Number 7 of Top 11 of 2011

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Occupy Vancouver’s encampment in front of the Art Gallery lasted five weeks, becoming a central issue in the civic election.

It started October 15th, as 5,000 supporters of Occupy Wall Street, gathered in downtown Vancouver.  

Occupy Medic Mathew Kagis says people were concerned about the growing gap between rich and poor.

“The system is broken, and we no longer trust the system to fix it,” said Kagis.

About a hundred people set up tents, and stuck around – winning some support, but angering others.

Mayor Gregor Robertson was pressured by opponent Suzanne Anton, to dismantle the camp, especially after one protester died of a drug overdose.

“We took an approach that was relentlessly seeking a peaceful resolution, and not pushing too hard to create any kind of conflict,” said Robertson

The city enforced safety regulations, eventually winning a court injunction to push Occupy out.

The campers shifted to the nearby provincial courts, but only stayed a day, as the province gained a second injunction to move them.

Finally in Grandview Park, Occupiers decided against setting up a new camp.

Subsequent Occupy Vancouver protests in December have been significantly smaller.

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