January 31st to February 6th, 2021
Sunday January 31st
Eviction Defense Outreach
The Eviction Defense Network started building connections with tenants from a Whalley apartment complex slated for demoviction. If you want to connect with EDN and join us on outreach days, call 604-630-1722!
Surrey Street Council
Weekly campaign meeting of street community leaders in Surrey
We reflected on the past 6 months of our campaign work in preparation for the 2021 Winter Assembly. For the second half of the meeting a member of the Eviction Defense Network led a discussion on the problem of city-led gentrification in Whalley.
Red Braid Coordinating Committee Meeting
Bi-weekly meeting of the Red Braid CC, tasked with planning organizational work over the coming week.
We planned our upcoming 2-day strategy and visioning gathering, under the title, “Lessons from the Furnace: Red Braid Winter Assembly 2021.”
Monday February 1st
Praxis Committee Meeting
Weekly committee meeting to plan Red Braid’s internal and public education work.
With a 3 week gap between our Conditions of Struggle classes, we used this meeting time to prepare the opening discussion on “Movement and Organization,” for our 2021 Online Winter Assembly.
Tuesday February 2nd
Eviction defense in Maple Ridge ends with eviction by bailiff
Curtis, a low-income disabled man in Maple Ridge, was evicted from his apartment for an administrative error – a “failure to pay rent” that he actually did pay. The bailiff showed up a day earlier than was planned. Curtis called for help and said he would refuse to open his door, but by the time organizers with EDN got there, the bailiff had climbed into the apartment through the window and brought in the movers.
Maple Ridge News article: “Cityviews Village property managers follow through with eviction of man over clerical error”
Volcano article about the Cityviews fight: “Tenants resist profiteering investor landlord’s ‘intimi-victions”
Maple Ridge Resistance
Weekly meeting of a street community group in Maple Ridge.
We reflected on the past year through five frames of reference: our meetings, Anita News, the abolish supportive housing campaign, the squat to survive campaign, and overdose struggles.
Street Kin Organizing Meeting
Red Braid organizers from the DTES, Maple Ridge, Surrey, and Nanaimo met to reflect on the past 6 months of street kin organizing – the accomplishments of our regional campaigns, the difficulties of organizing during COVID-19, and the potential danger of governments opening sanctioned outdoor camps. We also reviewed our goals and tactics set at last year’s Summer Assembly and updated them based on their outcomes in 2020.
Wednesday February 3rd
Eviction Defence Network
Weekly campaign meeting of members of the Eviction Defense Network.
We talked about our presentation for the Winter Assembly, and our plans for 2021.
Thursday February 4th
Eviction Defense Network: Press conference in Langley against eviction threats
The Eviction Defense Network met with a couple in Langley who were threatened with eviction from their home on February 2nd. Maureen, who is organizing with her roommates to stop their eviction, worked with the Eviction Defence Network to hold a news conference and demand that the Township of Langley stop the bulldozers that will push them into homelessness.
Their 3 demands were:
- Immediately cancel the eviction
- Replace the 5 affordable rental units in the house with low-income affordable non-market housing
- Provide the tenants with permanent replacement units at the same price for all tenants threatened of eviction
Volcano article: “Langley plans to pave low income housing and evict 5 people into homelessness.”
Bread, Roses, and Hormones
Weekly meeting of Bread, Roses & Hormones, a campaign led by trans and non-binary people
We finalized a fundraiser to support the “Trans Power is Built on the Streets!” survey and campaign work to publish alongside an online version of the survey.
Donate to the “Trans Power is Built on the Streets” campaign here: Fundraiser: Support the fight for trans community survival!
Marxist Center Delegates Council (affiliate)
Red Braid recently affiliated with the Marxist Centre Network, and we have a member who sits on the Delegates Council.
Friday February 5th
Whalley People’s Resource Centre
The Whalley Centre is open every Friday from 11pm to 7am. It is run by the Surrey Street Council. This Friday two dozen people used the space to warm up, rest, or socialise, get hot food and drinks, dry clothes, harm reduction supplies, and first aid.
Donate to the Whalley People’s Resource Centre. If you have coats, blankets, extra socks, or gloves, please consider donating them as well!
Publishing done in this period
Besides the various leaflets and local newsletters, we also published the following Volcano articles:
Amber McGrath, The typical “7k marathon” day of a homeless woman in Nanaimo
Sean Phipps, Guardian angels or status for all? Fighting Canada’s tiered immigration system during COVID-19
Eviction Defense Network, Langley plans to pave low-income housing and evict 5 people into homelessness
Upcoming events
Conditions of Struggle: Dissecting Fascism
Six bi-weekly online classes hosted by Red Braid members in Nanaimo, BC and Olympia, WA
Start date: February 16th, 2021. Email organize@stopdisplacement.ca for the readings!
