I went to visit some of the hoarding that covered the windows broken during the riot and is covered in apparent messages of support for the city or messages of thanks and outpourings, I found reading some of it as terrifying as the riot. There is also some kind of flag project happening. The ending is firmly being scribed and hoisted on this episode without there being any real interrogation about it. We have had only gasp horror, deflection, and we’re onto the reconciliation stations.

A man passed while I was reading the words (very repetitive) and shouted out The Bay won, The Bay won. It was the most pertinent statement I read. Another collective identity has already been dreamed up by the marketing men before we’ve dealt with the ramifications of the last half hatched one that actually  in part gave rise to these riots. This time it’s Van Love and we’re encouraged to hang it in our windows. But heads in the flagged sentiment of it shouldn’t have happened rather than why or what might have contributed to it happening .. onward we traipse.

Down the road the postal workers had an active picket line that was not crowded with people taking pictures of themselves beside scribblings. Given the state of organized labour and the attempts to undermine it, a picture of a picket line might actually prove a more pertinent historical recording.

Vancouver has managed to turn a riot into a tourist attraction within a few days.