By Jeff Green, The Province, May 25, 2012
Protesters of a mining conference in downtown Vancouver were throwing more than just rocks.
The Four Seasons hotel on West Georgia was evacuated Thursday afternoon and Vancouver Police’s hazmat unit was called in after six protesters pulled the fire alarm and threw a bag containing what was later determined to be feces mixed with liquid into the meeting room.
Protesters immediately left and VPD said they have no suspects in custody.
The evacuation may have disrupted talks between the BCGEU, the union representing service employees in the provincial government, and their employers.
Dean Purdy, who represents the correctional officers for the union, offered a unique insight into the smell.
“Excrement thrown by protesters during mining luncheon at 4 seasons hotel smells like prison after similar assaults on correctional officers,” Purdy said on Twitter Thursday.
The luncheon affected was hosted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, which was discussing the Raven Underground Coal Project in Port Alberni and the Comox Valley. It was headlined by John Tapics, the president and CEO of Compliance Coal Cooperation, which is leading the project.
VPD spokeswoman Const. Jana McGuinness said the smelly stunt posed no risk to public safety and there have been no arrests. The investigation continues.
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