VANCOUVER — Suspicious Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel employees tried to question two protesters Monday before they jumped onto a stage to disrupt a Vancouver Board of Trade session featuring Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

But the climate-change activists, dressed in waiter outfits they bought at Value Village, evaded both a heavy security blanket and the three hotel workers before getting onstage with signs denouncing the Harper government’s climate change record.

Sean Devlin and Shireen Soofi got within arm’s reach of Harper before surprised RCMP officials grabbed and escorted them out of the building. They were eventually released without charges.

The security breach at the downtown hotel occurred while Harper participated in a friendly question-and-answer session aimed at promoting his government’s economic agenda.

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Soofi said it was “quite easy” to get through a security cordon that had all official participants identified with special passes and an RCMP bomb-sniffing dog that checked all equipment carried in by the media.

“We just dressed up in black and walked into the hotel and into the room and walked onstage,” she said, noting she bought a cheap black shirt from Value Village for the ruse.

Hotel workers became suspicious because the protesters’ garb didn’t match outfits worn by serving staff, according to Fairmont Hotels regional vice-president Phil Barnes.

“They were dressed in black and they weren’t wearing name tags,” he said. “Our servers were dressed in black and white and they wore name tags.”

Vancouver police were also at the event and Sgt. Randy Fincham said the investigation is ongoing.

“Our members are still working with the RCMP to determine if criminal charges are warranted,” he said.

The prime minister joked about the breach — “It wouldn’t be B.C. without it,” Harper quipped to laughter and applause — but RCMP Cpl. Lucy Shorey said the Mounties take the incident “very seriously.

“To ensure the safety of the Prime Minister, specific details on security measures can’t be provided,” she said. “We’re reviewing the incident to decide what measures need to be taken.”

The duo managed to get past a security cordon that had all official participants identified with special passes.

Reporters covering the event were sequestered in a holding room a floor below the event so an RCMP bomb-sniffing dog could check over all of the cameras and equipment they brought in.

Prime Minister’s Office press secretary Carl Vallee said the PMO doesn’t comment on security-related matters.

The protesters are part of a group affiliated with Brigette DePape, a former Senate page who walked onto the Senate floor with a “Stop Harper” sign during a 2011 throne speech.

“These actions are taking place as part of a global movement of groups who are directly confronting the fossil fuel industry,” the group said in a news release after the incident.

Vancouver Board of Trade CEO Iain Black said the RCMP and Prime Minister’s security detail were in charge of security arrangements so he couldn’t comment on their protocols. But he said all of the guests attending were accredited to be there, and all of them were Board of Trade members.