Paul Finch, president of the BC General Employees' Union, told the crowd the union "didn't set out to pick a fight" with the government.
B.C.'s tourism minister said in June that about 350,000 people are expected to visit Vancouver during the World Cup.
First Nations in B.C., environmental groups and that province's premier lined up in opposition to the plan.
The Jane Goodall Institute announced Wednesday that she had died of natural causes while in California during a U.S. speaking tour. She was 91.
A national spy watchdog has found "a lack of rigour" in the way the Canada Revenue Agency selects charities for audits over terrorism concerns, saying the process introduces risks of bias and discrimination.
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations responded to the results of a recent forensic audit saying it has a robust system of financial management, accountability and transparency, but that processes during the probe hindered the organization's ability to provide relevant information.