[news] Update on Health Office Occupation and Arrests

[resist admin]

Victoria - The seven people arrested at the Health Assistance Branch in
Victoria yesterday will appear in court at 850 Burdette St. today at 9:15
AM. The group was occupying the office demanding that the burdensome
review of people on disability insurance be halted. The deadline for
completing the 23 page application form is March 15.

The protesters were apparently sitting in a circle in the office with
their hands above their heads saying "we are not resisting, we are willing
to go peacefully" when officers assaulted them, sprayed them with pepper
spray and held a tazer gun near the head of one man. Police broke down two
doors and may have shot out a window.

The police used the word "terrorists" to describe the group while the
group responded by saying that the BC Liberal government could be more
easily labeled as a terrorist organization since it is responsible for the
deaths of at least 50 people unable to face the prospects of having to
defend their right to social assistance and how much harder life would be
if they were to loose their disability premiums.

Police also claimed that employees at the center were "traumatised" by the
incident but a representative of the group said "if the employees were
traumatised, it was by the actions of the police".



Original Message:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 17:26:32 -0800
From: Calvin Woida <calvinwoida at hotmail.com>
To: apc-announce at lists.resist.ca, apc-discuss at lists.resist.ca
Subject: [APC-Discuss] APC Members Occupy Health Office in Victoria!



OCCUPATION TO END THE DISABILITY REVIEW PROCESS


Today, March 13, at 12:30 PM, seven members of the Anti-Poverty Committee
occupied the Health Assistance Branch in support and solidarity with people
with disabilities with one demand:

THE IMMEDIATE END TO THE DISABILITY REVIEW PROCESS!


Only with a guarantee from the Minister of Human Resources, Murray Coell,
that this demand will be met will the group leave the office voluntarily.

On September 30, 2002, 14,000 people with disabilities received packages in
the mail giving them notice of the review process.  The combination of
living with a disability, the lack of willing and available medical
professionals (i.e. Doctors) or assessors and the additional threat to their
meager allowance makes it virtually impossible for those subject to this
arbitrary and arduous process to meet the requirements.  By forcing these
people to re-apply, the government is breaking a lifetime agreement with
people on disability benefits.

"It is necessary for us as community activists to take action and make our
demand on behalf of those who would be politically persecuted in their
reassessment if they did it themselves," said David Cunningham, a
participant in the occupation.

Since it's election, the Liberal government has launched a campaign against
poor and working people in the province of BC.  There is a plan to move
people off disability benefits to "employable" status which will eventually
lead to them being cut off assistance altogether.  As part of this campaign,
the Ministry of Human Resources has a clear mandate to remove 9,000 people
from Level 2 Disability Benefits.  This reassessment process is an
ideologically driven assault on the poor.

This is a direct attack on people with disabilities who live in poverty.
Because of the fear and distress the reassessment process has caused, there
has been an estimated 30 suicides in BC since October 1, 2002 (The Times
Colonist Nov. 22/02 A5 & The Province Nov. 15/02 A33).

Megan Oleson, spokesperson for the occupation, said, "The review process has
already cost over 30 human lives and $4 million of tax payers money.  This
is meant to be a cost-saving exercise.  The cost in lives and health care
dollars will be far more than what the government is proposing will be saved
by the implementation of this reassessment - the homeless and people with
disabilities will be dying on the streets and in hospitals.  We urgently
call on the people of BC to help defend the health and lives of thousands of
disabled people who are at severe risk from the BC Liberal government cuts."


OCCUPATION CONTACT:  MEGAN OLESON 604-857-5938

OUTSIDE CONTACT:  SHARAI 604-255-7915