Vancouver

Hunger Strike for Housing and to Stop Gentrification and Pipelines

Rally and launch

Friday March 22 2013 (All day)

12noon at 138 E Hastings

6pm at Pidgin Restaurant (350 Carrall St)

Pidgin picketers are fighting gentrification in many ways with our limited powers.  To this end, a hunger strike will be launched on Friday, March 22nd at the Pantages condo site and the Pidgin Restaurant.  This day is the International Day to Eliminate Racism, the International Day to Celebrate Water and the first day of spring.  While people in this city and the politicians assert their property rights, eat gourmet food and occupy the community of some of the most maligned and vulnerable people in Canada, a man we have called “Homeless Dave” for years, will starve.  As Homeless Dave says, “I’m like many in the community and so I’m going on a hunger strike, even with serious health conditions.”  Homeless Dave’s struggle is the struggle of people and community who survive against lots of odds and who don’t want to die.

Homeless Dave cannot stop gentrification on his own.  The city and provincial governments have the power to end the cycles of displacement and the list of changes needed to make that happen is long.  This hunger strike calls on governments to give DTES residents a signal that they are serious about stopping gentrification.  Homeless Dave will not eat until his demands are met.

For more info contact: picketpidgin@gmail.com