelling, singing, coughing, or sneezing. 

The BCCDC adds that, "Wearing a mask should be combined with other important preventative measures such as frequent hand washing and physical distancing. Using only a mask is not enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19."

Have a look at what some locals are saying about the anti-mask demonstration in the city as well as the philosophy behind the movement. 

A new poll finds that the majority of Canadians believe government should make the wearing of face masks mandatory in public places. 

According to a new Ipsos poll conducted for Global News, 79% of Canadians agree that masks should be made mandatory in public places (42% strongly/ 37% somewhat). However, support for enforcing this measure varies greatly across the country.

Residents in Saskatchewan and Manitoba (84%), B.C. (83%), Ontario (83%) and Quebec (80%) are significantly more likely than those in Alberta (66%) and Atlantic Canada (64%) to support this measure. Ipsos notes that, "The gap is largely driven by an urban-rural divide: 80% of urban-dwellers support this type of policy, while 67% of rural Canadians support it."

Read more HERE.