Report on People Vs. City of Vancouver Protest-Trial
The People VS The City of Vancouver
200 hundred people gathered in Vancouver's notorious Pigeon Park in the DTES on Sunday April 19th in support of the DTES community. The event was a People's Community Court designed to protest against the City of Vancouver & its wide spread Social Cleansing campaign. The neighbourhood took justice into it's own hands and showcased the crimes & hypocrosy of the City. DTES residents spoke out about their experiences with witness testimony surrounding state sanctioned abuse and harassment including police violence, the Safe Streets Act, Project Civil City, and illegal evictions.
Since the Olympic Bid of 2003 the City of Vancouver has waged a violent war on the community of the DTES. As homelessness has risen of 373% the City
boasts 'revitalization' and it's 'Civil City' campaigns as progressive, while such activities in fact terrorize and displace those most marginalized in our neighbourhoods. Once evicted from their homes residents are further brutalized with ticketing for sitting or lying on the street & asking for spare
change among other by-law 'offenses'. The City of Vancouver has literally criminalized the poverty it has created.
CHARGE:
The People of occupied Coast Salish Territory, accuse The City of Vancouver of committing the act of Social Cleansing. Further we also believe the City is an active participant in the continuation of genocide of Indigenous Peoples.
EVIDENCE:
*Project Civil City was designed by the City to sweep poor people out of sight in time for the vOlympics by ciminalizing the survival methods of the homeless, such as asking for spare change and using tents for shelter
*The VPD's year end performance report is public proof of the state sanctioned abuse and harassment of the poor as by-law tickets have doubled in the past
year, closely matching the increasing number of homeless on our streets
*The GVRD homeless count informs us that homelessness has increased by
373% due to the Olympic bid and is hitting our most marginalised communities; 84% of these homeless are in need of health services; not surprisingly, due to constant systemic oppression, 32% of all homeless people's in metro Vancouver are Native in comparison with 2% of the total population.
*Past Olympic host cities are a reminder and an example of how the IOC in conjunction with host cities have violently swept poverty under the rug to make way for tourism and Olympic development; over 2 million people have been displaced due to the Olympics since 1988
*Most importantly the witness statements given by community members will show the real and devastating impacts of the City's actions.
VERDICT:
The DTES Power of Women group acted as the patient jury in this trial for real justice. This is their statement:
We the people of Vancouver find all these governments and Olympics Industry guilty of crimes against humanity. Poor people are part of our society and any crimes against them are a crime against humanity.
We find the province and City guilty of the violence against poor people
by creating and continuing police that keep people poor and homeless. In a
so-called first world country, there are approximately 11,000 homeless
across BC, with 3000 homeless in the Vancouver area. 30% of those who are
homeless are indigenous people. On over 40,000 separate occasions,
homeless individuals were refused access to shelters in a nine month
period. Over 17,000 of these turn away incidents involved women and
families. Low-income housing in the DTES is of such bad quality that many
prefer to sleep on the streets.
We find the police guilty of murder. The police have tasered, shot, and
killed homeless people just in this past year. The police are also guilty
of violent assaults against poor people through aggressive ticketing,
illegal search and seizures, kicking and manhandling poor people, illegal
street checks and illegal detentions.
We find VANOC guilty of making a profit off our backs. The Olympics are a
circus for the rich while the poor pay. $6 billion for the Olympics while
people are dying on the street is unacceptable! It is outrageous that the
Olympics tours from city to city leaving behind destruction - more than
two million people all over the world have been displaced due to the Games
in the last 20 years. We the people of the Downtown Eastside say No to the
Olympics!
In order to truly serve the people we demand that all these culprits
commit to the following:
- Safe, supported, and long-term affordable housing immediately.
- We want women who are survivors of violence and abuse to be on the
highest priority list for housing.
- We want an immediate end to condo development in the Downtown Eastside.
- We want Rent freezes and lower rents that we can afford
- Not a single person should be forcibly removed, evicted, or displaced
from their homes in the Downtown Eastside and other urban, rural, and
indigenous communities due to the Olympics.
- We want the Mayor Robertson to cancel Mayor Sam Sullivan's $1 million
Project Civil City
- We want Social Assistance rates be increased by 40% immediately and for
it to be easier to access welfare and disability for those in need.
- We want women to have access to universal subsidized childcare and an
end to child apprehensions due to women and child poverty.
- We want to establish a living wage of at least $16/hour.
These criminals must pay for the crimes. Justice for the People!
THE PEOPLE UNITED WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED
This event is organized and supported by a collaboration of DTES community residents and community organizers, including: VANDU (Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users), Power of Women, The Anti-Poverty Committee, the Olympic Resistance Network, SFPIRG, 2010 Watch, The Workless Party & Vancouver Socialist Forum.
Photos: http://thepeoplevsthecityofvancouver.blogspot.com/
UPDATE: Anti-Olympic Political Trial
In the spring of 2008 a local activist and then DTES community member
took part in a protest against the city's Project Civil City. In taking a stand against the city and attempting to draw attention to Vancouver's wide spread social cleansing campaign she was charged with assault of the former mayor Sam Sullivan. This Thursday April 23rd she is claiming self defense in her
actions as a result of the systemic violence that was showcased at the
April 19th People's Court.
All of the information above will become court record in this political trial against the 2010 Olympics and the gentrification of Vancouver. Folks are
encouraged to come out to support and will be given the opportunity to testify regarding their own experiences of systemic violence & oppression.
WHEN: Thursday April 23rd @ 9:30am
WHERE: 222 Main St.
WHO: Look for 'Megan Craig' on the courtroom list.
Contact: 2010.homes.now@gmail.com or 604-347-4267