Mintage’s bloody bedroom Halloween display on Commercial Drive has been taken down after being vandalized, but some local residents find the owners’ reason behind the move unacceptable.
Co-owner Skylar Stock said they decided to take down the display Friday morning after he discovered their store windows had been completely covered with glue and pictures of women.
“I can deal with somebody being upset with the window,” he said. “If somebody wants to talk to me about it, then that’s fine. But this kind of pushed it a little too far.”
Stock said they still stand by their window display, but felt the need to take it down for the “safety of (their) neighbourhood and employees.”
“When people start vandalizing to some degree, I don’t know how far they’re going to go and I’m not willing to find out,” he added.
Gone are the blood-soaked bed and sheets. A big poster addressed to the community hangs on the vintage clothing store’s window explaining the move.
“We recognize that some people have been offended and this was certainly not our intention,” the letter reads. “Since putting up the display, we have had many people provide positive comments in the spirit of Halloween, but this act of vandalism takes what was intended in the spirit of Halloween to a whole new level.”
Amalia Nickel, who stopped to read the letter yesterday, described it as an “irresponsible apology.”
“They don’t actually apologize for anything except for people interpreting what they did in the wrong way,” Nickel said.
Kathy Parsons, who stood outside the store Thursday holding a sign against the display, said she’s thankful it’s been taken down.
“(But) the unfortunate thing is with the letter, the reasoning that they’re saying for taking it down is that they were vandalized, which is a little ludicrous in my opinion,” she said.
John Seifred, who also read the letter, said he gives the store owners credit for posting the letter.
“I had mixed feelings (about the display), but I appreciate the sign that the store owners are willing to say that if they offended anybody, we apologize,” he said. “That takes great courage and great courage to have a display like that too.” phylicia torrevillas
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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