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Occupy Vancouver alive and well, say protesters
Yolande Cole
Several months after Occupy Vancouver was evicted from the Vancouver Art Gallery, protesters are describing the movement as alive and well.
Occupy Vancouver members have been holding meetings in a space in W2 in the Downtown Eastside and a regular “free market” gathering is held in East Vancouver’s Grandview Park. They also helped organize recent rallies over the federal robocalls affair.
“People that are active in Occupy are still very, very active. They’re just doing different things in different ways,” Occupy Vancouver’s Suresh Fernando told the Straight today (May 1) during a May Day rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery that Occupy Vancouver organized in coordination with B.C. labour groups.
Being back at the art gallery space stirred some feelings for protesters who took part in the tent city that emerged on the site last October.
“Definitely the occupation of the physical space was part of our political expression. It’s a huge part of it. It symbolized so much about the people taking back their rights,” protester Tosh Hyodo told the Straight.
“When we lost the physical space, we kind of lost a part of the very guts of Occupy Vancouver. We had no meeting place. It was turning into winter.”
But things have turned around since then, according to Hyodo.
“I believe that the momentum of Occupy Vancouver is right under the surface, and it just takes a little bit of leadership and a spark of purpose and we will come back together in an instant.”
Neither protester could say whether there are plans to reoccupy a space in the city in the manner of last fall's encampment.
“There might be a sustained occupation but I don’t know, and there’s no sort of immediate plans that I’m aware of,” Fernando said.
*yawn*. So 2011.
legitimacy in the eyes of the public requires real protestors with real grievances. not trust-fund junkies with iphones.
"Occupy" is obviously not "everyone & everywhere". In Vancouver, it is synonymous with a small group that has caused violence, vandalism and death. You have no role in our city.
If you want to change things, we have a democratic system that allows "everyone everywhere" to run for office and form the government. That's how you get support.
You will never get support from anyone...especially when you turn your vandalism on your neighbours on Commercial Drive.
you hit the nail on the head.
occupy vancouver lost all credibility with the vast majority of the public. any legitimacy it had quickly evaporated when the overdoses and party atmosphere became apparent.
if they were serious they would have protested peacefully outside financial institutions rather than blocking traffic and overdosing on the lawn of the art gallery.
The minority in Vancouver are Canadian born! Tha's why it fizzled.This city was sold out to foreigners along time ago. Oil pipelines, Skyrocketing real estate market,Tankers in English Bay, Private International colleges defrauding immigration. The Government has whored out and sold our land. Gordo Christie Clarke, and don't forget Harper and his people. Are selling the nations resources and Jobs at Chinese whole sale prices! Jobs for canadian families! Newly immigrated families that is.