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BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaCopenhagen’s historic stock exchange in flamesPublished19 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Huge fire breaks out at Copenhagen exchangeBy Paul KirbyBBC NewsDenmark’s historic old stock exchange building in the centre of Copenhagen has been engulfed by fire.The 17th Century Børsen is one of the city’s oldest buildings and onlookers gasped as its iconic spire collapsed in the flames.Everyone inside the building was able to leave and people rushed to rescue some of its historic paintings.Culture minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said 400 years of Danish cultural heritage had gone up in flames.The building, dating back to 1625, is a stone’s throw from Denmark’s parliament, the Folketing, and the royal palace, Christiansborg. Danish media said the nearby square was being evacuated.The old stock exchange was being renovated and had been shrouded in scaffolding and protective plastic covering. It currently houses the Danish chamber of commerce, which described the scenes on Tuesday morning as a terrible sight. Local craftsman Henrik Grage told Danish TV that it was a tragic day. “This is our Notre-Dame,” he said, comparing it with the fire that engulfed the roof and spire of the cathedral in the centre of Paris in 2019.Passing residents joined emergency services, as well as chamber of commerce director Brian Mikkelsen, in saving the art treasures from the Børsen.The Dutch Renaissance-style building on the city’s Slotsholmen, or palace island, was commissioned by Denmark’s King Christian IV with the aim of turning Copenhagen into a major trading centre. Its spire featured four dragons whose tails were twisted into a spear and three crowns, symbolising close ties with neighbours Norway and Sweden.Image source, Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix/AFPImage caption, As the historic spire collapsed, onlookers recalled the fire that engulfed Notre-Dame cathedral in ParisImage source, Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie OdgaardImage caption, Danish chamber of commerce director Brian Mikkelsen joined ambulance workers in rescuing the building’s art treasuresRelated TopicsCopenhagenDenmarkMore on this storyNotre-Dame’s transformation five years after firePublished3 days agoTop StoriesLive. Israel vows retaliation over Iran attack after calls for restraintMPs to vote on PM’s smoking ban billPublished58 minutes agoCopenhagen’s historic stock exchange in flamesPublished19 minutes agoFeaturesChris Mason: Six things that stand out for me in Liz Truss bookThe Papers: ‘Frantic diplomacy’ over Iran and Trump trial beginsA really, really big election with nearly a billion votersWhat was in wave of Iranian attacks and how were they thwarted?What you need to vote has changed. VideoWhat you need to vote has changedListen: Is this a turning point for Iran and Israel? AudioListen: Is this a turning point for Iran and Israel?AttributionSoundsCalls for Germany to legalise abortions in first trimesterHow is Paris preparing for the Olympics and Paralympics?Why has the weather changed again?AttributionWeatherElsewhere on the BBCWere three prime ministers brought down by WhatsApp?Helen Lewis investigates how instant messaging can lead to chaos, confusion, and comedyAttributionSoundsWhen the Queen parachuted from a helicopter with James BondHow did the memorable moment from the 2012 London Olympic Games come about?AttributionSoundsThe Austrian house where children were experimented onEvy Mages uncovers the full, disturbing truth of what happened thereAttributionSoundsReady to rock through time with the Doctor and Ruby?A sneak peek of the new series of Doctor Who, starting May 11…AttributioniPlayerMost Read1Copenhagen’s historic stock exchange in flames2Sydney church stabbing was a ‘terrorist’ attack, police say3Confronting pro-Kremlin troll on false claims about Sydney mall attack4MPs to vote on PM’s smoking ban bill5Truss endorses Trump to win US presidential race6No final goodbye with mum due to ‘decomposition’7Six things that stand out for me in Liz Truss book8’Frantic diplomacy’ over Iran and Trump trial begins9Unemployment jumps as UK jobs market stalls10Couple find medieval relic hidden in bathroom
[ad_1] There was shock as the 17th Century building’s spire collapsed in the fire.
![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaBiden pressure on Israel not enough, say dissenting US officialsPublished22 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, EPABy Tom BatemanBBC State Department correspondent, Washington DCPresident Biden’s pressure on Israel after last week’s deadly attack on aid workers did not go far enough and will fail to stem the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to current and former US officials who have spoken to the BBC.They said internal dissent in government was growing and called for tougher action on arms transfers.Israel said it would open new aid routes after President Biden threatened to reassess policy following Israeli strikes that killed seven workers from food charity World Central Kitchen (WCK), including a US citizen.But the tougher line was “too little, too late”, said Annelle Sheline, an official working in human rights who quit the state department in protest a fortnight ago. She said the White House “could have done this months ago and prevented famine in northern Gaza”.The US-Israel relationship is currently experiencing its most serious strain in decades, after President Biden’s phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week that amounted to a defining moment in the six-month conflict.Within hours of Mr Biden’s call, Israel said it would open the Erez crossing in northern Gaza and the port of Ashdod in southern Israel to aid, and pledged to drastically improve security co-ordination with groups delivering assistance to Palestinians. This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: US says Israel must make changes in the coming “hours and days”In a newly-aired interview, Mr Biden said he believed the Israeli prime minister was making “a mistake” in his handling of Gaza. Speaking days after the Israeli strike on WCK workers – and before Israel announced the opening of the Erez crossing – he said his ally should “just call for a ceasefire” with Hamas, and allow “total access to all food and medicine” for Gaza.”I don’t agree with his approach”: Biden criticises Israeli PM in interviewDespite the steps taken by Mr Netanyahu last week, the views of seven current and former US government officials reflect the way internal objections to policy continue to mount. They said many government workers were voicing their frustrations in unofficial forums that include at least a dozen groups on messaging apps, which the officials said counted hundreds of administration staff as members. A spokesperson for the US state department said it encouraged different views on policy and staff could make them known through “appropriate channels”. The US had “been clear at the highest levels publicly and privately with Israel that it must abide by international humanitarian law”, the spokesperson said.Israel doing the bare minimum, official saysFour current officials at varying levels of seniority in different government departments spoke to the BBC on condition of anonymity. Two have roles in areas with direct links to foreign policy, including on Israel and Gaza. One who has 25 years of national security experience said internal opposition had become “deeper, wider and more despairing” than at any previous point in the war. While the increase in pressure from President Biden last week was welcome, it did not go far enough to reflect the “moral urgency” to act, they said.”I read it as Israel doing the bare minimum to get through the day and avoid arms transfers being halted,” the official added.Image source, ReutersImage caption, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made five trips to Israel since the 7 October attackUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Tuesday more than 400 trucks had been cleared to go into Gaza the previous day, describing “important commitments” made by Israel. However, UN officials told the BBC the figure was in fact 223, less than half the daily number it says is required as a minimum to stem the crisis.Some of the officials who spoke to the BBC said they wanted the Biden administration to explicitly condition arms supplies to Israel in order to avoid a full-scale humanitarian collapse. The administration has been under increasing pressure to say whether it is conducting a full review by the state department’s Office of the Legal Advisor into whether Israeli actions in Gaza have breached international law, which could lead to a bar on US weapons shipments. Josh Paul, a former senior official who resigned last year in protest, said the state department had not asked the office to make an assessment because “it does not want the answer it will get”. The state department declined to confirm whether it had referred any cases to the office.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Jose Andres says Monday’s strike which killed seven members of his staff was not a mistake.The officials’ concerns echoed those of dozens of Democrats in Congress, including Biden ally and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – who signed a letter on Friday urging the US to pause weapons’ transfers to Israel in the wake of the 1 April strikes on the WCK aid convoy, which sparked international outrage. The Israeli military called the attack a “grave accident”.Israel has consistently denied violating international law in Gaza, blaming thousands of civilian deaths from its offensive on Hamas for operating from civilian areas. It says it has fought a threat to Israel’s existence after the attacks by Hamas on 7 October, in which some 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 were taken hostage back to Gaza.The three former officials the BBC spoke to include Ms Sheline and Mr Paul, who both quit in protest, and Brian Finucane, a lawyer who spent a decade at the state department advising on laws of war and arms transfers.Civil servants find avenues for dissentThere has been ongoing dissent within the US government about Gaza policy