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Anarchists claim responsibility for torching 'yuppie development' in East Van

Grapefruits

By Grapefruits
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Grapefruits

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Anarchists claim responsibility for torching 'yuppie development' in East Van

Mayor Gregor Robertson has expressed “significant concern” after Vancouver police confirmed arsonists attacked a new home in East Vancouver in a blaze for which anti-gentrification anarchists are claiming responsibility.

Const. Brian Montague said that, had a police patrol not seen the blaze in the 1900-block First Avenue at about 1:45 a.m. Wednesday, people could have died.

Police alerted the fire department and had two neighbouring homes evacuated.

The targeted home, a nearly completed development, was mostly destroyed, and neighbouring homes sustained minor fire damage.

In a posting entitled "Fire to the Condos" on an anarchist news website, the same group that claimed responsibility for recent “anti-gentrification” attacks on Eastside businesses took credit for torching the new home.

“Last night we burned down a yuppie development,” reads the posting from the self-titled Anti-Gentrification Front. “We are tired of seeing our lives and memories being torn down one development at a time. We wish and will create fear for developers in East Vancouver. The class war is heating up.”

The slogan “Fire to the Condos” is the same one seen on a black banner brandished by black-mask-wearing protesters who on May 1 paraded with lighted torches outside the controversial, upscale Downtown Eastside restaurant Pidgin, which is located beside the notorious drug market Pigeon Park.

“It is confirmed to be an arson,” Montague said Thursday, of Wednesday’s home-torching in the Commercial Drive area.

In a statement issued Thursday afternoon, Robertson said: “The alleged arson of a house under construction on East 1st Avenue is of significant concern to me, especially in light of extremist claims made online. I’m in close contact with [Vancouver Police] Chief [Jim] Chu, and the VPD investigation is ongoing.

“Innocent lives could have been lost.”

Neighbour Chris Wasylishyn can’t believe lives were risked in the name of a political statement.

“Whoever did that put lives in danger,” said Wasylishyn. “People could have been killed.

“For what — to make a point?”

The stylized A-for-anarchy symbol was spraypainted near the scorched home’s garage, with the scrawled warning: “We’ll be back.”

Two homes straddling the work site were both damaged as well — a needless act in Wasylishyn’s view.

“It’s very scary,” she said. “This is a very nice neighbourhood, but it’s not a wealthy neighbourhood.”

She noted that the fomer house was boarded up, and squatters had taken up quarters inside.

“The police were very familiar with them — they were called out a few times — I think they should be suspects.”

Rather than protesting a new home, Wasylishyn praised the project.

“To me, this is an improvement.”

Montague said the message posted online was also sent to a Vancouver media outlet, and investigators are trying to determine who is behind the message.

“[The online posting] does make mention of anarchists and the anti-gentrification issue, but it is early in the investigation and we are not able to confirm the motive at this time,” Montague said.

Although the online message seems similar to postings on the same website about vandalism and threats of future vandalism against a Downtown Eastside butcher shop and Bank of Montreal branch, Montague said investigators aren’t ready to link the attacks to any group or “cause.”

Montague said he can’t comment on whether investigators have any knowledge or suspicions of the identities of members of the so-called Anti-Gentrification Front.

“I will say that this fire, whoever caused it, it was extremely dangerous and careless, and could have resulted in the injury or death of innocent people,” Montague said.

That point was also made against the alleged arsonists by other self-proclaimed anarchists and proponents of arson, on the very forum in which the arson responsibility claim was made.

“I definitely think that targeting a structure that close to other residential dwellings is a wee bit irresponsible to say the least,” one anonymous poster wrote. “I generally support arson as a tactic if it’s done in a responsible manner .... avoiding harm to innocent people.”

“Did you even think about the houses and families living right next to the house you set on fire?” another person wrote. “Innocent people could have lost their homes because of your stupid decision of setting a house on fire as a message ... Hope the cops find you.”

While those who claim responsibility for the arson suggest that other new developments in East Vancouver will be attacked in order to fight “rising rent and gentrification,” police are not ready to warn the public.

“We can’t link this to any specific group, so it is tough to say the public needs to be concerned at this point,” Montague said.

Jean Swanson, a Downtown Eastside anti-gentrification advocate with the Carnegie Community Action Project, said her group endorses some protests but has no link to recent anarchist attacks on businesses and homes.

“I don’t know who [the Anti-Gentrification Front] are, that’s for sure, and this [arson] certainly wasn’t us,” Swanson said. “I don’t think that fire is a good way to get your point across, because it’s too dangerous.”

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How anyone can defend these idiots now is beyond me. Time to throw these idiots in jail.

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Bieksasangryface Abbotsford Prospect

Bieksasangryface

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Here is what I do not understand. Vancouver is a pricey city, difficult to afford a decent place in. This didnt happen overnight. I have lived in kits, the west end and now I reside in east van. The reason being price. So how do people that for whatever reason cant earn a living think they deserve to live in the heart of downtown? Give your heads a shake. Move along. Maybe someday the anit-anti gentrification protestors will come along and torch your hood.

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MJDDawg Canucks First-Line

MJDDawg

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Here is what I do not understand. Vancouver is a pricey city, difficult to afford a decent place in. This didnt happen overnight. I have lived in kits, the west end and now I reside in east van. The reason being price. So how do people that for whatever reason cant earn a living think they deserve to live in the heart of downtown? Give your heads a shake. Move along. Maybe someday the anit-anti gentrification protestors will come along and torch your hood.

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Electro Rock Canucks Rookie

Electro Rock

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I don't particularily like the influx of yuppies either, even though I have more money than most of them, what gets me is that most of the "anarchists" and poverty activists you see today seem to be not originally from East Van themselves.

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