As the torch made its way through Chinatown’s beautiful and ornate Millennium Gate it was greeted with a caucaphonous din of cymbals, drums and cheering. Costume dragons danced and swayed, spooking some of the VPD horses escorting the torch bearer. I could tell the cops had already had a long day. The excitement in the air here right now is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. New Years, Grey Cup, Expo, even Canucks playoff runs come nowhere near the intensity.
The scale of these games, and the tension here around them, are something incredible to witness.
Before the torch made its way to Main and Hastings, a nexus or hub of Vancouver’s lowest income neighborhood, it was blocked by protesters.
I was waiting for the sonic crowd control device to pierce my brain but the protest remained civil.
Residents in single room occupancy hotels hung out the windows smoking indifferently while independent and accredited media jockeyed for the best positions in the crowd. Many were wondering if the torch would be swarmed entirely as it made its way through here, but with the police station nearby, and so many plainclothes cops on rooftops and what appeared to be private military contractors escorting the runner it was unlikely anything major would go down. Besides, the RCMP have those insane space-aged sonic crowd control cannons and and frankly I, and I’m sure everyone else here, don’t want our heads exploding like in Scanners.
Is that Blackwater? Kellog Brown and Root? Who is that running with the torch?
As I stood taking photos, chants of “Homes not Games!” filled the air outside Carnegie Centre. Red smocks, tents and placards protested the use of funds (billions and billions of funds) for such a huge event when so many need housing and support in this neighborhood. Though the turnout was large, and a little tense, the torch still made its way down Main without major incident. In fact, one of BOB’s SEP (Supported Employment Program) participants ,Robert, was even one of the torch bearers. Way to go Robert!
Robert and Lani on Main and Hastings
Chinatown will be having another big event this weekend on Sunday, when we all celebrate Chinese New Year. Come on down for firecrackers, more dancing dragons and the burning of effigies. I LOVE burning effigies. So satisfying.
Check out BOB’s Flickr account for more great photos of the Torch Relay and follow us on Twitter.
