February 28th to March 6th, 2021
Sunday February 28th
Surrey Street Council
Weekly campaign meeting of street community leaders in Surrey
We focused on our “Stop the Sweeps” community research project. So far, we have surveyed 40 street community members about their experiences with police and bylaw. This week we released preliminary survey data, finding that 85% of respondents have had belongings stolen by bylaw officers, police, private security, or social workers.
Red Braid Member Meeting
Bi-weekly meeting of all members of Red Braid
We discussed Bread, Roses & Hormones’ outreach strategies and the upcoming Marxist Center convention, and decided to interview two new member applicants.
Monday March 1st
Praxis Committee Meeting
Weekly committee meeting to plan Red Braid’s internal and public education work.
This week we finalized presentations for the second class in our political education series on fascism: “The Middle Class and the Rising Fascist Tide.” We are also finishing up the second edition of Red Braid’s book, A Separate Star.
Tuesday March 2nd
Emergency meeting to plan fightback against bylaw theft
After having her belongings seized by bylaw officers on Monday, Shiloh contacted the Surrey Street Council for help organizing a response. We set up an emergency meeting, where we drafted a pamphlet and demands, and planned a press conference and rally.
COS Education Series: Dissecting Fascism
Political education for Red Braid members, which we call Conditions of Struggle (COS).
Red Braid members from Nanaimo and Olympia hosted our second COS class with the purpose of political education and recruitment of people outside of the Vancouver area.
Red Braid also hosted the same class internally for our members.
This week we read a section of Daniel Guerin’s book Fascism and Big Business, and discussed the middle class and its relationship to fascist recruitment, movements during its rise in Germany and Italy, and how it manifests today locally.
Wednesday March 3rd
Eviction Defence Network
Weekly campaign meeting of members of the Eviction Defence Network.
The EDN hosted a workshop for tenants we have organized with, and Red Braid members interested in getting involved in the Eviction Defence Network. The presentation went over what the housing crisis is, what could end the housing crisis (universal housing!), and how tenants can and have fought back against evictions (organizing!).
Thursday March 4th
Surrey steals from the homeless! We won’t take it anymore! Rally and press conference
On Monday, bylaw officers seized the belongings of Shiloh, a Cree woman from the street community in Whalley. When she protested, they threatened her with arrest. The City of Surrey currently grants bylaw officers the power to steal homeless people’s belongings if they decide they “look like garbage.” Shiloh and the Surrey Street Council started a fightback against this routine, inhumane practice with a rally and press conference.
They demanded that the City of Surrey:
- Immediately end police and bylaw theft
- Provide secure storage lockers for every unhoused person in Surrey
- Compensate Shiloh $1,000 for her lost belongings
And they called on the Province of BC to build permanent social housing with rights under the Residential Tenancy Act for every unhoused and underhoused person living in BC.
Read more at The Volcano newspaper: Homeless victims of street sweeps start fightback against the City of Surrey
See Red Braid’s Flickr account for photos from the action.
Bread, Roses, and Hormones
Weekly meeting of Bread, Roses & Hormones, a campaign led by trans and non-binary people
We discussed the “Social Investigation” section of the book Organizing for Autonomy by the revolutionary organization CounterPower. Our reading helped us reflect on the strategy and goals of our “Trans Power is Built in the Streets” survey.
We also planned for the next week’s round of outreach and postering for the survey, and our “Universal Trans Care Now” campaign.
Marxist Center Delegates Council (affiliate)
Red Braid recently affiliated with the Marxist Center. We have a member who sits on the Delegates Council.
Friday March 5th
Our Homes Can’t Wait
Members of Red Braid participated in a meeting of the coalition Our Homes Can’t Wait, along with other housing justice organizers in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver
Queer Youth Defence Network
A small group of high school students in suburbs outside of Vancouver, who recently formed the Queer Youth Defence Network, held an online meeting.
Whalley People’s Resource Centre
The Whalley Centre is open every Friday from 11pm to 7am. It is run by the Surrey Street Council.
It was a good night. We served 20 bowls of curry and 7 people contributed to our grassroots research project on homeless people’s experiences with Surrey RCMP and bylaw by filling out surveys. We held a circle of silence at the end of the night to remember our lost loved ones.
Donate to the Whalley People’s Resource Centre. If you have coats, blankets, extra socks, or gloves, please consider donating them!
Saturday March 6th
Marxist Center Convention
We participated in the Marxist Center’s 2021 two-day convention as an affiliate group. Red Braid member Listen Chen gave a presentation at Saturday’s evening plenary on base-building.
Upcoming events
Conditions of Struggle: Dissecting Fascism
Six bi-weekly online classes hosted by Red Braid members in Nanaimo, BC and Olympia, WA.
Class 3, on March 16th at 6:30pm, asks the question, “When are nationalism and racism not a death cult?” Email organize@stopdisplacement.ca for the readings!
Publishing done in this period
Besides the various leaflets and local newsletters, we also published the following Volcano articles:
The Volcano, Eviction Defense Network shames landlord at his West Vancouver Home
Isabel Krupp, Queer Youth Defence Network: Organizing against homophobia in the suburbs
The Volcano, Homeless victims of street sweeps start fightback against the City of Surrey
Eviction Defence Network, BC NDP’s Fake Renoviction Ban: Band-Aids, Bullshit & Brutality
