[van-announce] Woodwards Squatters Denounce Police Threats, Call Press Conference

[Violetta Sera]

For Immediate Release
September 19th, 2002
Media Advisory

Woodwards Squatters call Press Conference
Friday, September 20th, 2pm
Inside the Woodwards Squat, corner of Hastings and Abbott

Woodwards Squatters denounce Police Threats

After a successful rally of hundreds of people outside the Woodwards 
Building, the police spoke with a representative of the squatters inside. 
Cst. Dave Dickson said, ?We are disbanding for now, but we will be back 
tommorrow. We will be back to remove people with force, and if they are 
violent we will use pepper-spray. We have stopped negotiating.?

?This is outrageous,? said Kaspar, a squatter. ?We are not violent. We have 
not used any violence, and we have no intention of using violence. We oppose 
the police using violence to evict homeless people from the squat.?

?We are constructive, not destructive,? said another squatter named Jean. 
?We are for a constructive way of solving the problem of homelessness. We 
call this social housing. We are opposed to any destructive actions on the 
part of the police.?

?The use of pepper-spray, legal prosecution, and imprisonment against people 
who are making homes for ourselves out of a derelict building that was 
slated for social housing is unquestionably immoral. This violates our human 
rights and international law,? said a squatter named L.

?We would like to thank all those who came out to support our cause, 
including Councillor Fred Bass, Marg Prevost, MP Libby Davies, Jack Layton, 
MLA Jenny Kwan, Sheila Baxter, and Jim Sinclair, President of the BC 
Federation of Labour,? said Jim Layden. ?We will continue to fight the BC 
Liberal government, with whatever tools we can find. This Squat is one such 
tool, and we will use it ? we will peacefully occupy the Woodwards building 
until our demands for social housing are met.?


Media Contact: Kerry Pakarinen and Jim Layden
Phone # 604-812-2263

Press Release from the Woodward's Squatters Sept. 19
by posted by Van IMC ? Friday September 20, 2002 at 12:57 AM
http://vancouver.indymedia.org/news/2002/09/17086.php

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