International Day Against Police Brutality in Vancouver
March 15, 2003
by Anti-Pig
Several months ago the Collective Opposed to Police Brutality – Vancouver (COPB-Van) initiated an International Day Against Police Brutality (IDAPB) working group to plan a series of events and a demonstration for March 15. The working group took preparations by making posters, flyers, and banners and by communicating and coordinating with individuals, community groups, street youth, and residents of the poorest neighbourhood in Vancouver, the Downtown Eastside.
On Friday, March 14, working group members produced a special IDAPB radio show on the local Co-Op radio station, interviewed IDAPB organizers in Philadelphia and Winnipeg, as well as a member of the Anti-Poverty Committee of Vancouver and the Vancouver IDAPB working group.
Later that night the IDAPB working group held a social event at a community centre with food and a showing of 3 short videos on the Secwepemc Native Youth Movement (NYM), their defence of their indigenous territories from the Sun Peaks ski resort, as well as police brutality and the bulldozing of a Secwepemc home.
On Saturday, March 15, the Vancouver working group held an International Day Against Police Brutality demonstration, starting at 12 noon in Victory Square with a serving by Food Not Bombs. Indigenous elders welcomed the demonstrators to Coast Salish Territories and spoke out against police harassment, brutality and murder of indigenous people. Attention was drawn to the recent shooting murder of an indigenous woman named Lorraine Jacobsen by a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer in Alert Bay on Vancouver Island.
Several other speakers expressed their rage at police brutality and harassment in the Downtown Eastside, including the violent eviction and police attacks at the Woodwards squat and the routine use of pepper-spray on individuals after they have been arrested and handcuffed.
The demonstrators, numbering about 75 people, then marched through Gastown, a yuppie tourist shopping district, chanting “No more pigs in our communities!” Nearly half the marchers wore masks and waved black flags.
A heavy police presence followed the march throughout its duration.
Demonstrators stopped in front of the office of yuppie architect, community business association leader, and pro-police advocate Bryce Rositch, and spoke out against his efforts towards gentrifying the Downtown Eastside.
The march then arrived at the Vancouver police station on the corner of Main and Hastings streets, set down a wooden “pig pen” in the middle of the road and yelled “Fuck the police!”
Demonstrators marched to Oppenheimer park to end the event and the majority of the group then broke off and marched to the anti-war rally taking place at the Art Gallery downtown, singing “All we are saying… is shoot the police!” and chanting “What's the solution? Revolution!”. On the way, a masked demonstrator smashed a paper-mache pig head, and police officers on bicycles charged into two masked demonstrators repeatedly. The crowd rushed up to the cops, screamed in their faces, and intimidated them into riding away from the group and up ahead of the march. The anti-police brutality contingent then arrived at the anti-war rally, formed a circle, and dispersed through the crowd.
The next day, No One Is Illegal - Vancouver put on a conference during which local activist Alfonso Osorio spoke out against police brutality and targeted racist harassment against the Latino immigrant community in Vancouver.
This year's IDAPB demonstration was generally considered to be an empowering event and has strengthened networks between anarchists, street youth, and those living in poverty in the Downtown Eastside. By standing up to police oppression, the opportunity has been opened up for broader involvement in anti-police struggles by all people affected.
Anti-Pig
March 15, 2003
Vancouver, Canada
Collective Opposed to Police Brutality - Vancouver