Occupy protesters in Vancouver stopped trucks from reaching Canada's largest port on Monday as a show of solidarity with other West Coast activists in Washington State, Oregon and California.
Vancouver protesters stopped trucks along two routes going to Port Metro, which handles about $200 million worth of cargo each day.
The port trades about $75 billion in goods annually with more than 160 economies, according to its website.
"Our ports are where the global economy opens its doors. But not everyone is invited to the party," reads a statement on Occupy Vancouver's website.
In blocking the port the Vancouver protesters are joining a larger West Coast movement that has targeted ports as a symbol of corporate profits, an issue the Occupy movement has zeroed in on since its inception.
The protests, dubbed action against "Wall Street on the Waterfront," were expected to close ports as far south as California and as far north as Alaska.
The plight of longshore workers in the United States has become a major focal point of the port protests. Demonstrators say they're protesting in support of the workers who are fighting nonunion labour in their workplaces.
"Why should we stand in solidarity with them here in Canada? …The economy is global, and our neighbour's fate will soon be ours," said the Occupy Vancouver note.
Earlier on Monday, CTV British Columbia's Brent Shearer said a small group of demonstrators managed to block an entrance at Port Metro Vancouver.
Helicopter footage shows about 10 protesters holding signs and banners on a roadway in front of the port. Police officers appeared to be nearby.
He said the protesters have "since moved on" but didn't specify whether they did so voluntarily or were asked to move. It's unclear whether the group is tied to the larger Occupy Vancouver effort.
Though the demonstration's message is pro-union, Occupy Vancouver's port protest hasn't been able to net support from two major unions in British Columbia.
The B.C. Federation of Labour, which represents about 50 affiliated unions, has issued a news release saying it doesn't endorse the port protest.
In the statement, the union said it doesn't support any Occupy action, "that seeks to prevent our members from carrying out their assigned duties and working safely."
A representative for the International Longshore & Warehouse Union, which represents port workers, reacted similarly to news of the port protests.
"There are rumors of the Occupy Vancouver movement descending on the Port of Vancouver. The ILWU Canada does not support this action in any manner," first vice-president Steve Nasby wrote in a blog post.
City officials in Vancouver have said that security teams will be monitoring the protesters during the blockade. They added that police will also be present to ensure port employees and operations remain safe.
Meanwhile, hundreds of U.S. Occupiers have started picketing at ports in southern California. Though some demonstrators blocked trucks from entering an Oakland port, there have been no major clashes with police reported.
Back in November, Occupy Protesters in California managed to successfully shut down the Port of Oakland.
