Over a dozen protestors at the Peace Arch spent last Saturday afternoon braving the pouring rain to wave signs that warn of a tyrannical government and display support of U.S./Canada relations.
A grassroots group called “Peace, Love and a Handshake” has been meeting at the border every other Saturday since March 16 of last year. Most are retirement-age U.S. and Canadian residents looking for a way to publicly oppose the Trump administration, which pushed away some Canadians last year with its tariffs and rhetoric of making the northern neighbor a 51st state. The group has since made headlines from Seattle to Vancouver, B.C. for its gatherings, which end with a handshake between Americans and Canadians.
The group’s founder, Haidee Landry, a 61-year-old from Langley, B.C., stood for two hours in the pouring rain on January 30 armed with extra signs and Timbits. She played Bruce Springsteen’s new song “Streets of Minneapolis” on YouTube while the group waved to cars traveling northbound into Canada. Travelers honked in support every few minutes.
“There’s way more honking in support than a year ago,” Landry said.
Landry, who had never attended prior protests, said she didn’t expect to still be holding signs under the Peace Arch 11 months later. The group relaxed as rhetoric against Canada waned, but grew resolved over concerns over the U.S. trying to control Canada and other countries such as Greenland, Landry said. She added she sees the U.S. as becoming weaker as it pushes away from allies and isolates itself.
“We’re in a really precarious place right now,” Landry said. “I think when we’re living through history, we don’t necessarily recognize where we’re at. We don’t know until years later.”
Over the past year, Landry said the group will have about 30 people on days with good weather, but that number has grown to a couple hundred when speakers like members of Canada’s parliament are in attendance.
Landry was joined by Birch Bay residents Maureen Kelly, 68, and Tim Hankins, 76, along with Semiahmoo resident Jim Matthews, 75, on January 30.
Hankins said he attended the rally as a way to stand up for justice in what he called a fascist government.
“It’s that time of our nation when we need to show up and show another side of America,” Hankins said. “It’s a small thing, but you have to do what you can. If we don’t do something, we’re going to be in a lot of trouble.”
Hankins and Matthews said they protested against the Vietnam War in the 1960s. For Matthews, he didn’t feel like democracy was at stake then. He feels it is now.
“I served for 30 years in the military, and this is not the country I served,” said Matthews, a Navy veteran.
Along with protesting, Matthews said he’s making his voice heard through voting and sharing his thoughts on social media.
Kelly said she attended the protest to support continued friendship between Americans and Canadians, despite political rhetoric.
“We have to stand up for the saving of our country,” Kelly said. “If we don’t come together, we’re going to lose our democracy.”
