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Vancouver police spent $105k on Trump Hotel protest

Vancouver police spent roughly $105,000 responding to demonstrations outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower on Georgia Street Feb. 28, the day three of the US President’s children came to open the luxury property.
trump protest police
The opening of Trump International Hotel and Tower in downtown Vancouver saw Donald Jr., Eric and Tiffany Trump in attendace Feb. 28, 2017. Photo Dan Toulgoet

Vancouver police spent roughly $105,000 responding to demonstrations outside the Trump International Hotel and Tower on Georgia Street Feb. 28, the day three of the US President’s children came to open the luxury property.

Vancouver Police Department spokesman Jason Doucette said the police presence was to oversee public safety at numerous demonstrations planned throughout the city and not as a security force for the hotel.

“It was the costs associated to and prepare for the protests and demonstrations for that entire day,” said Doucette last week. "We prepared for the demonstrations and were not involved with any private visits."

He said public safety was police priority, including managing traffic on a westbound lane of Georgia Street.

"If that would require us to take action to protect a private property or the freedom of the public coming and going from the general area, then yes, [...] but our mandate was not to set up a perimeter to the hotel and prevent people from coming and going. It was an open business and they chose who could come and go."

The Trump Tower has become a beacon for controversy and criticism in Vancouver from the moment Donald Trump announced his campaign for the US presidency. Once elected, demonstrations against the Trump administration have only increased since executive orders targeted immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Doucette said policing costs are proportional to the size of a demonstration and the department will not know until the end of the year if this protest required a larger expense than others. He added that the Vancouver police budget and prepare for hundreds of protests each year.  

The westbound land of Georgia Street was closed to accommodate demonstrators and media, which made up a large part of the crowd.

“We take preventative measures to work with public safety,” he said. “We want people to be able to demonstrate and have their voices heard in a safe manner. We also want to look at reducing the amount of inconvenience to the general public.”