Occupy Vancouver Protesters

[I_AM_CANUCKIAN]

As much as I respect the movement. I cannot support it how it currently is being run. The message has lost its way and a bunch of drug dealers/users have ruined it. I still support the Occupy movement but not in this form. I also don't have an answer to turn this back around so this is supported by the public again.

BTW-this only applies to Occupy Vancouver. I am with the original organizers who have been stating the movement has basically lost its way. I still support Occupy Wall Street though.

[Wetcoaster]

Good to see the OV protesters are taking direct action against business. Power to the people. Changing the world one food cart at a time.

A couple of Vancouver food bloggers have cranked up the social media machine to drum up support for food cart operators adjacent to Occupy Vancouver at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The cart owners have had to relocate, losing regular customers, and have been suffering as a result.

The bloggers have declared Friday as Support The Food Carts Day.

“This is not a political post. This has nothing to do with my feelings or opinions about the Occupy movement,” Mary Sheridan says on her blog (maryinvancity.com). “This is about a girl who likes to eat, who wants to help the food carts around the VAG site. Most of these small businesses are dipping into their savings just to stay afloat. The owners are already working more than 14 hours a day just to make ends meet.”

Stop by the area, she says, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday for lunch, a snack or a take-home dinner.

The affected carts, Re-up BBQ and Mom’s Grilled Cheese, are now located on Robson Street at Howe, and Mangal Kiss has moved to Georgia at Burrard.

Another blogger Sean Neild (seansadventuresinflavourtown.com) says the support picked up steam within hours of the blog and Twitter posts.

“It’s been a double whammy for these owners who did not forecast this. Who would have thought a protest would kill their business?”

City officials allowed cart owners to relocate to nearby locations, but they’ve lost their regulars “who have set paths, won’t deviate a block or don’t know where they’ve moved to,” says Neild. He says some protesters were urinating in front of the carts, harassing owners for free food and being racist towards friends he had sent to support the businesses. “I think the protesters need to know they’re killing these small businesses, but they don’t care at all. It wasn’t an option to stay there.”

Michael Kaisaris, of Re-up BBQ, has two locations, one next to the Occupy site on Hornby Street and another on Robson at Howe. “We were going to close the one on Robson for the winter and keep the Hornby site open because it usually does massively better. But we knew we couldn’t stay on Hornby [beside the protesters]. Last winter, there wasn’t a day where we sold below four dozen [bBQ] sandwiches there.” At the Robson site, they’re “way below break-even,” he says. “At the Hornby location, even on a cruddy day, we’d do twice what we’re doing here.” He and his partners are dipping into their savings to keep going, he says.

He says the Re-up team is supportive of the original goals of the movement. “But it’s no longer an inviting place for a successful protest. It looks like a Third World village and it’s not attractive to the ‘99 per cent’ who happen also to be our customers. We’re not the enemy. We’re not the one per cent. We support the move for equality.”

Kaisaris says the Mangal Kiss cart was hit the hardest because the owner just opened in the fall and didn’t have time to establish the business. “They were just beginning to build up regulars. It hit him really hard and he may not be able to stay open. He does amazing, amazing Israeli shish kebabs.”

It’s difficult to measure the impact of Occupy Vancouver against the start of the cold, rainy season, but Jason Apple, of Roaming Dragon food truck at Burrard and Robson, says the art gallery site comes with an advantage. “The location brings unexpected value. There are events, rallies, films and they enjoy a surge in business. I definitely would not want to have my business in the heart of Occupy Vancouver. No question about that.”

Elsie Born, who runs the Finest at Sea cart at Robson and Howe, says she feels even a block away from the site, her business has slowed. “It’s partly the weather and partly that it’s not the tourist season, but I only have my regulars coming now. The foot traffic seems way down. It’s hard to tell because it’s my first year, but we’re cutting our hours and going down to three days [Thursday, Friday and Saturday],” she says.

http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Bloggers+cook+support+owners+relocated+Vancouver+food+carts/5722501/story.html

[Wetcoaster]

There is a pending protest in Vancouver that is directly related to the OWS protest. The owner of Zuccotti Park is a Canadian company, Brookfield Properties - one of the largest commercial real estate companies in the world. Members of Occupy Vancouver have two marches planned today (12 p.m. and 4 p.m.) to the 1055 W. Georgia St. headquarters of Brookfield Properties.

