January 10th to 16th, 2021
Sunday January 10th
Surrey Street Council
Weekly campaign meeting of street community leaders in Surrey
This week’s discussion focused on the ongoing problem of bylaw harassment and theft. We decided to launch a “stop the sweeps” campaign to address this problem, starting by surveying the community on their experiences. We also debriefed the last Whalley Centre shift and planned for the next one.
Red Braid Membership Meeting
Bi-weekly meeting of all members of Red Braid
We held a discussion of the mass movements of 2020, including the Wet’suwet’en movement and George Floyd Uprising, considered our relationship to these struggles, and drew lessons for the future. We also planned our biannual assembly, which will be held in early February.
Monday January 11th
Eviction Defense Action: Surrey tenants evicted by Top Vision Realty
The Eviction Defense Network received a call from two tenants, Natasha and Brandon, at 10am. Bailiffs had arrived at their door, carrying a writ of possession. Two Eviction Defense Network members went to their apartment to support the tenants’ resistance. The system’s eviction machinery, however, did not hesitate and they ultimately lost their home. The Eviction Defense Network will continue to organize for justice for Natasha and Brandon.
Praxis Committee
Weekly committee meeting to plan Red Braid’s internal and public education work
We prepared a syllabus on Italian and English autonomist feminism for a political education series on gender and socialist revolution.
Tuesday January 12th
Maple Ridge Resistance
Weekly campaign meeting of a street community group in Maple Ridge
Distributed a new “Anita News” newsletter with an article about behavioural agreements in supportive housing buildings.
COS Education Series: Gender and Socialist Revolution
Political education for Red Braid members, which we call Conditions of Struggle (COS)
This week was class six in our series on gender and socialist revolution, “Revolution in the Revolution”: Women in Cuban socialism.
Wednesday January 13th
Eviction Defense Network
Weekly campaign meeting of members of the Eviction Defense Network
We talked about the latest eviction defense action and ongoing organizing. We also started sharing our research findings from our first readings of the city plans in Burnaby, New Westminster, Langley, and Penticton.
Thursday January 14th
Cityviews Tenants’ Meeting
We met with low-income tenants at a building in Maple Ridge facing landlord threats and harassment. We planned a press conference and petition.
Bread, Roses & Hormones
Weekly meeting of Bread, Roses & Hormones, a campaign led by trans and non-binary people
We welcomed back a comrade from an organizing break and reoriented her to the campaign. We also discussed preparations for the Red Braid Winter Assembly at the end of January.
Friday January 15th
Whalley People’s Resource Centre
The Whalley Centre is a street-run space in Surrey, open every Friday from 11pm to 7am
Throughout the night, 26 visitors came to the Whalley Centre. We served soup and sandwiches, and trained two new Whalley Centre volunteers.
Saturday January 16th
New Member Education class
Bi-weekly education class held for new members of Red Braid. This week we discussed race power and white abolition.
Publishing done in this period
Besides the various leaflets and local newsletters, we also published the following Volcano articles:
The Volcano, The Volcano’s Top 12 of 2020
The Volcano, Lying landlord uses legal loopholes to evict tenants to the streets
Ivan Drury, Are ‘Behavioural Agreements’ the latest attack on the rights of Supportive Housing residents?