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Protesters Fell Vancouver’s ‘Gassy Jack’ Statue During Women’s Memorial March
Protesters toppled a statue of John “Gassy Jack” Deighton in Vancouver on Monday, February 14, during the Women’s Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. Deighton – called Gassy Jack because of his talkativeness – was a saloon and hotel owner after whom Gastown, the widely used nickname for the settlement of Granville, later the City of Vancouver, was named, according to a biography of Deighton. Protesters have spoken out against Deighton for marrying a 12-year-old indigenous girl from the Squamish Nation when he was 40, Global News reported. Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart admonished the toppling of the statue in a tweet on Monday. “The [City of Vancouver] has been in consultations with [the Squamish Nation] on the right way to remove the [Gassy Jack] statue & recognize the truth of John Deighton’s harmful legacy. Today’s actions were dangerous & undermines ongoing work with Squamish to guide steps to [reconciliation],” Stewart tweeted. No injuries were reported. Video filmed by Patricia Massy, owner of Massy Books, shows protesters pulling down the statue on Monday. Credit: Patricia Massy / Massy Books via Storyful
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