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For the first time in 30 years of fighting for human rights in China, Mabel Tung and Fenella Sung felt afraid last weekend.

They were among the hundreds who went to rallies in Vancouver to support the Hong Kong’s peaceful protest movement. They came face to face with counter-protesters who walked up to them and took close-up photos of them on their phones.

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They were already unnerved by social media postings by some counter-protesters claiming they would bring knives, stones, bricks and even an axe and a pellet gun to the Broadway SkyTrain station and outside the Chinese consul general’s home and urging others to do the same.

Vancouver police turned out in force to ensure everyone’s safety. Still, one protest scheduled for downtown Saturday night was cancelled.

Photo by DON MACKINNON / AFP/Getty Images

In Montreal, after police advised Pride Parade organizers of “a potential attempt to sabotage the parade by pro-Communists,” a group of LGBT supporters from ACTION Free Hong Kong was told to stay away from Sunday’s parade that included Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Quebec Premier Francois Legault, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Green Leader Elizabeth May.