Anti-pipeline protesters in Vancouver march ahead of Justin Trudeau appearance

Anti-pipeline protestersin Vancouver spent Thursday afternoon waving signs, shouting slogans and even playing bagpipes with the prime minister in town.

Justin Trudeau made an appearance at aroundtable on clean technology late in the afternoon before attending a Liberal Party of Canada fundraiser.

A rally organizer said shewantedthe prime minister to heartheir opposition to the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project during his visit.

"This gives us a really unique opportunity to speak to him and remind him, hey, Mr. Trudeau, you could be at risk of losing a few seats in the nextelection if you allow this project to go ahead," said Emma Pullman with progressive advocacy groupSumOfUs.

About 300 to 400 protesters gathered at the Vancouver Art Gallery marched to thefundraiser at the Sheraton Wall Centre.First Nations and environmentalgroups were among them.

Pullmansaid 2,000 people had expressed interested in attending the rally andblamed the weather for the smaller turnout.

After mustering at the art gallery, protesters marched while playing drums, tambourines and bagpipes.

The protest was peaceful and remained under the watch of a heavy police presence at the Sheraton where the $1,000-a-plate dinner was inside.

Chief Bob Chamberlinwith the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs was also in attendance and he saidthe protests showed the pipeline expansion did not have social license.

"When he's made a decision to push through a project in the nation's interest, he's making a decision to disregard the human rights of Aboriginal peoples," Chamberlinsaid.

The protest largely dissipated by around 8 p.m. PT as night fell on the cold, rainy Thursday.

Trudeau was also greeted by a smaller group of protesters at an earlier appearance in Victoria where he visited a Coast Guard base.

At that appearance, herepeated that the pipeline will be built but stressed the project will be safe.

Trudeau on the Burnaby Mountain protests

6 years ago

Duration 1:20

The Prime Minister spoke to reporters at the Victoria Coast Guard station on Thursday

With files from Meera Bains