Downtown merchants, who watched helplessly as wary customers stayed home because of yesterday's G8 protests, say the federal government must compensate them for lost sales.
Some business owners stood outside in the rain as 1,500 demonstrators snake-marched through the city core. Others nailed plywood over their windows or locked their doors and went home.
The McDonald's restaurant at Bank and Sparks streets that G20 protesters trashed in November was boarded up and the company sign was covered with black plastic. Many office workers took the day off to avoid demonstrators.
"A lot of people are simply staying away from downtown Ottawa," said Gerry LePage, executive director of the Bank Street Promenade Business Improvement Area. "It is the veil of violence hanging over these demonstrations that has caused a state of high anxiety.
"When you have a group that says it is going to take the capital, that conveys something other than a peaceful way of communicating a message. People are taking the precautions they feel are necessary, including boarding up and not opening their shops."
Mr. LePage said shoppers who heard Parliament Hill is locked down and the Centennial Flame has been encased in concrete became fearful of violence and stayed away from the core.
"We have certain responsibilities because we are the nation's capital," Mr. LePage said. "However, we don't have a responsibility to forfeit our livelihood or host individuals who resort to violence to communicate their message.
"Over the next few days, the merchants will lose millions of dollars. But this is also about the right of workers to have access to their places of business and the right of any citizen to be free of the threat of violence."
Mr. LePage said the government is protecting the right to free speech of demonstrators but, at the same time, it is suppressing the rights of business owners to earn a livelihood and the rights of ordinary people to be free of harassment.
Peggy DuCharme, executive director of the Downtown Rideau Business Improvement Association, said none of the Rideau Street merchants plans to close during the G8 demonstrations.
"The overall mood is that the demonstrations are not good for business, because they discourage people from coming downtown," Ms. DuCharme said. "We are still pursuing compensation after the G20 meeting last November, but we have had little response."
Fahad Salamad, owner of Capital Shop convenience store on Bank Street, said the demonstrations choked off sales because people were afraid to come to work.
"The parking lot behind us is usually full, but today it is empty," Mr. Salamad said. "The federal government should take care of businesses that have lost money because it invited the G8 leaders here.
"I have nothing to do with that -- I am here to make a living. My business is affected and they should compensate me. I am losing two days' sales and, for a small business, that is a lot."
Mitch Miyazaki, who operates Karatsu Bakeshop on Bank Street, said there is usually a lineup for lunch at his counter, but only a few customers showed up yesterday. "People around here know the demonstrators are coming, so they stayed away," he said. "I think the government should pay for the business we lost because of these demonstrations."
Pierre Storey, manager of Sooter's Photography on Bank Street, boarded up his store and locked the doors at about 2 p.m.
"We are losing two days of sales, so it isn't worth staying open," Mr. Storey said. "I am losing $1,000 a day because of the demonstrations. I boarded up my shop because they attacked McDonald's next door last year, and the same thing could happen again.
"The business improvement area should demand federal compensation for what we lost. I am really bitter because this is the second time this has happened in a year and both days will be a complete loss for us."
Eric Schwartz, owner of Ottawa Leather Goods on Sparks Street, said he usually sells 80 umbrellas on a rainy day, but yesterday he sold only five.
"It is a shame that the city has let them get away with this," Mr. Schwartz said. "I am losing 80 per cent of my business every day this continues.
"Calgary is compensating its businesses for lost sales. The (councillors) here say these people have the right to protest, but you can't let these people shut down the whole city."
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