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Occupy+Vancouver+protesters+plan+march+Brookfield+Properties+headquarters/5726092/story.html#ixzz1dzTKfQLi

In Solidarity with Occupations around the world, Occupy Vancouver will march for a Day of Action, Thursday November 17th. Our first march will gather at the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG), and march at 12:00pm through downtown with key targets: see map

A second march will gather at the VAG, for a March at 4pm,

with a

key target of stomping on

Brookfield Properties offices in multiple cities

, to show solidarity with #OccupyWallStreet.

http://www.occupyvancouver.com/

In a press release, Occupy Vancouver's media team declared the "Occupy Brookfield!" action in solidarity with the evicted New York Occupiers "as well as many other Occupy sites currently under threat of eviction."

[Wetcoaster]

For those downtown this afternoon you could encounter traffic disruptions as a result of the two OV protest marches

Organizers of the Occupy Vancouver encampment are planning an afternoon march through the downtown core as a show of solidarity with the global movement.

The marchers are expected to walk a planned route starting from the Vancouver Art Gallery at noon. According to a release, the march will go:

• North on Thurlow Street to the U.S. consulate on Pender Street;

• East on Pender;

• North on Burrard Street; and,

• East on Cordova Street.

Protesters will be escorted by Vancouver police officers during the march.

Traffic disruptions should be expected in those areas at times between noon and 4 p.m.

http://blogs.theprovince.com/2011/11/17/nov-17-occupy-vancouver-march-to-disrupt-downtown-traffic/

[Sharpshooter]

Good to see the OV protesters are taking direct action against business. Power to the people. Changing the world one food cart at a time.

A couple of Vancouver food bloggers have cranked up the social media machine to drum up support for food cart operators adjacent to Occupy Vancouver at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The cart owners have had to relocate, losing regular customers, and have been suffering as a result.

The bloggers have declared Friday as Support The Food Carts Day.

"This is not a political post. This has nothing to do with my feelings or opinions about the Occupy movement," Mary Sheridan says on her blog (maryinvancity.com). "This is about a girl who likes to eat, who wants to help the food carts around the VAG site. Most of these small businesses are dipping into their savings just to stay afloat. The owners are already working more than 14 hours a day just to make ends meet."

Stop by the area, she says, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Friday for lunch, a snack or a take-home dinner.

The affected carts, Re-up BBQ and Mom's Grilled Cheese, are now located on Robson Street at Howe, and Mangal Kiss has moved to Georgia at Burrard.

Another blogger Sean Neild (seansadventuresinflavourtown.com) says the support picked up steam within hours of the blog and Twitter posts.

"It's been a double whammy for these owners who did not forecast this. Who would have thought a protest would kill their business?"

City officials allowed cart owners to relocate to nearby locations, but they've lost their regulars "who have set paths, won't deviate a block or don't know where they've moved to," says Neild. He says some protesters were urinating in front of the carts, harassing owners for free food and being racist towards friends he had sent to support the businesses. "I think the protesters need to know they're killing these small businesses, but they don't care at all. It wasn't an option to stay there."

Michael Kaisaris, of Re-up BBQ, has two locations, one next to the Occupy site on Hornby Street and another on Robson at Howe. "We were going to close the one on Robson for the winter and keep the Hornby site open because it usually does massively better. But we knew we couldn't stay on Hornby [beside the protesters]. Last winter, there wasn't a day where we sold below four dozen [bBQ] sandwiches there." At the Robson site, they're "way below break-even," he says. "At the Hornby location, even on a cruddy day, we'd do twice what we're doing here." He and his partners are dipping into their savings to keep going, he says.

He says the Re-up team is supportive of the original goals of the movement. "But it's no longer an inviting place for a successful protest. It looks like a Third World village and it's not attractive to the '99 per cent' who happen also to be our customers. We're not the enemy. We're not the one per cent. We support the move for equality."

Kaisaris says the Mangal Kiss cart was hit the hardest because the owner just opened in the fall and didn't have time to establish the business. "They were just beginning to build up regulars. It hit him really hard and he may not be able to stay open. He does amazing, amazing Israeli shish kebabs."

It's difficult to measure the impact of Occupy Vancouver against the start of the cold, rainy season, but Jason Apple, of Roaming Dragon food truck at Burrard and Robson, says the art gallery site comes with an advantage. "The location brings unexpected value. There are events, rallies, films and they enjoy a surge in business. I definitely would not want to have my business in the heart of Occupy Vancouver. No question about that."

