So, I dove into the deep-end and went to the #OccupyCondo event against the Pantages theatre. Shortly after I arrived I noticed we were marching the wrong way down the road! It turns out the story on the Pantages was a decoy- the real target was Sequel 138– a new development labeled “A Downtown Artist and Housing Project”.
A row of blocked buses and cars turning around on Hastings street.
This is a strange choice really, on their website they describe themselves as something that sounds rather positive:
“Sequel 138 will provide affordable, entry-level housing for artists & entry-level housing for workers in non-profits helping the people of the Downtown Eastside. Sequel 138 will provide social housing run by a Downtown Eastside non-profit.”
Sign at the construction site of Sequel 138...
So, to be honest, I’m not sure why this building was being protested against! Perhaps there is more to the story, I will research and share if I find anything out…
Sign used to block Hastings Street in front of Save-On-Meats...
A number of people got themselves inside of the building- people I recognized included Lauren Gill & Richard Porteus.
Lauren Gill, Richard Porteus and others inside the construction site...
Harsha made a short speech- it was well received by the crowds:
After, people gathered to block the front entrance of the building so that the police were unable to remove the demonstrators:
Demonstrators blocking the front entrance of the construction site...
I then went to the back of the building to get a picture of the demonstrators blocking the back entrance. Walking through the alley I ran across Harsha Walia- she stopped me and took time to shake my hand in friendship! I have the feeling we will be able to do great things together in the future. And to imagine, it happened in a dark alley in the DTES!
Demonstrators at the back of the building...
I was a bit uncomfortable with the words they were chanting: “The middle-class don’t understand or care!” I had to make mention that I am of the middle-class and I do indeed care! (that said, still confused by the choice of building.)
Kids dancing at the W Building....
I ended the evening with a walk through the DTES middle-class haven called “W”. Saw some kids street dancing inside…
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Taking a condo development’s website advertising claims at face value is a bit ludicrous.
Also, as much as there are members of the middle class that do get it, realistically the middle class does NOT “get it.” As we’ve seen with Occupy Vancouver, for all its faults, it also showed that much of the middle class will push away things, even if they are in their own best interest, that make them feel icky.
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Agreed, can’t take developer’s word verbatim- which is why I said I’d have to research into the real story behind this new building. And, agreed, most of the middle-class may not get it. That said, some of us do- and blanket statements are as disturbing to me about the middle-class as they are the lower-classes…
interested to hear more about the building choice. lots of folks from all classes are uncertain and unclear.
[…] to concentrate on fighting condos. Gee, you think Harsha would have called for peace by now- she hates new condos, doesn’t she? I thought she hated them like Harper hates […]