Indeed, as the 24-hour news-cycle showed repeatedly this past weekend, G20 protestors were out in full force. And, while a great majority of demonstrators were of the peaceful variety, “anarchists” from the Black Bloc had a different agenda. They came, they saw, they smashed windows and burned police cars. Many targeted chain-restaurants like Starbucks, throwing bricks through windows and spraying graffiti on walls.
And now the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) is urging the feds to fully compensate restaurant owners and employees who were affected by the protests. This after government officials have said business owners will not be compensated for property damage caused by G20 protesters.
“Restaurants are still counting their losses, but it’s clear that the damage and disruption expanded well beyond the G20 security fence and well beyond the two days of the Summit,” said Garth Whyte, CRFA president and CEO, in a press release. “We need a fair compensation system for business owners and employees whose livelihoods have suffered because of this event.”
The association has targeted three areas it feels must be addressed by the federal government — compensation for property damage; compensation for restaurants inside and outside the security perimeter, whose sales dwindled due to reduced traffic; and compensation for employees who lost wages.
To that end, a hotline has been set up (416-649-4214 or [email protected]) to field questions from members about government compensation. Restaurants have 90 days to submit a claim and volumes of supporting documents.