Elsie Born, who runs the Finest at Sea cart at Robson and Howe, says she feels even a block away from the site, her business has slowed. "It's partly the weather and partly that it's not the tourist season, but I only have my regulars coming now. The foot traffic seems way down. It's hard to tell because it's my first year, but we're cutting our hours and going down to three days [Thursday, Friday and Saturday]," she says.

http://www.vancouver...2501/story.html

[Wetcoaster]

Eggs.........omelet?

[JustJokinen!]

On a side note, how hilarious is the abbreviation for the Vancouver Art Gallery? And that it's constantly in the news now?

Yes, I am 12 years old.

[Common sense]

On a side note, how hilarious is the abbreviation for the Vancouver Art Gallery? And that it's constantly in the news now?

Yes, I am 12 years old.

[Sharpshooter]

Hogs........Pulled pork?

[aGENT]

As much as I respect the movement. I cannot support it how it currently is being run. The message has lost its way and a bunch of drug dealers/users have ruined it. I still support the Occupy movement but not in this form. I also don't have an answer to turn this back around so this is supported by the public again.

BTW-this only applies to Occupy Vancouver. I am with the original organizers who have been stating the movement has basically lost its way. I still support Occupy Wall Street though.

[Wetcoaster]

Wait....what were we talking about again??

[bjh]

The only thing Occupy protesters have been successful at in my eyes is pissing me off.

Just being honest.

[JustJokinen!]

I guess I'm a career protestor. I occupied the VAG 22 years ago.

[Wetcoaster]

The latest update on the injunction hearing. The City is arguing that tent pegs being driven through a waterproof membrane could result in leaks damaging art stored below the plaza.

The City points out many public groups use the site and they apply for permits. OV by setting up an encampment is denying the use of this public space to other groups.

The City contends that there no exceptional circumstances that should allow the protesters to remain and said that the “balance of convenience” ( one of the tests for an injunction where competing rights are being balanced) favours the removal of the tents, which are in violation of city bylaws.

Occupy Vancouver's tent city poses a threat to the Vancouver Art Gallery’s “very large” permanent collection of art stored in a vault underneath the protest site, a judge heard Thursday.

City lawyer Ben Parkin told B.C. Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Anne MacKenzie that the tent stakes driven into the lawn are a danger to a waterproof membrane just below the surface that protects the vault.

Normally structures that the city allows on the lawn are secured with sandbags or cement blocks in order to protect the membrane, he said.

If there is a sustained period of rain, water could leak through the membrane into the vault, he added.

“Damage to that membrane could result in damage to the collection of the art gallery.”

Parkin told the judge that the site is a popular one for many groups that seek permission from the city for a temporary permit.

Between December and May 2012 there are 36 events scheduled for the site.

Parkin said some events are religious, some political and some athletic, including the Vancouver Sun Run. He argued that by pitching tents permanently on the site, the protesters are saying no one else can use it.

“This is a site that is desirable and commonly used by many groups, hundreds of groups over the years, and should not be taken over by one particular political group.”

Jason Gratl, a lawyer for one of the protesters, objected to Parkin’s submissions, saying that the protesters aren’t trying to exclude others from the site.

Justice MacKenzie said she understood Gratl’s point but added that Parkin was entitled to suggest that inferences could be drawn from the evidence.

The city lawyer earlier told the judge that while there was some compliance with the city fire code, there was a “great deal” of unruly behaviour onsite, including open consumption of alcohol and drugs.

“This is a public health issue. There is a general lack of order on site which is not easy for the police to control.”

The submissions came on the second day of an application by the city for an injunction to clear out the tent city.

Parkin argued that there were no exceptional circumstances that should allow the protesters to remain and said that the “balance of convenience” favours the removal of the tents, which are in violation of city bylaws.

http://www.theprovince.com/news/City+lawyer+says+Occupy+Vancouver+tent+pegs+pose+threat+collection/5727530/story.html#ixzz1e0Gv4jS8

Counsel for one of the OV protesters, Jason Gratl is arguing that the tents constitute expressive content and should be allowed based upon his interpretation of the Falun Gong protest case. In the Falun Gong case it was clear that the small lean-to structure did not interfere with passage on a sidewalk nor deny public space to anyone walking on the sidewalk. IMHO Gratl is stretching to fit that case here as similar argument failed in respect of a tent city erected on Parliament Hill in which the facts are more relevant.

