NEWS RELEASE posted on July 27, 2010 by dawn

RALLY IN DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE TO DENOUNCE POLICE VIOLENCE

by DTES Power of Women Group

RALLY: TUES JULY 27 AT 4:30 PM, FRONT OF POLICE STATION 312 MAIN

Tuesday July 27, 2010 VANCOUVER, Coast Salish Territories – Outraged by
the recent controversy surrounding a VPD officer’s physical assault of a
26-year old woman with cerebral palsy in the Downtown Eastside, members of
the Downtown Eastside Women Centre Power of Women Group are organizing an
emergency rally on Tuesday July 27th at 4:30 pm in front of the police
station to denounce police violence.

“The VPD has issued a pathetic apology, suggesting that the officer
thought that Sandy was reaching for his belt or gun, despite video
evidence to the contrary. An apology isn’t enough; there should be serious
consequences for the breach in public trust. Officers such as this should
be off the beat in our neighbourhood,” states Beatrice Starr, an Elder
resident of the DTES for the past 30 years and member of the DTES Power of
Women Group.

The rally will also highlight the daily abuses of the police in the
poorest postal code in Canada. Joan Morelli, member of the DTES Power of
Women Group states: “These kinds of assaults on the physical being and
dignity of poor people is a sadly a daily occurrence in our neighbourhood.
But no one seems to care that this is the reality of the Downtown
Eastside; it is seen as reasonable that poor, disabled, and Aboriginal
people will be treated differently in our society. If this were to happen
anywhere else, people would be pushing for criminal charges for such a
callous assault against a young woman with disabilities.”

According to Priscillia Mays, an Aboriginal woman and member of the DTES
Power of Women Group, “I am outraged that month after month, year after
year, the VPD continues to investigate itself after some news story breaks
about their violent and inhumane practices. How much more are we expected
to tolerate in silence? While little is being done by the police and
government about the hundreds of missing and murdered women from our
neighbourhood, we are continued to be subjected to this kind of violence
by armed and dangerous police officers with little response from the
government. We are angered and are standing up for ourselves, our friends,
our families, and our neighbours against police violence.”

-        30 –