Occupy Vancouver has shifted greatly since the first movement on Oct 15. While widespread public support had been waning, the tragic death of a girl last week at the Art Gallery was certainly a turning point. The mainstream media storm that followed painted the movement has little more than a drug-infested commune. The occupiers on the other hand, share a much different picture.
Do we blame the occupiers? Tristan Markle writes:
It is not the organizers of Occupy Vancouver who decided what “the issues” are, or who drew up a set of pre-determined “demands.” The issues were already there, and the protest simply opened a fissure through which the nightmare of reality bubbled through. The “tension” created by Occupy Vancouver is the tension of a city forced to deal with its problems.
What we are witnessing is the shadow of Vancouver, one of the world’s “most livable cities.” It is the same shadow that revealed itself after the Canucks lost the Stanley Cup, and the streets burned with inexplicable rage. This is the shadow that we have repressed, and is now returning with a vengeance.
To all those who have condemned the movement for losing its way, please consider: no one likes to look their shadow in the face. And yet if we can learn to accept it, to integrate it, learn from it, our shadow can heal our city in ways we have never known.
Ian MacKenzie is a filmmaker based in Vancouver, BC. He shoots video journalism, documentary films, and original webseries, with a focus on "new paradigm" thinkers, artists, and activists. 
