I am a part of the 2010 'Welcoming' Committee, which helped organize the protest that took place at the Vancouver Art Gallery Friday, the day of the Olympic opening ceremonies. While a part of me is happy that all went well (started on time, our performers showed up, the sound system worked, etc.), some deep dark part of me left feeling wholly unsatisfied. Yes, we came together! Yes, we took to the streets! Yes, we walked from point A to point B...led by police the whole way! Yes, when they told us to stop marching we stopped. And yes we were met with three lines of police barricades, police on horseback and police on every nearby rooftop, watching us from above. I know that the march was specifically designed and advertised as a non-violent, peaceful, family friendly affair with entertainment and free food -- yes, I know this. But at the end of the day, standing there face to face with those cops, it felt like an anticlimax.
Perhaps Friday's protest was merely foreplay and yesterday morning, as folks took to the streets for "Heart Attack 2010: Clog the Arteries of Capitalism," some sort of climax was reached. While news coverage does discuss the violence committed by police against protesters, what the majority of the blogosphere, viral messaging networks, and news outlets, both mainstream and independent, are all up in arms about it is the "violence" committed against property downtown. So the question is: what is violence? Is property damage violence? Can you commit an act of violence against a bus...or a building?
Ok, kiddies, if violence is the word of the day, let's talk about some violence. Let's talk about a most violent and gruesome affair: the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.
In 2006, the B.C. government decided to build a bridge over Eagleridge Bluffs so that those en route to Whistler for the Games could avoid ferry traffic at the Horseshoe Bay terminal. More than twenty people were arrested protesting the Sea-to-Sky highway expansion over the Bluffs, a treasured piece of land and a nesting area for bald eagles. Among those arrested that day was First Nations Elder Harriet Nahanee, age 71, who was sentenced to two weeks in jail after refusing to apologize for her contempt of court. While in jail, Nahanee got sick and a week after her release she was hospitalized for pneumonia. There, the doctors discovered she hand lung cancer and one month later Harriet Nahanee passed away. Is this violence? This was certainly not the first time that Nahanee had suffered at the hands of the Canadian state, as she was a survivor of both the Ahousat and Alberni Residential Schools.
Is this violence?
Or what about the Cowichan sweater debacle? In 2009, The Husdon's Bay Company unveiled their $350 "definitely not a Cowichan" knit sweater. In a statement, the HBC said, "It is a contemporary design inspired by a great fashion icon that is recognized as a knit sweater all across the country." The Cowichan people, located in and around the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island, are known for their beautiful, unique form of hand-knitting. Not only do Cowichan sweaters have a long history of being in high demand by Canadians but there is also a long history of Cowichan women being exploited and underpaid for their work. And making these sweaters is no easy feat- it is a labour intensive process where the wool must be washed by hand in boiling water, teased, carded, combed and dyed all before the actual knitting begins. There are stories of women staying up all night to finish a sweater just so they can buy groceries for their families in the morning. Or even worse, some women have reported being paid $50 for their work, only to see their own sweater on the dealer's rack with a $300 price tag.
Is this violence?
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If Vancouver Police Chief, Jim Chu can call the Heart Attack protestors "criminals" then what do we call the board of directors of the Hudson's Bay Company? The officials at VANOC? Or our own Members of Parliament?
I believe that the cases of Harriet Nahanee and the Cowichan sweater debate are acts of violence committed by the State against its own people. I believe that it is an act of violence in and of itself to sit idly by while these things happen. And I do not want to sit idly by as this kind of violence happens in my city.
I think that we should have more compassion and understanding for the Heart Attack protesters as they are not resonsible for the real violence and oppression being born in this country.
Eve Belle Wilensky grew up in Vancouver and is an activist with several local groups.
I recognize that disappointment you talk of having attended a large demo on Friday, that anti-climax. I used to have that experience too after big demos in London, especially the point a to b ones.
I don't experience that now even when I attend point a to b demos. Sure I have days when i feel down but for the most part I'm optimistic because I know that there is so much that can be done and is being done to 'change the world'. And some of that change I am involved in. It's back to the Think Globally Act Locally ideas.
My thinking towards the acts of vandalism has moved slightly in the last 24 hours through discussions with friends. I do recognize that the vandalism is minor compared to the destruction that goes on everyday. Yet this does not take away my fear of what 'Black Bloc' is. And my biggest fear is not knowing who they are. Again I recognize what friends are saying that Black Bloc have been able to generate interest and perhaps also hearten the disheartened. But still the concern that they could be infiltrated by the state, police or elements of the media whose primary goal is a quick story ($$$).
There's no disputing the destruction caused by the 2010 Olympics. Also the death of Harriet Nahanee was tragic. The Cowichan sweaters issue is deplorable and yes I can see why the HBC has been targeted. I won't lose any sleep over the smashed windows. Jim Chu says window smashers are criminals because they have broken a law. That's what criminals are. We don't have to agree or disagree on that or with him on that, that's just a fact of where we are at as of today. If I decided to trash Army & Navy tonight, I too would be classed as a criminal.
Your inclusion of Members of Parliament is certainly contentious - which MP's? Libby Davies - Member of Parliament for Vancouver East, Bill Siksay MP for Burnaby South. These are well respected individuals standing for justice and who get out there where it's important.
People are not sitting idly by. People are organizing for Haiti, for workers' rights, for a living wage, for health care, for more investment in education and so much more. It isn't necessary to smash windows to get this stuff done. It takes time. A revolution might get things moving quicker but for now we are working within this thing we call democracy. I know that from my personal perspective I am organizing in the best way I know how as a reformist in our political system. I want laws changed. I want to change my world by legislation. I will also engage in the wider context of building relationships so that we can get to a better world sooner but I am not going to step on people to get there, even if they do vote Liberal/Tory.
I really believe that the vandalism does more to alienate us as organizers and community builders than it does to move forward to a better world.
There is certainly room for direct action and also non violent (against the person) direct action, so there's room for both. I will not come out and say that you are wrong. I don't have that confidence. Plus I feel that to do so would be arrogant. I do know that I want to change the world and society. I think it won't happen overnight. I do think these days, and what we're seeing now has the potential to move us forward in a leap. Let's keep talking.
regards
Eva: What did Jesus Christ recommend?
Did any of you follow the counsel given by Chief Kitsilano in HIS OLYMPIC ULTIMATUM.
Did it occur to you that VANOC and the Establishment benefit by your conduct and that they puppet you under embedded police like Alyssa Westernameistoolong and -hyphenated.
You are in life now, so grow up, do some good and stop sniffling.
thsi kind of stuff has been the talk of the town for several days now in vancouver. i myself find the issue very difficult to talk about because i haven't resolved yet how i feel about it. but thanks to the author for being brave and putting her thoughts out there -- i definitely think we all need more dialogue.