since the first months of the war. And in February, hundreds of civil servants in the US and European countries warned that their governments risked being complicit in “grave violations of international law” in a letter initially obtained by the BBC.At the time, Robert Ford, a former US ambassador, said that unlike during the lead-up to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, when many officials had reservations but did not speak up, the seriousness of Gaza war had pushed career civil servants to publicly air their concerns.Bowen: Obstacles to peace seem larger than ever Six months on, how close is Israel to eliminating Hamas?What we know about Israeli strike on aid convoyA second serving US official who spoke to the BBC anonymously described ongoing exchanges in at least a dozen chat groups on messaging apps Signal and WhatsApp. In these, staff vented exasperation and incredulity at the way they perceived the Biden administration too easily accepted Israeli versions of events. “There’s a lot of eye rolling… People can point out the inconsistencies and the fallacies pretty quickly,” said the official. The World Central Kitchen aid workers killed on 1 April had been transporting food aid delivered by sea into Gaza while Israeli-controlled land routes remained tightly restricted. A “foolish” system of deliveries by sea, as well as plans for a US-built floating pier to get aid in Gaza, were both designed “as a workaround for the fact that we [did] not pressure the Israelis to let aid in other ways”, said the official who has spent more than two decades working in US national security.Image source, ReutersAfter Israel’s announcement on aid routes on Thursday, Mr Blinken said Washington would judge the move by “results” in protecting civilians.Israel has previously blamed the United Nations for aid delivery failures – a claim categorically rejected by the UN and humanitarian groups – and has said Hamas steals supplies.A third government official said the fact that much more concerted US pressure was applied only after the deaths of international aid workers sent a message that “Palestinian lives do not matter”. Nearly 200 Palestinian aid workers have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to Humanitarian Outcomes, a group that monitors aid-worker deaths. Concern over US weapon transfersThe officials’ accounts are the latest sign of deepening disquiet and a growing readiness within the ranks of the Biden administration to question the moral and legal basis of US backing for Israel, a bedrock of Washington policy going back decades across administrations. Some criticised the support as apparently unconditional, citing Washington’s $3.8bn (£3bn) a year package of military assistance to Israel and the potential sale of $18bn worth of F-15 fighter jets. The supply of arms has continued uninterrupted despite the number of people killed in Gaza now standing at more than 33,000, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry, which are accepted by the US government. Israel has said it has killed more than 9,000 “Hamas operatives and fighters of other terror groups” in Gaza but has not provided evidence for the figure. It has consistently denied killing large numbers of civilians, either deliberately or through negligence. But accusations of reckless targeting have continued to grow, leading to calls in the US for an assessment over whether Israel’s military campaign was in breach of international humanitarian law, which prohibits the targeting of non-combatants. State department spokesman Matthew Miller said last week that the US had “not at this time concluded that Israel has violated international humanitarian law” but said its assessments were “very much ongoing”. But referring to the assessments, Mr Finucane, the former state department lawyer, told the BBC: “I think they’re likely dramatically overstating the reality.” He described a new process the department launched in September to monitor any civilian harm by partner military forces as essentially “guidance” with “no structure behind it”. Since the dissent letter by officials in February, US policy has still lacked “course correction despite its manifest failures”, according to Mr Finucane, who is now a senior advisor at the International Crisis Group.Responding to the criticism, the state department spokesman said that Mr Blinken “takes all feedback and opinion seriously, and it causes him to reflect on his own thinking in terms of policymaking”.Related TopicsMiddle EastIsrael-Gaza warIsraelGazaUnited StatesJoe BidenMore on this storyBiden says Netanyahu making a ‘mistake’ on GazaPublished4 hours agoCan US pressure deliver Israel-Hamas truce in Gaza?Published12 hours agoBiden tells Israel it must prevent civilian harm to keep US supportPublished5 days agoWhere does Israel get its weapons?Published4 days agoTop StoriesChildren seeking gender care let down by weak evidence, review saysPublished3 hours agoLive. 