It all began on the morning of the 24th: a sign was paraded through town, reading: “The Chinese Have Came [sic]. Mass Meeting In The City Hall To Night”. The labourers had only been back in town for only two or three days before they were discovered, keeping a low profile on a large portion of vacant land near the foot of modern-day Burrard Street. By 8:00 that evening, the municipal building was a seething mass of bodies, with speakers declaring that action must be taken -- a position backed by prominent local business interests. However, by the end of the meeting, the crowd whipped into a frenzy by racist rhetoric, no concrete plan of action had been formed, and it quickly became clear that speeches wouldn’t be enough.
bit.ly/2GFlYHl via @TheTyee
