Housing protesters force shutdown at city hall
The protesters who shut down Vancouver City Hall Tuesday morning called the action “historic.” Indeed, none of the elected officials, who were forced to hold a quick al fresco council meeting in the city hall garden, could remember a day quite like it.
Tuesday’s blockade sought to shut down city hall operations for the day, according to a statement from the Our Homes Can’t Wait Coalition, citing their “demand” an embattled housing development at 58 West Hastings St. be completely reserved for welfare-rate social housing. About 40 protesters assembled around city hall, barring anyone from entering. A banner draped across a main entrance declared: “No more business as usual.”
Meanwhile, away from the protesters, the mayor and most of council gathered in the garden north of city hall around the time that morning’s council meeting had been scheduled to begin inside.
Council took a quick roll call and began the meeting. It lasted fewer than 20 seconds. Councillors immediately moved a motion to recess, which was approved unanimously.
Following the recess, Mayor Gregor Robertson said: “Obviously it’s a big concern when council can’t meet to do the people’s business here at city hall, as everyone expects us to do.”
Soon after, protesters walked across Cambie Street and into the City of Vancouver permitting offices, chanting and shutting down operations there for a few minutes. One
protester climbed atop office furniture and shouted at confused members of the public and office employees in the room.
After a moment of tension between protesters and security, the activists filed out of the building.
As the crowd departed, a small-business owner waiting her turn in the permit office sat in her chair, visibly distraught by the protesters. She wiped tears from her eyes with a Starbucks napkin.
“I have full-on support for their cause,” said the business owner, who didn’t want her name published for fear of damaging her chances with the city’s permitting process. “I am absolutely supportive because I’m somebody who went through it. I know what it’s like to live on the streets, I know what it’s like to have a welfare cheque that cannot cover your rent.”
But, she said, the protesters’ chosen approach was “horrible.”
“This is not how you get people to come and help and fight for you,” she said. “Everyone here is trying to make ends meet.”
Police officers were on site from 8:30 a.m. until protesters dispersed in the early afternoon, said VPD spokesman Const. Jason Doucette, adding: “The event remained quite peaceful and no arrests were made.”
The city couldn’t immediately provide an estimate on the blockade’s effect in terms of lost staff time and
other costs, but it was “expected to be low,” said spokeswoman Ellie Lambert. The city has contingency plans to ensure business continuity during disruptions, she said, and most staff members who were unable to enter city hall could work remotely.
By early afternoon, council had reconvened in chambers, beginning with a staff report on the city’s worsening homelessness crisis.