Trigger warning: the following article contains language that some readers may find offensive or triggering. In a bid to not contribute to the erasure of these words which is itself a major systemic problem and to be as ensure we report as objectively as possible, we have carefully decided not to redact any words, which many readers may and we as a team do in fact find disgusting.
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYxSA8zo7c7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYxSA8zo7c7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; 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padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYxSA8zo7c7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by SMACK MEDIA (@smackmedia)</a></p></div></blockquote><script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
“Unvaccinated are the new niggers.”
A senior male using racial epithets to compare the anti-vaxx movement to slavery after failing to show a vaccination passport at Aperture Coffee Bar on Main St. in Vancouver, BC was caught on video by none other than our founder and apparent correspondent Aaron Chan.
The man who ordered his coffee to go at around 2:16 PM on Friday, January 14 and had not been wearing his mask properly upon entry before being told by staff to fix it, can be seen arguing with one of the baristas on duty, complaining of being “kicked out” and repeatedly asking for his money back after being asked to show a vaccination passport and ID.
The server, Natasha who spoke on background, said that the situation escalated immediately as the man argued that cafes normally don’t ask for vaccination status.
At one point as captured on video, other café patrons began asking the man to comply with the rules and to stop disturbing the other patrons so that they could return to work. The man then began using racial epithets to describe himself and the situation:
“So, what you’re saying is I’m a nigger,” The café responded with bafflement and shock, “well that’s what it comes down to the whole antivaccine thing,” he continued, “unvaccinated are the new nigger.” (1:26 of the video)
Shortly after, Aperture’s owner Ryul Kwon who spoke on the record escorted the man from the premises who left arguing, and called him a “motherfucker” repeatedly.
The footage represents a major issue that has overtaken much of the social conversation behind the pandemic: how the white unvaccinated community of the Lower Mainland and beyond uses historical instances of systemic racism towards BIPOC peoples to propagate their agenda from health-related to social.
Signs viewed at a rally organized by Canadian Frontline Nurses last September
read "Choice=Freedom | Mandate=Slavery" and compared vaccination passports to "medical apartheid."
A week later, video surfaced on twitter of protestors in Dawson Creek who in an interaction with police called them Brown Shirts and compared the state of public health to Nazi Germany.
Brian Johnson, a PPC (Canada’s far right party) candidate in the Kelowna region was seen making similar remarks, objectively comparing the unvaccinated experience to that of the persecuted Jews of WWII, six million of whom were killed. Two months earlier in the same municipality, the CBC posted a video of protestor Bruce Orydzuk telling a security guard at a vaccine clinic to “go back to your country […] You're disgusting. You're not a Canadian. Go back to India.... We don't want you here”
“[This happens] on a daily basis,” Natasha told us after her shift in regard to people being asked to leave who fail to show a Vaxx pass, “five times a day and I work full time.”
“[Everyone] who works here [is] dealing with it literally. We’re the people at the front line and I know it’s government-based but at the end of the day we’re dealing with the repercussions and it kind of sucks and it’s hurtful. It’s really tiring,” Natasha said in a more deflated tone.
Aperture’s rare status as a liquor proprietary café, and bar first requires customers to show a vaccination QR code and ID to dine in according to government mandate, in contrast to other cafes in B.C. which don’t require vaccination proof.
It’s a strange loophole indicative of the divisive restrictions placed by the B.C. government and criticized by the vaccinated and unvaccinated alike. A patron can be seen during the video trying to ask the man to leave, saying that like the man, his own views that the restrictions are “stupid” are irrelevant. According to Kwon, the owner of Aperture on Main, unvaccinated customers are justifiably angry, since normally they have been informed that they are allowed to stay at cafes.
“If he didn’t insult anyone I would sympathize, but his actions were wrong so in this case I blame him. But the general idea about vaccination, I think there’s something missing. There’s no equal restriction, since [at] other coffee shops people can stay,” Ryul, who is himself fully vaccinated, added that many customers are getting angry and assuming that this in any way is his decision.
Including Aperture’s two locations, Vancouver currently hosts nine traditional cafes who hold a liquor license and face similar governmental restrictions. As of today, 654,044 people out of B.C.’s population of 5,071,000 remain unvaccinated. Roughly 12.09%.
