A group of residents, businesses and community organizations held a counter protest in the Downtown Eastside today against restaurant protests.
The group, led by the Hastings Crossing Business Improvement Area, issued a statement, calling for activists to stop picketing small businesses in the area.
This Spring, activists protested nightly outside the Pidgin restaurant, located across from Pidgin Park at Hastings and Carrall.
They argue the opening of the restaurant is pushing low-income people out of the area. The restaurant space was empty for the past 20 years.
Last week, the same group of protesters started a new picket outside Cuchillo restaurant on Powell Street, located in another previously vacant commercial space.
The group says they respect the group’s right to protest but they cannot support their strategy of “intimidating customers and residents.”
They are calling on the city, Vancouverites and the media “to recognize personal attacks on businesses and individuals are not acceptable no matter what the rationale and should be systematically ignored.”
Downtown Eastside activist “Homeless Dave” says on twitter that two pickets are planned for tonight; one at 6 p.m. outside Pidgin and the second at 7 p.m. outside Cuchillo.
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