Olympic Outsiders

If you can't be inside the Olympic Games, then follow Seattle Times producers, reporters, videographers and Olympic fans as we take you to the streets of Vancouver, B.C., to show you what's happening on the ground and give you a taste of the scene swirling around the 2010 winter games.

February 13, 2010 at 10:46 AM

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Protests in downtown Vancouver

Posted by Seattle Times staff

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GENEVIEVE ALVAREZ/SEATTLETIMES.COM

A security guard stands in front of Hudson Bay Company where shortly before 10 a.m more 200 protesters threw newspaper boxes into the store windows near the intersection of Granville and Georgia Streets in Vancouver, B.C.

GENEVIEVE ALVAREZ/SEATTLETIMES.COM

A security guard stands in front of Hudson Bay Company near the intersection of Granville and Georgia Streets in Vancouver, B.C.

GENEVIEVE ALVAREZ/SEATTLETIMES.COM

Hudson Bay Company in Vancouver, B.C.

MEGHAN PETERS/SEATTLETIMES.COM

A newspaper box smashed through a window in downtown Vancouver.

@pugsnpucks

A smashed window in Vancouver.

@stephenhui

Protesters in downtown Vancouver.

A group of protesters broke a window at the Hudson's Bay Company on Granville Street near the intersection of W. Georgia Street this morning. They splattered red paint on the glass to simulate blood.

Police quickly assembled to break up the group that was estimated at 200 protesters dressed mostly in black and wearing bandannas.

According to the Vancouver Sun, two police officers were injured when protesters threw debris at them. Police were seen carrying away one protester.

In the end, the aftermath may have been as much of a tourist draw as a protest. Throngs of tourists were snapping pictures of the damage all morning long. Most commented their disapproval of the protest.

"That's private property. It's not hurting anyone. It's just a window," said Veronika Stewart, a 24 year-old political science student at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver.

Jim Burkinshaw of Vancouver voiced his disgust at the protesters actions.

"They do not represent this city at all. They are not protesters. They are anarchists," said Burkinshaw.

Rich Gorman, Senior Vice President of the Hudson's Bay Company, said that people coming by the store expressed sadness and disgust at the act of vandalism.

"It's a bit of a disruption for business. Nobody was hurt. That's the key," said Gorman of the protest.

Unlike the protests that occurred during last night Opening Ceremonies which was organized to have legal observers, today's protest had none.

Seattle Times reporter Kristi Heim and producer Meghan Peters contributed to this report.

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Olympic Outsiders

Protests in downtown Vancouver

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