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![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaCapitol rioters’ families draw hope from Trump’s promise of pardonsPublished34 minutes agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS Capitol riotsBy Bernd Debusmann Jr & Mike WendlingBBC News in WashingtonEvery night since August 2022, a small crowd has gathered outside the Washington DC Central Jail, through frigid winter nights and under spring rain, to protest against the US justice system. The protesters outside the red-brick buildings of the facility pray, discuss the news, and broadcast telephone calls with prisoners inside the jail, where hundreds of accused or convicted rioters have been held in the three years since the 6 January 2021 storming of the Capitol. In recent months, as Donald Trump has gripped the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, the protesters have taken heart from the ex-president’s vocal public support for those who attacked Congress.At rallies, Mr Trump plays a version of the national anthem recorded by the J6 Prison Choir – an anonymous group of prisoners thought to include several violent offenders. On Wednesday, he posted a video of the song on his Truth Social account, describing them as “January 6th hostages” – a term he has increasingly used in reference to the rioters.On a recent chilly evening, Micki Witthoeft was one of a handful of protesters and live-streamers outside the jail. The mother of Ashli Babbitt, a 35-year-old military veteran who was shot and killed by law enforcement after breaching the Capitol building, Ms Witthoeft said she had received a call from Mr Trump just that day in which he promised to “do his best” for the prisoners should he return to office.”President Trump is a man of his word,” she said. “We don’t really think everybody on January 6 was innocent of all things, but we just want them to be adequately and accurately charged and sentenced.”Image caption, Protesters including Micki Witthoeft (left) outside the Washington DC Central JailWhen a mob of Mr Trump’s supporters breached the US Capitol to try to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election, the images of police and security officers under attack and armed rioters surging into the centre of American democracy shocked the country.Around 140 police officers were assaulted, according to justice department figures. In total, more than 1,350 people have been arrested since then. Nearly 30 January 6 inmates are reported to be currently held in the DC jail, most of them charged with assaulting officers.As part of his re-election bid, Mr Trump has promised to pardon many of the January 6 rioters but has never detailed the specific criteria he might use.At times he has distinguished between non-violent rioters and those who “got out of control”, but his focus at campaign events largely centres on unsubstantiated claims that both he and they are victims of political persecution.While political strategists say the focus could hurt Mr Trump electorally – particularly among independent and moderate voters he must win over to defeat Joe Biden – they see the messaging as a bid to keep his loyal base of supporters motivated.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Rendition of Star-Spangled Banner performed by January 6 rioters plays at Trump rally.”They’ve been treated terribly and very unfairly,” Mr Trump said last month at a rally in Dayton, Ohio, going on to describe the prisoners as “unbelievable patriots”. In his own words: How Trump’s January 6th language evolved7 January 2021: “I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness and mayhem… to those who broke the law, you will pay.” (Televised speech)July 2021: “There was such love at that rally… the crowd was unbelievable and I mentioned the word love, the love in the air, I’ve never seen anything like it.” (Fox News interview)January 2022: “If I run and if I win, we will treat those people from Jan 6 fairly… And if it requires pardons we will give them pardons.” (Texas rally)May 2023: “I am inclined to pardon many of them. I can’t say for every single one because a couple of them, probably, they got out of control… And it’ll be very early on.” (CNN town hall discussion)November 2023: “I call them the J6 hostages, not prisoners.” (Texas rally)12 March 2024: “My first acts as your next President will be to Close the Border, DRILL, BABY, DRILL, and Free the January 6 Hostages being wrongfully imprisoned!” (Truth Social post)16 March 2024: “You see the spirit from the hostages, and that’s what they are, is hostages. They’ve been treated terribly and very unfairly.” (Ohio rally)3 April 2024: “January 6th hostages with President Donald J. Trump”, with a video featuring the J6 Prison Choir song (Truth Social post)Mr Trump’s attacks on the legal system for alleged political bias against the Capitol rioters echo his public outbursts about his own legal travails. He faces four criminal indictments, including one that accuses him of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. And embracing the 6 January defendants, observers say, bolsters his claim to supporters that the legal system is “rigged”.”The political prisoners narrative seems to be an effort to frame the Jan 6 attack as a lawful political protest,” said Barbara McQuade, a University of Michigan law professor and author of the book Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America. And Mr Trump’s base want to believe in him and his narrative about the legal system, she said, even though it’s “a con”.The day that still divides America, three years onWhat next for the far-right Proud Boys?Several Trump supporters told the BBC that they felt sentencing of the rioters was too harsh. Scott Nolan, a self-described conservative voter in Reston, Virginia, called Mr Trump’s statements “overblown, but not entirely incorrect”. He said he believed the president was right to say that Antifa and Black Lives Matter protesters had been treated differently.Polling, however, suggests the idea that the Capitol rioters are being treated unfairly is broadly rejected by most Americans.A Washington Post-University of Maryland survey in December 2023 found that nearly three-quarters of respondents believed punishments had either been “fair” or “not harsh enough”. And a recent survey by Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found two-thirds of Americans thought the riot was “very” or “extremely” violent. Both polls showed sharp differences between Republicans and Democrats.This video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: Officer Harry Dunn is still traumatised by the attack on the CapitolGunner Ramer, political director of Republican Accountability, a political action committee opposed to Mr Trump, said the campaign rhetoric about January 6 “hostages” could be particularly damaging among voters that might ultimately determine the outcome of the election. “Trump talking about ‘political prisoners’ activates victimhood grievance politics and connects with Republican primary voters,” he said. “But when you’re talking about swing voters – those who supported Trump in 2016 but not in 2020 – they are absolutely repulsed by January 6.”Mr Trump has not been specific about why he believes the rioters were treated unfairly. Nor has he been specifically critical of conditions in the DC jail, which has long been the subject of complaints and lawsuits. Some of the people given the longest 6 January sentences, for felonies such as seditious conspiracy – plotting against the government – did not directly participate in vandalism or physical violence. Instead they were prosecuted for co-ordinating attempts to stop the vote and bringing dozens of their members to the Capitol that day. Mr Trump’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment, but a spokeswoman recently told the Washington Post: “President Trump will restore justice for all Americans who have been unfairly treated by Joe Biden’s two-tier system of justice.”Analysis by the Washington Post that compared sentences in Capitol riot cases to national sentencing guidelines suggests they received lighter punishments than those usually applied. In two-thirds of Capitol riot cases, judges handed out sentences below federal guidelines. Nationally they go below the guidelines in about half of all cases, the paper reported.The protesters outside the DC jail agreed that a blanket pardon for all of the rioters wasn’t necessarily warranted. But they hoped that most would be freed or have their criminal records expunged.”Our hope is that [Trump] wins and gets back in office,” said Tamara Jackson, a Texas woman whose husband Brian pleaded guilty in February to felony assault charges, and whose brother-in-law Andrew was recently sentenced to a year of weekends in jail. “Them [the detainees] coming home is obviously the goal.”Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Trump supporters at the US Capitol during the 6 January riotMany of Mr Trump’s political allies have echoed his support for the jailed rioters. But there has been pushback from some leading Republicans that have broken publicly with their party’s nominee. Mike Pence, who served as Mr Trump’s vice-president, told CBS News last month that he thought it was “very unfortunate” that the former president had begun to use the term “hostages” to refer to Capitol rioters. Mr Pence oversaw proceedings in Congress to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 election win as crowds stormed the building. Some chanted “Hang Mike Pence” and he was rushed to safety as protesters broke windows before rampaging through the Senate.”It’s just unacceptable,” he said.Related TopicsUS Capitol riotsUS election 2024Donald TrumpUS politicsUnited StatesMore on this storyThe day that still divides America, three years onPublished5 JanuaryWhat next for the far-right Proud Boys?Published6 September 2023Panel to probe Trump’s actions during Capitol riotPublished21 July 2022Top StoriesLive. Israel military sacks senior officers after aid workers killed in GazaLive. 