Burrard Bridge yoga plan mocked by singer Raffi Cavoukian on Twitter
Vancouver's Burrard Street Bridge will be closed on Sunday, June 21 for a mass yoga class
Canadian singer-songwriter Raffi Cavoukian has been using social media to rip into B.C. Premier Christy Clark ever since she announced Vancouver's Burrard Street Bridge would be closed on Sunday, June 21 for a mass yoga class.
The province helped organize the event — titled 'Om the Bridge' — to mark the International Day of Yoga, when the bridge will be closed for seven hours so the public can roll out their mats and practise their stretching.
That Sunday also happens to be Father's Day, National Aboriginal Day, and the summer solstice.
Cavoukian has been using the hashtag #shunthebridge on Twitter to encourage people to avoid the Burrard Street Bridge in protest of the event.
Here is a sampling of his tweets.
~> <a href="https://twitter.com/christyclarkbc">@christyclarkbc</a> people not happy with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OmTheBridge?src=hash">#OmTheBridge</a>. why not reschedule it—as Yoga On The Beach—at, say, Jericho? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcpoli?src=hash">#bcpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shunthebridge?src=hash">#shunthebridge</a>
—@Raffi_RCwhen a bridge closure (for yoga!) on National Aboriginal Day needs corporate sponsors—something stinks. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shunthebridge?src=hash">#shunthebridge</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/bcpoli?src=hash">#bcpoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OmTheBridge?src=hash">#OmTheBridge</a>
—@Raffi_RCbridge: no place to do yoga ❌ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shunthebridge?src=hash">#shunthebridge</a> <a href="https://t.co/YDvJ7pI9f0">https://t.co/YDvJ7pI9f0</a>
—@Raffi_RCOm the premier. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shunthebridge?src=hash">#shunthebridge</a> <a href="https://t.co/hHvIl7Qpm0">https://t.co/hHvIl7Qpm0</a>
—@Raffi_RCyoga at home. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shunthebridge?src=hash">#shunthebridge</a>�� NO ~> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OmTheBridge?src=hash">#OmTheBridge</a>
—@Raffi_RCRaffi supporters chime in
The Baby Beluga singer has also re-tweeted several followers who agree with him.
I've taken <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shunthebridge?src=hash">#shunthebridge</a> Yoga Challenge. I declare I won't cross Burrard Bridge on June 21 and promise to never do yoga there!
—@CanadaGood<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shunthebridge?src=hash">#shunthebridge</a> "<a href="https://twitter.com/GumbootDiva">@GumbootDiva</a> Oil & yoga is like oil & water. Shocked <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/omthebridge?src=hash">#omthebridge</a> is cosponsored by AltaGas Disappointing choice. Not going
—@pqpoliticsCompeting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yoga?src=hash">#yoga</a> days, sponsored by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LNG?src=hash">#LNG</a> & we have hundreds of awesome parks? I'm with <a href="https://twitter.com/Raffi_RC">@Raffi_RC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shunthebridge?src=hash">#shunthebridge</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MayorGregor">@MayorGregor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/christyclarkbc">@christyclarkbc</a>
—@TynaMcNairWhy do this? Yoga is based on achieving tranquility. Closure will create chaos for commuters <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shunthebridge?src=hash">#shunthebridge</a> <a href="https://t.co/cm7VRqrNau">https://t.co/cm7VRqrNau</a>
—@NewWestSandyWhy spend money on a *duplicate* <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yoga?src=hash">#yoga</a> event for the public? <a href="http://t.co/NgBjPSoPx7">http://t.co/NgBjPSoPx7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCPoli?src=hash">#BCPoli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shunthebridge?src=hash">#Shunthebridge</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OMtheBridge?src=hash">#OMtheBridge</a> cc <a href="https://twitter.com/Raffi_RC">@Raffi_RC</a>
—@bcfamilymediaClark defends Burrard Bridge closure
On Friday, reporters asked Clark why she chose to hold the event on the Burrard Street Bridge — one of the main connectors from Vancouver's West Side to downtown — instead of a park or public square.
"It's a busy bridge, and I think it makes a really wonderful statement to close it to all that business and welcome a thousand, or couple thousand, or many thousand people to be present and reflective. It's the exact opposite of busy traffic," she said.
"They've shut down Times Square in the past for yoga. I think in Washington, they'll be doing something around the Washington Monument as well. So I don't think there will be a picture in the world more beautiful than the one of thousands of yoga mats on the Burrard Street Bridge on hopefully a sunny day."
"I really want to welcome everybody to be a part of that."
The bridge will shut down to traffic from 4 a.m. to 11 a.m. PT on June 21. The event starts at 8 a.m. and will be live streamed on the DestinationBC website.