The case of Weisfeld v. Canada, which concerned the RCMP’s dismantling of a peace camp on Parliament Hill. A federal court ruled that the police actions were a justified limit on freedom of expression. In other words, the government had a legitimate interest in protecting the grounds and ensuring the openness of Parliament Hill. Those arguments seemingly apply to VAG, where the city maintains that the grounds have been damaged and access to the park has been impaired.

http://reports.fja.gc.ca/eng/1995/1995fca0217.html

The tent city that is part of the Occupy Vancouver protest is a danger to millions of dollars of art held in a vault beneath the plaza.

City lawyer Ben Parkin said in court today that the art vault contains the permanent collection of the Vancouver Art Gallery and is protected by a waterproof membrane.

Users of the north plaza are required to agree not to use tent pegs but cement blocks and sandbags to avoid penetrating the vault membrane, the lawyer told a judge who is hearing the city's application for an injunction to shut down the tent city.

The art vault membrane is about a foot beneath the plaza, Parkin said, and occupiers have been repeatedly asked not to use tent pegs.

He pointed out that the site has attracted an unruly group that has resulted in two drug overdoses, including the tragic death of a young woman found in a tent earlier this month.

Protesters also have been involved in fist fights and assaulted police and firefighters who arrived to put out a fire in a steel barrel.

Protesters claimed it was a "sacred fire" started by first nations elders.

Parkin told the court that fire department has maintained a costly 24-hour watch at the site, which has used hundreds of hours of time taken away from regular duties.

That's one of the reasons an interim injunction should be granted, the city lawyer said.

He said protesters have largely complied with the judge's order last week to take down tarps that posed a fire and safety hazard, but it has been extremely expensive to have constant monitoring.

Occupy Vancouver began its occupation of the gallery's north plaza on Oct. 15.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson has said he wants the tent city to vacate the city property by Grey Cup weekend at the end of the month.

The injunction application hearing, which began Wednesday, is set for three days.

B.C. Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Anne MacKenzie could give a ruling by Friday -- a day before the civic election. The mayor's handling of the Occupy Vancouver protest has become an election issue.

The judge accepted applications today from three people who want to be added by defendants in the injunction application.

One is long-time activist Betty Krwaczyk, 83, who was sentenced to 10 months in jail for defying a court order to vacate a protest at Eagleridge Bluffs in West Vancouver.

The protest was over sensitive habitat that was destroyed by upgrading the Sea to Sky Highway to Whistler before the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Krwaczyk, who is in court for the injunction proceedings, says she will be affected by an injunction if it is granted.

Lawyer Jason Gratl, representing one of the demonstrators, is opposed to granting the city's injunction application, saying it would violate the protesters' rights to freedom of expression.

"It would not be fitting in these circumstances to rely on a constitutionally suspect bylaw," he argued earlier.

"The structures themselves have expressive content," Gratl added. "They are political structures."

The defence lawyers have also argued that almost half of the people living in tents at Occupy Vancouver are homeless people.

http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Occupy+Vancouver+protest+poses+danger+injunction+hearing+told/5727491/story.html#ixzz1e0HKBUJp

[Sharpshooter]

The food carts being forced out by OV protesters including Re-up BBQ.

The house special is a pulled pork sandwich.

Your analogy was eggs and omelette so I responded with hog and pulled pork (sandwich).

Do try to keep up, eh?? Or you will again be hoist on your own petard.

[John316]

The dude screams to be heard and free speech/protest but demonstrates nothing but rude behaviour. Mi Jung was very gracious about it . Protest corruption in banks? Banks in Canada are heavily regulated and did not and will not lend money to non qualified applicants...debt/equity ratios have always been 75/25 minimum and anything higher is via CMHC insured.

Protest corporate greed? Yes absolutely. Anyone doing anything illegal should be dealt with via white collar crime laws etc... but the highly paid execs...what can you do if the board of directors elected by the shareholders pay them w performance stock options. Elect NEW board of directors who will not compromise integrity for greed/profit.

But seriously this occupy vancouver seems more like squatting and just protesting b/c there is a protest going on. IMO

[CIA]

35. We demand that post-secondary education be free with no hidden user fees. We demand that most outstanding student loans should be forgiven based upon income.

36. We demand that herbalists and naturopaths have their services covered by the health-care system.

39. We demand that prostitution be legalized and regulated as it is in New Zealand.

41. We demand the release of all non-violent prisoners.

[Wetcoaster]

uhh...some of these demands are just silly. They need to cut down the demands and make them more realistic.

[jovocop55]

The only thing Occupy protesters have been successful at in my eyes is pissing me off.

Just being honest.

[Sharpshooter]

uhh...some of these demands are just silly. They need to cut down the demands and make them more realistic.