Is VANOC encouraging vandalism by placing the Countdown Clock in such a prominent place?

Nelson Wong
Assaulted Fish comedy troupe (observing clock outside the Vancouver Art Gallery)
“Where else would it go? I guess they have to put it in a prominent place, but I'm surprised it hasn't already been vandalized. There is a lot of emotion, and obviously opposition, around the 2010 Olympics coming here.”

Howard Chow
Constable, Vancouver police department
“Has it been damaged?”¦I think it's a beautiful piece. I know some people don't want it there, but VANOC can't be blamed for somebody choosing to resort to criminal behaviour to damage it. You can't turn that around and then put the blame on the victim.”

Anna Hunter
Organizer, Anti-Poverty Committee
“I think VANOC is encouraging huge social upheaval by supporting the Olympics and bringing the Olympics to Vancouver. People are being put out on the streets. It's clear where the priorities lie, and that is catering to tourists and to athletes and to the elite in this city.”

Neil Boyd
Professor and associate director, SFU school of criminology
“There's a constituency that supports the clock. To ask, ”˜Does that encourage vandalism?' is to say that if you disagree with something you ought to be entitled to vandalize it, and I don't think that's a reasonable assumption.”

David Eby
Lawyer, Pivot Legal Society
“I don't think they're encouraging vandalism, but I do think the clock [placement] was poorly planned. The Olympics are attracting a lot of controversy and VANOC has had to put 24-hour security on it. If they had planned it better—if it was 20 feet in the air—they wouldn't have the issue.”