Occupy Vancouver: Live blog

5:47: Crowds thinning (some people staying overnight), Granville Skytrain packed, but some awesome photos from our former VO intern Brittany Tiplady here:

photos by Brittany Tiplady

4:50: A sign showing few reasons why youth were at Occupy Vancouver protest, although there was an increase for minimum wage. Photo by Rich Kobelt:

4:15: A speaker read out Jack Layton's final letter, big crowd response.

4:09: Still lots of people asking what the protest is really about. 

"#occupyvancouver because: Corporate profits quadrupled in BC in the 1990s and doubled again in the 2000s." tweets @BCFed

3:10: Buses pull aside as a giant group of protesters march down Granville shouting, "We! Are! The 99 per cent!"

2:51: Here's one pic showing the turnout. From @GlobalBC

2:00: People claim 5,000 people are at Occupy Vancouver. Still very peaceful, NDP supporters, environmental activists, anti-poverty advocates, all very friendly. 

1:50: Crowd marching down Granville.  Bus stopped at Granville near Robson.  Driver honks at marchers and marchers erupt into wild cheers.  Bus driver raises her fist in a gesture of solidarity with the crowd.  More wild cheers.  What is it about those moments, when random people join together, when people seem to have a common cause, which we all do, in fact, all of the time?  It was one of those moments that sent chills up the spine and brought tears to eyes.

12:42: March happening at Hornby Street

Photo by @lpasichnyk

12:41 Too much ground being covered by speakers?

"Speakers at #occupyvancouver talking about everything from raw milk to gmo food to Missing Women Inquiry" tweeted by @Vivluk.

Air Canada (caught up in labour dispute) reps taking the mic, expressing outrage that execs got 77 per cent raise while working conditions deteriorated for the workers.

And 9/11 truth movement people who turn up at every protest at the Art Gallery, here again.

12:15 Monetary system being explained, structural problems creating econoimc disparity

11:50 Speakers about to talk at noon. Officers are saying some 2,500 people present now on site.

11:40: Occupy Vancouver  is announcing mandate about econmic equality. Mixed response to their call for consensus building rather than voting.

11:21: Just a while before the B.C. Federation of Labour is due to show up (noon) at Occupy Vancouver protest.

photo via twitter @lightningscoot