[mobglob-discuss] Sun March 15th - Support the DTES Power to Women Black Market! (vancouver)]

[Harsha Walia]

SUPPORT THE POWER TO WOMEN BLACK MARKET - STAND FOR THE DTES!

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Sunday March 15th
from 1-3 pm
Vancouver Police Station
Main Street (between Hastings and Cordova)
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All (including men) welcome!

Significant street sweeps have been occurring in the DTES from increased
and aggressive ticketing for things like jaywalking to "illegal" vending.
As verified by the VPD itself, a year-end performance report shows that
officers issued 467 tickets for violations of the Safe Streets Act in
2008, compared to 202 tickets in 2007. Police officers also handed out 133
tickets for violations of the Trespass Act, up from 95 in 2007. Tickets
for city-bylaw infractions, including tickets for vending, panhandling,
and loitering, shot up to 439 tickets in 2008 compared to 247 tickets in
2007.

Leading upto the 2010 Olympics, such measures are meant to 'cleanse' the
neighbourhood and to intimidate DTES residents through the use of no-go
orders for "chronic offenders" (i.e vendors/binners) and street checks by
VPD Beat Enforcement Team officers.

In response to this, the Power to Women group is organizing an afternoon
of "illegal vending" in front of the Vancouver Police Station on Sunday
March 15th, International Day Against Police Brutality. We strongly
encourage supporters and allies of the group and of DTES residents who are
facing this increased onslaught to please come out and make your presence
visible. We are standing together and we ask you to come out and support
the Power to Women "black market" which will also help fund the groups
ongoing activities! If you have any items to donate to our "illegal
vending" efforts, please bring them with you (anything goes!)

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Organized by the DTES Women Centre Power of Women Group: We are a group of
women from all walks of life who are either on social assistance, working
poor, or homeless; but we are all living in extreme poverty and are
dedicated to raising our voices and raising awareness about social issues
in our communities. Many us of are single mothers or have had our children
apprehended due to poverty; most of us have chronic physical or mental
health issues for example HIV and Hepatitis C; many have drug or alcohol
addictions; and a majority have experienced and survived sexual violence
and mental, physical, spiritual , and emotional abuse. For indigenous
women, we are affected by a legacy of the effects of residential schools
and a history of colonization and racism.

For more information, contact project at dewc.ca or call 604 681 8480 x 234.