The two protesters were each carrying placards, one reading “Climate Justice Now” and the other reading “The Conservatives take climate change seriously” with a line through the text. The two protesters are named Sean Devlin and Shireen Soofi, according to the Globe & Mail.
Security quickly noticed the pair and ushered them off the stage.
“I’d like to take a minute and have some folks removed from the stage,” Iain Black, CEO of the Vancouver Board of Trade said as Harper reached for a glass of water.
“It wouldn’t be B.C. without it,” Harper joked, referring to the silent protest.
The pair of protesters bypassed a security cordon which identified all attendees with special passes as well as a bomb-sniffing RCMP dog by simply putting on aprons to disguise themselves as waiters.
In attendance was former Prime Minister Kim Campbell, Industry Minister James Moore and several BC Conservative MPs.
Immediately following the disruption, Brigette DePape, known for a similar protest when she was a page in the House of Commons, issued a press release praising the pair of protesters.
She told the CBC that “it was very empowering” that the two got so close to the prime minister, and said that the aim of the stunt was to protest the government’s environmental policies.
Her press release also said that more protests could be coming,
“These actions are taking place as part of a global movement of groups of who are directly confronting the fossil fuel industry, from First Nations legal challenges and blockading projects on their territories, to other forms of non-violent direct action.”
A police spokesperson confirmed that the Devlin and Soofi were detained following their stunt, but have since been released. They may still face charges.
