Protester accosted at Vancouver Black Lives Matter rally

A Black Lives Matter protest at the intersection of West Georgia and Granvillewas disruptedbriefly Wednesday afternoon when an elderly man started an altercation with a demonstrator who wasinterrupting bus traffic.

The peaceful protest drewa large crowd of onlookers some visibly and audibly frustrated by interrupted bus service when anelderlyman got out of one of two stoppedbuses and violently shoved a young man holding a sign.

"Get the f--kout of here! We want to go home!" the man yelled, inches from the protester's face.

• Victim of Transit police beating speaks out after video surfaces
• Vancouver residents gather over U.S. gun violence, racial tension
• Vigil held in Vancouver for man shot dead by transit police

Onlookers stepped in immediately to defuse the situation, pleading for calm from the obscenity-screaming man. The protester appeared shaken but unharmed by the attack and resumed protesting on the street.

Protest in solidarity with beaten UBC student

Protesterswere raising the issue of a former UBC football player who was beaten five years ago by Transit Police at Rupert Station.

That case sawTransit Police Const. Edgardo Diaz Rodriguezgiven 12 months probation in June after pleading guilty to assault causing bodily harm.

The protester who was accostedcarried a sign reading, "Transit Police beat a 22 yrs old black UBC student for not having a $2.75 fare."

Other signsread, "Transit Police, leave POC [people of colour] alone #blacklivesmatter" and "F--kTransit Police."

"He just kinda like, pushed him," protester ElisaPaczossaid, adding theelderly man left the scene after the altercation.

"We're just trying to make a point: you shouldn't be discriminating against colour."

Transit Police on scene

Transit Police spokesperson Anne Drennan said there were about six protesters and a crowd of 200 at the scene.

She said the incident "wasn't much of anything."

"Apassenger got off and there was a bit of a shoving match, I guess, because the passenger was annoyed, and then the passenger took off,"she said. "The police are there, there's no further issue, and that's it."

Transit Police are advising that buses in the area are being detoured.

With files from Matt Meuse and Stefan Labbe