If you witness a hate crime in BC report it here
Support Aperture Coffee here
Trigger warning: the following article contains language that some readers may find offensive or triggering. In a bid to not contribute to the erasure of these words which is itself a major systemic problem and to be as ensure we report as objectively as possible, we have carefully decided not to redact any words, which many readers may and we as a team do in fact find disgusting.
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYxSA8zo7c7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYxSA8zo7c7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"><div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div><div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div><div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div><div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYxSA8zo7c7/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by SMACK MEDIA (@smackmedia)</a></p></div></blockquote><script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
“Unvaccinated are the new niggers.”
A senior male using racial epithets to compare the anti-vaxx movement to slavery after failing to show a vaccination passport at Aperture Coffee Bar on Main St. in Vancouver, BC was caught on video by none other than our founder and apparent correspondent Aaron Chan.
The man who ordered his coffee to go at around 2:16 PM on Friday, January 14 and had not been wearing his mask properly upon entry before being told by staff to fix it, can be seen arguing with one of the baristas on duty, complaining of being “kicked out” and repeatedly asking for his money back after being asked to show a vaccination passport and ID.
The server, Natasha who spoke on background, said that the situation escalated immediately as the man argued that cafes normally don’t ask for vaccination status.
At one point as captured on video, other café patrons began asking the man to comply with the rules and to stop disturbing the other patrons so that they could return to work. The man then began using racial epithets to describe himself and the situation:
“So, what you’re saying is I’m a nigger,” The café responded with bafflement and shock, “well that’s what it comes down to the whole antivaccine thing,” he continued, “unvaccinated are the new nigger.” (1:26 of the video)
Shortly after, Aperture’s owner Ryul Kwon who spoke on the record escorted the man from the premises who left arguing, and called him a “motherfucker” repeatedly.
The footage represents a major issue that has overtaken much of the social conversation behind the pandemic: how the white unvaccinated community of the Lower Mainland and beyond uses historical instances of systemic racism towards BIPOC peoples to propagate their agenda from health-related to social.
Signs viewed at a rally organized by Canadian Frontline Nurses last September
read "Choice=Freedom | Mandate=Slavery" and compared vaccination passports to "medical apartheid."
A week later, video surfaced on twitter of protestors in Dawson Creek who in an interaction with police called them Brown Shirts and compared the state of public health to Nazi Germany.
Brian Johnson, a PPC (Canada’s far right party) candidate in the Kelowna region was seen making similar remarks, objectively comparing the unvaccinated experience to that of the persecuted Jews of WWII, six million of whom were killed. Two months earlier in the same municipality, the CBC posted a video of protestor Bruce Orydzuk telling a security guard at a vaccine clinic to “go back to your country […] You're disgusting. You're not a Canadian. Go back to India.... We don't want you here”
“[This happens] on a daily basis,” Natasha told us after her shift in regard to people being asked to leave who fail to show a Vaxx pass, “five times a day and I work full time.”
“[Everyone] who works here [is] dealing with it literally. We’re the people at the front line and I know it’s government-based but at the end of the day we’re dealing with the repercussions and it kind of sucks and it’s hurtful. It’s really tiring,” Natasha said in a more deflated tone.
Aperture’s rare status as a liquor proprietary café, and bar first requires customers to show a vaccination QR code and ID to dine in according to government mandate, in contrast to other cafes in B.C. which don’t require vaccination proof.
It’s a strange loophole indicative of the divisive restrictions placed by the B.C. government and criticized by the vaccinated and unvaccinated alike. A patron can be seen during the video trying to ask the man to leave, saying that like the man, his own views that the restrictions are “stupid” are irrelevant. According to Kwon, the owner of Aperture on Main, unvaccinated customers are justifiably angry, since normally they have been informed that they are allowed to stay at cafes.
“If he didn’t insult anyone I would sympathize, but his actions were wrong so in this case I blame him. But the general idea about vaccination, I think there’s something missing. There’s no equal restriction, since [at] other coffee shops people can stay,” Ryul, who is himself fully vaccinated, added that many customers are getting angry and assuming that this in any way is his decision.
Including Aperture’s two locations, Vancouver currently hosts nine traditional cafes who hold a liquor license and face similar governmental restrictions. As of today, 654,044 people out of B.C.’s population of 5,071,000 remain unvaccinated. Roughly 12.09%.
If you witness a hate crime in BC report it here
Support Aperture Coffee here
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