The Spectator’s view:

Why are so many people so upset by what happened on Locke Street on Saturday night?

Yes, a group of 30-or-so disguised vandals damaged property, but the damage is estimated at $100,000 or so. Less than most serious house fires. No one was hurt, true. So why all the fuss? Do Hamiltonians care more about property damage than the negative impact of gentrification on vulnerable citizens?

To the latter point, no, of course not. Issues around gentrification are real. People are being pushed out of the only housing they can afford. Some unscrupulous landlords are finding ways to evict tenants so they can remodel and remarket rental units for much more money. Rents in general are sky high, although recent reports suggest the real estate sector is beginning a dramatic cooling down. The City and other concerned groups and individuals have been working on mitigating harm caused by gentrification. More needs to be done, and no doubt it will be.

But it won’t be because anonymous anarchists vandalized small businesses and private property. There is no equivalency. Saturday night’s mayhem will have precisely the opposite effect social justice advocates might hope for. Instead of raising more concerns about issues like gentrification, they will cause many people to associate those issues with violence and vandalism. More people will be more likely to dismiss or minimize these legitimately important issues because of that association.

So how does this sort of so-called protest help anyone? The answer is, of course, it doesn’t. The perpetrators might think they’re helping themselves and their cause — whatever that is — but in reality the opposite is true. And when the police do make one or more arrests, which they almost certainly will, the vandals will end up with criminal records. Congratulations on that.

So part of the reason behind the upset is surely puzzlement. Why would any reasonable person think doing this kind of mischief would help anyone, or change a single mind? The vandals aren’t new to this sort of thing, so they know that already. Which leads to another disturbing observation: They don’t really care about anyone or anything, and they did what they did because they like wrecking things and hurting people.

A quick aside here: Many people have questioned whether police did enough, soon enough. We don’t pretend to know the answer. But when a small number of officers did confront the vandals, they were pelted with rocks. Police decided to call for backup and in the meantime to put officer safety ahead of property damage. That’s not unreasonable.

Another aside: Many have criticized the public school board for renting to the anarchist book fair many believe is linked to the attack. Hindsight is 20/20 and it’s a safe bet that rental won’t be happening next year. But also keep in mind the same rental had led to no problems several previous years. It’s hard to blame the board, especially given the rental wasn’t booked under a title that included the word ‘anarchist.’

Perhaps a big part of the reason so many are upset is that this feels a bit like when your house is broken into. There’s a sense of violation, a feeling of lost security. And perhaps worst, there’s a clear sense we haven’t heard the last of these vandals, or others like them.

So how does this sort of so-called protest help anyone? The answer is, of course, it doesn’t. The perpetrators might think they’re helping their cause — whatever that is — but in reality the opposite is true.