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Hollywood's version of Dr. Seuss's popular children's story The Grinch Who
Stole Christmas may be opening in theatres on Friday but some Grinch-like
behaviour is already ruining Christmas for shopkeepers on Mount Royal Ave. Storefronts on the popular commercial strip have twice been vandalized since
Saturday by a group calling itself L'Anti-Noel Avant le Temps, which opposes
what it calls premature Christmas decorating by shopkeepers. "About a hundred shopkeepers received letters from this group last Tuesday,
warning them to remove their Christmas decorations until Dec. 1, or else,"
Michel Depatie, president of the Mount Royal Merchants' Association said
yesterday. On Sunday morning, employees at four shops arrived to find white paint splashed
on their windows and doors. And employees of three of the shops attacked on
Saturday night arrived yesterday morning to find their windows and doors had
been smeared again, this time with baby oil. Second Cup at the corner of St. Andre St. and Mount Royal, (the site of a
firebombing in October for its English-language sign), was among those attacked
on Saturday night, even though its Christmas decorations so far amount to
nothing more than a string of blue outdoor lights. "It just never seems to stop," Second Cup waiter Vincent Debel said. "I wish
people would think of the greater good and stop trying to impose their beliefs
on others." "We didn't get the paint on Saturday, just the oil today," said Suzanne Menard,
manager at Animalerie Paul, yesterday. "It didn't take that long to clean it off. But it was a hassle, especially
since our time should be spent caring for the animals, not cleaning the
windows." And three more stores received warning letters yesterday, said Montreal Urban
Community police Commander Andre Durocher. "All of the letters have been in French, and exceedingly well written, poetic
even," Durocher said. The letters criticize shopkeepers for their lack of "savoir vivre" - for
failing to allow fall to end before rushing on to the Christmas season. The
letters also warn shopkeepers the group will continue to take action until the
decorations are removed. But that doesn't faze shopkeepers, who, like the Whos in Whoville, refuse to be
influenced by the Grinchy group. "We're not taking our decorations down," Suzanne Menard said of the stuffed
animals in reindeer antlers and Santa suits parading along the inside front
window. "Even if we are afraid this might escalate. If the windows got broken
one night, the animals would definitely suffer." "There's no way we're taking down our lights," Rona hardware store owner
Gerardo Mascaro said. His storefront window, complete with light show and
Christmas tree, was attacked on both Saturday and Monday nights. "The whole thing is ridiculous. I've been here for 25 years and I've never seen
anything like it." Residents of the area agree. "I like the decorations," said Arthur Therrien, who stopped to admire the Rona
window. "It's nice to have some colour on the street, especially when it's dark
and rainy like it is now." Police are investigating but have no suspects as yet. "All we know is we're looking for someone who doesn't like Christmas," Durocher
said. "And we're stepping up patrols on Mount Royal Ave. to prevent further
destruction." If caught, the culprit or culprits will be charged with mischief, which could
result in a two-year jail sentence for damages valued at under $5,000, he said. ~~You're just jellus because the voices are talking to me and not you!~ |
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They are missing the entire point. It's not that these people don't
like Christmas, they just don't like it for months before it's supposed
to be here! blusilva (not that I'm condoning vandalism as a solution) |
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