Pidgin protesters target new Vancouver restaurant

Anti-gentrification protesters who have held ongoing protests outside Pidgin restaurant in Vancouver's Downtown Eastsideare targeting another newly opened restaurant in the neighbourhood.

The protests started last night outside a Latin American restaurant, Cuchillo, on Powell Street near Main Streetand are expected to continue tonight.

Protesters are arguing businesses such as Pidgin and Cuchilloare pushing poor people out of the neighbourhood.

"It's a form of exclusion," said protesterTami Starlight. "People can't afford to eat here. Everything around it gets over-priced. Same with the land, the rents go up. There's this ripple effect, that everything goes up."

Starlight said newly refurbishedbuildings in the Downtown Eastside, like the Woodward's building and the iconic butcher shop, Save on Meats, has had a similar "ripple" effect on the neighbourhood.

But many restaurant operators in the DTESsay they are working to make improvements in the low-income community.

On Saturday, Cuchillo co-owner John Cooper wanted to focus on the restaurant and not the protesters gathering outside his business.

"We spent a lot of time we spent over a year on this project. We've put all of our effort into this place," he said. "We've had all of our friends building, throwing lumber in this place, all helping out to make this sort of thing happen."

Vancouver police say they spent last night monitoring the protesters and reminding them not to do anything that breaks the law.

Police have arrested two protesters who participated in demonstrationsin front ofthe Pidgin restaurant.