First night a chilly one for Occupy Vancouver tent city

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – A kaleidoscope of tents and protesters at the Art Gallery is a reminder that Occupy Vancouver demonstrators are in it for the long haul.

Roughly 100 people who camped out overnight say they plan to stay there indefinitely to show support for the “Occupy” movements targeting corporate greed and a host of other issues around the world.

The first night camped outside surrounded by downtown towers was a chilly one and the second night promises to be much the same, but the campers are not complaining. Krystal from Squamish says the first night was a peaceful one.

“I was in a tent with three of my friends and we had probably 10 or 13 blankets, and we had them all layered up and down and on top, and tons of pillows, and I have a kitten,” she says.

She has to eventually return to Squamish, unlike other protesters who vow to stay until they’re asked to leave.

The encampment has at least two dozen tents, a first aid station, paramedics, a sound system, and lots of security personnel.

Mark admits he knew nothing about the Wall Street protests and only intended to drop off a tent, but now he’s here “until they tell me to leave, or my medical leave runs out.”

He says he joined the protest because people and the planet should come before profits.

Some skeptics are questioning the longevity of the Occupy movement.

“A lot of people think this going to fizzle out because it’s got no central goal, there’s not one specific thing they want,” says Armine Yalnizyan with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

But she herself supports the rally and believes this is an uprising that’s here to stay because there’s a greater issue at stake.

“This isn’t just about taxing the rich or only getting our governments to pay attention, it’s about the whole thing, the bigger picture,” she says. “It’s about making sure both the economy and the democracy that we live in work together for the majority.”

Yalnizyan also doesn’t think this is about to dissipate anytime soon because the lower and middle classes have simply had enough of the upper class.

“People are sick and tired of watching the financial heavyweights say the government should get out of the way, except when things go belly-up for themselves and suddenly they need help themselves. This is what Occupy Wall Street is all about, this is why it’s taking off all over the world.”

She adds our current financial situation isn’t going to change without this kind of global demonstration.

“The policies we have in place are get rich policies, but the vast majority of Canadians are not getting rich,” she says.  “The bottom line is we need the rich, they need us, so let’s figure out how to balance things better.”

No arrests were made during the first day of Occupy Vancouver on Saturday when nearly 5,000 people marched throughout the downtown core.