Stop or move 4/20 pot rally

Re: Vancouver park board closes Sunset Beach field to repair damage from 4/20 pot rally, April 21

Once again, the 4/20 protest (festival) has damaged Sunset Beach Field, requiring a 10-week closure of the field for repairs. This closure prevents residents from being able to use Sunset Beach Park for most of the summer.

This unsanctioned event goes ahead year after year, ignoring required permits and nosmoking bylaws, damaging the park, disrupting transit and forcing the local residents to breathe the toxic stench that flows into our homes.

This group seems to act as a mob, doing whatever they like with no regard for the residents, police or city policies, and no one seems to take a stand against them.

This is unfair to the residents who would like to be able to use Sunset Beach Park during the summer. We are prevented from using our park because of an illegal, one-day takeover of the park by an extremely inconsiderate 4/20 group whose only concern is to kill as many brain cells as possible. They don’t care who they inconvenience, or whose health they jeopardize!

We have contacted our MLA, City Hall, the Vancouver Parks Board, the B.C. Ministry of Health, and the VPD. There must be someone who can take steps to either end this annual event or at least have it moved to an isolated location where it won’t affect all the residents of Vancouver’s West End.

Neil Thomas, Vancouver