As you’ve probably seen, heard or smelled by now, the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, which began in New York’s Zuccotti Park as means of protesting growing economic inequality and corporate greed, have spread across globe. This past Saturday saw thousands take over the Vancouver Art Gallery grounds for Occupy Vancouver in support of the Wall Street protests, with much of the turnout credited to social media. But big shiny cities aren’t the only places where you can find the lumpen masses beating theirs chests and bongos.
• Where: Occupy Deep Cove
Who: Disgruntled residents of the normally peaceful and scenic North Shore waterfront enclave known for its community theatre, kayaking, hiking and mini-doughnuts.
What do they want?: Cheaper mini-doughnuts; less disparity between wealthy retirees and wealthy working couples with no kids; a retina-scan-controlled gate that allows residents in while keeping the weekend riff-raff out.
• Where: Occupy Nanaimo
Who: Dudes and dudettes who are fed up with not just being the 99 per cent, but the 100 per cent of those who don’t control the world’s wealth; jokers, smokers and midnight tokers; dads who wear Kirkland stonewash jeans and white Velcro running shoes from Costco.
What do they want?: Respect; a couple coldies; more people spelling the town’s name correctly; the finish line of the annual Bathtub Race to return to Vancouver’s English Bay like it used to be when people outside of Nanaimo paid attention to it.
• Where: Occupy Marpole
Who: The blue-rinse crowd; people who like to say they live in one of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhoods while living in homes built in 1983; condo-owners who can handle looking directly at Richmond but would never want to live there.
What do they want?: More workshops at the community centre on how to use email; and, ironically, more corporate influence. “Another Starbuck’s would be nice,” says rally organizer Seth Minter. “I mean, I can’t tell you how many blisters I get from my Crocs just so I can enjoy a Pumpkin Spice Latte every day.”
