I would very much like to find the cowardly jackass(es) who thought this was a good idea. The Bay at Granville & West Georgia that contains the HBC Olympic store was vandalized this morning when red paint was thrown on the building and some of the giant display windows were smashed in.
This isn't protesting the Olympics so much as stupid shit-disturbing.
The opening ceremonies last night were phenomenally well done and frankly seemed to be the best ones ever produced, which makes this all the more infuriating. There are some valid points that Olympic protesters are putting forth – when they’re genuine Olympic protesters. Many of them – distinguishable by the black hoodies and masks they wear to hide their identities – are just anarchists, enjoying the attention of the global media and participating in the destruction of public and private property.
Jeff was watching the news this morning and there were shots of cars being vandalised on Robson, newspaper boxes thrown around – this is not the work of sincere social protest. Some random people seemed to get in on the action because it was an opportunity to get away with vandalism – At one point Jeff saw some young mom pushing her child in a stroller, who stopped to kick over a newspaper box.
Seriously, what the hell?
The windows were repaired in a few hours and the police are investigating.
If anything, this kind of crap hurts the causes of the earnest political protesters, and I’m sure they’re frustrated as hell that this is the message that gets attention, and detracts from their credibility. I know it’s unlikely, but I sincerely hope that the idiots responsible get caught trying to pull something else and have the book thrown at them.
Well said!