While nearly two thousand different cities around the world are facing ongoing protests allied with the Occupy Wall Street movement, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»is probably one of the few where it has become a hot-button election issue.
The question of what to door not to doabout the Occupy Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»protesters that have been camping out on the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Art Gallerys north plaza since Oct. 15 was front and centre at a well-attended city council meeting Tuesday, Nov. 1, the final meeting of council before the Nov. 19 election.
Mayoral candidate Suzanne Anton, the lone NPA member on the Vision Vancouver-led city council, wanted the protesters given one weeks notice to pack up and go home.
Standing back and hoping for the best is not a plan, said Anton. There is a significant cost in terms of business to the hotels, to food vendors, the neighbouring businesses and also a significant cost to our citys reputation, and also to the taxpayers, over half a million dollars to date. The point is people are good, protest is good, but tents are not and are causing a significant inconvenience.
Anton failed to find a seconder to put her motion forward to a vote. Her wish to send in police to end the protest went against the recommendations of city staff, who are instead advocating what they call a watch and wait approach. There is a lot of public resonance with a lot of the issues that are discussed through this global protest, and up to this time the protest in Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»has been peaceful and cooperative and reasonably responsive to our requests, said city manager Penny Ballem. We would like to try and resolve this over time through peaceful means We havent provoked any major confrontation and we dont want to do that. We know that if we push too hard, we could get it back.
Police Chief Jim Chu pointed out other cities have sent in police to end Occupy protests and it hasnt worked. In other jurisdictions where theyve tried to end it with police intervention, it hasnt ended it, said Chu, citing the examples of Chicago and Oakland where protesters simply turned up again after violent mass arrests. Our role in the police department is to help facilitate lawful protest. We want the safety of the protesters as well as the public If the police are going to be asked to move in, we would prefer that an injunction is obtained.
Ballem added that a court injunction might not be even granted because it would require proving there are significant risks to the public, and judges might decide protesters right to freedom of expression under the Canadian Charter of Rights would trump private property rights.
Lauren Gill, an Occupy Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»protester who is also running for city council, said it would be counterproductive to try to end the protest without addressing the issues it is raising.
Were not going anywhere, Gill told reporters after council adjourned. The reality of the situation is even if they move us from the art gallery, its going to pop up somewhere else.
Twitter: @flematic
