Rewriting History

More than a week has passed since the Olympic torch left Victoria on it’s journey across the country. Reports of the torch’s progress continue to appear daily in the local media, as I assume it will for months. With that in mind, I don’t consider it unreasonable to devote a bit more space in the public discourse to the actions of the protestors, and I don’t mean the marbles.

In response to Jody Patterson’s column in which she a mentions ‘a ridiculous debate over whether protesters or undercover police threw marbles under the police horses’ hooves’, I would point out that organizers were misquoted as saying the police may have thrown the marbles. This mistake was remedied by the Times Colonist editors, who removed the article and issued a correction.

Anti-Olympic Festival and March disrupt Torch Relay send-off

Video produced by Victoria Indymedia in co-operation with B Channel News, Vancouver Media Co-op and subMedia.TV
No2010 Victoria calls event “a victory for rights and justice”

From No2010Victoria:

Victoria, Coast Salish Territories, November 1, 2009 – Over 400
people gathered to oppose the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay in Victoria on
Friday, October 30th at an “Anti-Olympics Festival” and “Zombie
March” organized by No2010 Victoria. The march succeeded in
disrupting the relay, and security personnel were forced to
extinguish the torch, load it in a van, andreroute it in order to
reach the Legislature.

“Our events were a victory for rights and justice,” said No2010
spokesperson Zoe Blunt. “We took a strong strand on respecting
indigenous rights to land, defending civil rights, and ending
poverty, and people across the country are thanking us for our
dedication.”

Homeless woman’s cart at centre of coroner’s report

(The BC Government is using this woman’s death to introduce legislation that would force people to go to a shelter (but not force them to stay). When all they need to do is provide storage for belongings. Who’s to say that if the police were able to force this woman to a shelter that she wouldn’t turn around and leave…. The difference here is she would at that point be without her belongings. When will we learn to listen to what people say they need instead of forcing them to accept what they don’t need?)
Dawn Bergman, who burned to death, turned down police offers of help because she was reluctant to risk losing belongings, report says

By WENDY STUECK, Globe and Mail

When British Columbia Housing Minister Rich Coleman last week introduced the Assistance to Shelter Act, he said the legislation would “help to prevent tragedies such as the one that occurred last winter when a woman died trying to keep warm in a makeshift shelter.”

But a coroner’s report into the death of Dawn Bergman, who died early in the morning on Dec. 19, 2008, says Ms. Bergman turned down police offers of help because she was reluctant to risk losing the cart that carried her belongings.

Tent city in Puyallup idea dies in council

by MELISSA SANTOS; The News Tribune

Puyallup won’t host a tent city for homeless individuals in the immediate future, city officials have decided.

After a lengthy public hearing on the proposal Tuesday night, the City Council held off on approving an ordinance that would have allowed a 40-person encampment somewhere in the city.

Media Analysis of Homeless Encampment “Sweeps”

(The following is a short excerpt from an excellent report that just came my way.
Check it out at http://faculty.washington.edu/stygall/homelessmediacoveragegroup

Seeing the Homeless
by George Dillion, English Professor, University of Washington

If an individual or organization decides to portray homelessness as urban blight and contagion—as the dump come to your door—a common tactic is to shoot garbage-scapes with a few closer shots of excrement and syringes, possibly (if you’re lucky) with a sanitation worker in a haz-mat suit standing next to a pile. We have seen examples in previous pages. Sometimes the mayor’s office invites “friendly” news teams to help produce and disseminate City Hall’s view.

Several arrested as police clear out Nickelsville

By Lindsay Cohen & KOMO Staff

SEATTLE — About a dozen people were arrested Wednesday afternoon for refusing to leave the Nickelsville homeless encampment at a park in West Seattle.

The homeless residents set up camp at Terminal 107 Park on West Marginal Way in July, despite warnings that they would not be allowed to stay.

Officials issued a 1 p.m. deadline for the campers to get out. After a brief last-ditch negotiation with port officials, Nickelsville residents were ordered out by police officers.

South Africa’s Poor Targeted by Evictions, Attacks in Advance of 2010 World Cup

Thousands of South Africans are being displaced in preparation for the 2010 World Cup. While Durban completes the finishing touches on its new stadium, thousands of the city’s poor who live in sprawling informal settlements are threatened with eviction. On Saturday, an armed gang of some forty men attacked an informal settlement on Durban’s Kennedy Road, killing at least two people and destroying thirty shacks. We (Democracy Now) speak to two South African activists who are fighting back.

Video and MP3 podcast athttp://www.democracynow.org/2009/10/1/south_africas_poor_targeted_by_evictions

Homeless camp outside Seattle councilman’s home

(AP)
Some people camped out overnight outside the home of Seattle City Councilman Tim Burgess, in the Queen Anne neighborhood.

The Tuesday night campers are members of the group SHARE who also camped out Monday night outside Mayor Greg Nickels’ home, demanding more free bus fares from the city.

A homeless camp on Port of Seattle property is facing eviction at noon Wednesday, and a spokeswoman for the camp called Nickelsville says it will stand up to police.

Homeless protesters to move on to Burgess’ home
By kery murakami, Seattle PostGlobe

The homeless protesters who slept in front on Mayor Greg Nickels house Monday night say they’ll move on to City Councilman Tim Burgess’ Queen Anne home Tuesday night.

The group is protesting the city’s denial of funding for bus vouchers the homeless say they need to get from shelters and tent cities to downtown services. The group has vowed to protest in front of the homes of all council members except Nick Licata, who pushed for $50,000 to fund the vouchers.

Burgess may be a particular target. He is working on anti-panhandling legislation.

Burgess said in an email that he knows of the protest Tuesday night. He said he’ll be home and will have “a nice chat” with the protesters.

Homeless Attempt to Camp on Seattle Mayor’s Lawn, thwarted by Shrubbery

By kery murakami, Seattle PostGlobe

About 40 protesters appeared to have bedded down for the night on the quiet West Seattle street where Mayor Greg Nickels lives.

Earlier in the evening, at about 8:30 p.m, the homeless men and women — protesting the city’s denial of funding for bus vouchers — had walked through the neighborhood in the drizzle. Once at Nickels’ street, they laid out the tarps and mats they’d carried on the grassy parking strip.

Nickels, though, has a flower bed in front of his house, preventing the protesters from actually sleeping in front of his home. The protesters were actually in front of four of Nickels’ neighbors’ houses.

Nickelsville residents vow to stay at Port of Seattle park

by kery murakami , Seattle Post Globe,

As another group of homeless prepared to sleep in front of Seattle City Councilman Tim Burgess’ home Tuesday night, the residents of the Nickelsvile homeless encampment vowed to stay at a Port of Seattle park despite a deadline to leave on Wednesday.

Nickelsville spokesman Revel Smith said in a press conference that police are expected to arrive at Terminal 107 Park at noon on Wednesday to evict the encampment set up in part as a protest that not more is done by Seattle about homelessness.

“Nickelodeons who plan to stay and peacefully stand-up to removal by police will ultimately risk arrest,” the statement said.

Port spokeswoman Charla Skaggs said the port is hoping the encampment will leave. ‘We remain hopeful that Nickelsville members will leaver voluntarily by tomorrow’s deadline. Certain area churches have said they are available to help if Nickelsville requests that help; we hope that a safe, legal altternate loca-on will be found,” she said.