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![BBC HomepageSkip to contentAccessibility HelpYour accountNotificationsHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeMore menuMore menuSearch BBCHomeNewsSportWeatheriPlayerSoundsBitesizeCBBCCBeebiesFoodClose menuBBC NewsMenuHomeIsrael-Gaza warCost of LivingWar in UkraineClimateUKWorldBusinessPoliticsCultureMoreTechScienceHealthFamily & EducationIn PicturesNewsbeatBBC VerifyDisabilityWorldAfricaAsiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastUS & CanadaSuccess or failure? Canada’s drug decriminalisation test faces scrutinyPublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingThis video can not be playedTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.Media caption, Watch: A recovered addict’s view on decriminalisationBy Nadine YousifBBC News, Vancouver Last year, British Columbia (BC) became the first province in Canada to decriminalise the use of hard drugs as part of its efforts to tackle a deadly opioids crisis. But the policy is facing pushback, leaving its future uncertain.Every Monday, former Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart would receive an email listing all the people who had died in the city from a drug overdose the previous week.One day, three years ago, that list included the name of a relative – his brother-in-law’s sister, Susan Havelock. “She died out here on the street at two o’clock in the morning,” Mr Stewart told the BBC at his office in Downtown Vancouver, pointing out the window.”When it gets in your family, you begin to see how desperate this whole situation is.”North America is in the midst of a toxic drug crisis. Fatal overdoses peaked above 112,000 in the US for the first time last year. In Canada, nowhere is this issue felt more acutely than in BC, where the crisis was first declared a public health emergency in 2016. Last year, the province saw a record of more than 2,500 overdose deaths.About 225,000 people are estimated to use illegal drugs in BC, and experts say a toxic street drug supply – laced with fentanyl and other products – places each of them at risk of death. Could decriminalisation solve Scotland’s drug problem? Fourth wave of fentanyl crisis hits every corner of USThe city where addicts are allowed to injectIn an attempt to address the crisis in January 2023, BC became the first – and only – province in Canada to decriminalise the possession of a small amount of hard drugs, to “reduce the barriers and stigma” that bar those with severe drug addiction from life-saving help or treatment.The BC programme, which runs on a pilot basis until 2026, allows adults to possess up to 2.5 grams of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine or methamphetamine without being arrested, charged or having their drugs seized, except around schools and airports.But just over a year into the project, it has come under increasing pressure from some residents and political opponents, who have called it a “harmful experiment” implemented without safeguards for the public, one that has “utterly failed” to reduce drug overdose deaths.BC has since introduced a bill that would expand places where drug use is prohibited to include not just schools and airports but playgrounds and near homes and businesses – a move blocked, for now, by the BC Supreme Court over concerns it would cause “irreparable harm” to people who use drugs.Image caption, In 2023, British Columbia hit a grim milestone of more than 2,500 drug overdose deathsNow supporters of decriminalisation fear that public buy-in for the policy is eroding.”It’s really unfortunate,” said Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson of the Vancouver Police Department, who also serves as the president of the BC Association of Chiefs of Police.”At the end of the day we’re all rowing in the same direction with respect to the fact that we don’t want to criminalise people by virtue of their drug use, which should be treated as a health matter.”It is a debate felt not just in the bigger cities like Vancouver, but in places like Port Coquitlam, a suburb of 60,000 people east of Vancouver rich in walking trails, public parks and single-family homes.There, it was an altercation during a child’s birthday party that was “the last straw” for Mayor Brad West.Mr West told the BBC he had heard from a family who had spotted a person using drugs near the party, held in a local park. Confronted, the person refused to leave, he said.”That to me is unacceptable,” he said, adding that police had the right to intervene in that situation.Stories emerged elsewhere of drug paraphernalia found in parks, and of dogs accidentally ingesting opioids found on the ground. In June, Port Coquitlam unanimously passed its own bylaws to restrict some public drug consumption. Other jurisdictions have followed suit.Image caption, Drug harm reduction advocates like Guy Felicella say decriminalisation can help save livesDecriminalisation is based on the argument that the war on drugs has failed – that arresting people with severe addiction and seizing their drugs could increase their likelihood of overdose by forcing them to find other drugs that may be lethal. A criminal record may also bar them from finding a stable job, reducing the chance of recovery.”I got thrown in jail for nine months for a half a gram of cocaine,” said Guy Felicella, a Vancouver-based advocate for drug harm reduction and recovery, who recovered from drug addiction after overdosing six times in 2013.Decriminalisation, he said, would have helped reduce his fear of being legally punished – a fear that forced him and others to use in private, out