Council reconvenes following protest
The protesters who shut down Vancouver City Hall on Tuesday morning called the action “historic.”
Indeed, none of the elected officials, who were forced to hold a quick alfresco 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 early that morning from the organizers with the Our Homes Can’t Wait Coalition, citing their “demand” that 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 between the trellis and the tulips 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 staff, the activists filed out of the building.
As the crowd departed, a smallbusiness 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.”
“Police have a legal obligation to protect the public’s right to freely speak and assemble,” Doucette said. “Our officers will also try to reduce any impact the protests may have on traffic, local businesses and the public.”
The city couldn’t immediately provide an estimate on the blockade’s impact in terms of lost staff time and other costs, but it was “expected to be low,” said city 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.
“It is important that Vancouver City Hall remains open and accessible to the public and balancing that with ensuring the safety and security of the public, staff and elected officials is a top priority for the city; this includes accommodating non-violent protests such as today’s,” Lambert said in an emailed statement.
By early afternoon, council had reconvened in the chambers, beginning with a staff report on the city’s worsening homelessness crisis. The meeting continued into Tuesday evening.