of view from someone who could call for help if they overdosed.Portugal, where drugs were decriminalised in 2001, has drug death rates that are significantly lower than other countries.Its success inspired efforts in both BC and in the US state of Oregon, which decriminalised drugs in 2020.But in all three places, the policy has faced pushback, and in Oregon, lawmakers voted in March to reverse it altogether after it was blamed for a rise in public disorder and drug use.In BC, which has a history of harm reduction advocacy, the government’s push to revise its decriminalisation policy was challenged in court over concerns it would lead to an “increased risk of overdose fatality”.So far, the courts have sided with that argument – an outcome that has elicited a mixed reaction.For Mayor West, the courts are “out of touch with where the public is”.”This focus on ‘irreparable harm’ to a certain group ignores the harm that occurs to others by allowing rampant public drug use,” he said.But these sentiments have been countered by supporters of decriminalisation, like the province’s outgoing chief coroner, who has said there is no evidence that suggests the general public is at risk from public drug use.”It’s not comfortable seeing people use drugs in public,” Lisa Lapointe said in an interview with local news outlet CityNews in January.”But who’s most uncomfortable? Is it those of us who get to return to our warm homes… or is it those living unhoused, who are trying to cope the best way they know?”In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, a historic neighbourhood that has long grappled with social issues like poverty and drug use, advocates have accused politicians of sowing “moral panic”.”Scapegoating and vilifying people who use drugs has [historically] been a real good vote-getter,” said Garth Mullins, a member of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users.There is no data on how much public consumption in BC has increased post-decriminalisation, but there has been a 76% drop in drug possession charges in the first year of the policy.Image caption, Former Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart was behind the push to bring decriminalisation to his cityData also shows that the use of drug checking services – where people can test their drugs for fentanyl and other substances – and overdose prevention sites – where people can use drugs under supervision – has increased.The death rate, however, has continued to rise. Since decriminalisation, reported opioid-related toxicity deaths increased by nearly 5%.Ms Lapointe, the province’s outgoing chief coroner, has dismissed any link between decriminalising drugs and that rise, saying “illicit fentanyl is responsible” for the fatalities.She and other public health officials maintain that decriminalisation is only one tool of many to address the crisis.Mr Stewart, mayor of Vancouver from 2018 to 2022, was a driving force behind the initial push to decriminalise drugs in BC. He lost his re-election bid by 23,000 votes to Ken Sim, a centre-right mayoral candidate who campaigned on a promise to hire more police officers and clear homeless encampments in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.Mr Sim also supports the province’s push to restrict some public drug use – signalling a political shift in the major metropolis.In a statement to the BBC, Mr Sim says the drug crisis is “devastating” and “deeply personal for many Vancouverites and British Columbians”.But he believes a “delicate balance” needs to be struck between supporting people with severe addiction and “keeping areas safe for children and families”. Mr Stewart believes Vancouverites have changed in recent years – with skyrocketing real estate values and rising costs due to inflation, he argues some people have become more insular. One thing that has not changed, he notes, is the severity of the drug crisis.”Those emails are still rolling into this new mayor’s inbox every Monday,” Mr Stewart said.If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.Related TopicsDrug useVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanadaMore on this storyMy daughter wouldn’t have died if drugs were legalPublished11 May 2023Fourth wave of fentanyl crisis hits every corner of USPublished17 September 2023Biden’s plan to end fentanyl crisis may not be enoughPublished21 November 2023Top StoriesDUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigns after rape chargePublished8 hours agoWar a real threat and Europe not ready, warns Poland’s PMPublished3 hours agoAI millionaire: ‘Video games can boost creativity’Published3 hours agoFeaturesThe Papers: DUP leader charged and water bills ‘to rise 56%’Chris Mason: Another moment of instability for Northern IrelandSeven bills going up and one going down in AprilAI photos show people with cancer their lost future’I drove 14 hours to see a Banksy for 10 minutes’The football pitch that doubles as an execution groundMixed feelings over Canada’s drug decriminalisation testEwan McGregor ‘turned into his grandad’ in new roleA view from inside ship that hit Baltimore bridge. 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