March 14th to 20th, 2021
Sunday March 14th
Eviction Defence Network: Tenants Committee Meeting
The Eviction Defence Network and a dozen tenants from 6645 & 6659 Dow Avenue in Metrotown met and discussed strategy. Tenants were fired up and happy to connect with a larger network. Several people reiterated the importance of sticking together because the only way to get anything from the landlord and City Hall is through a unified fight. Tenants are fighting the neglect and deterioration of their buildings, which are set for demoviction, as well as the many gaps in the City of Burnaby’s Tenant Assistant Plan.
Red Braid Member Meeting
Bi-weekly meeting of all members of Red Braid.
The Indigenous Leadership Council led a discussion to strategize support for an Indigenous woman struggling against child apprehension and the Ministry of Children and Families. We also reflected on the recent Marxist Center convention and talked about theories of “the party” as an organizational form for revolutionary politics.
Monday March 15th
Praxis Committee Meeting
Weekly committee meeting to plan Red Braid’s internal and public education work.
This week we finalized presentations for the third class in our political education series on fascism (see below). We worked on the second edition of Red Braid’s book, A Separate Star.
Marxist Centre Delegate Council Meeting
Red Braid is affiliated with the Marxist Center. We have a member who sits on the Delegates Council.
Tuesday March 16th
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 third COS class with the purpose of political education and recruitment of people outside of the Vancouver area.
This week we read Cesaire’s Discourse on Colonialism, and discussed Cesaire’s definition of fascism and the relationship between colonial violence in Black and brown nations and fascist violence within the imperial core.
Wednesday March 17th
Eviction Defence Network Meeting
Weekly campaign meeting of members of the Eviction Defence Network.
This week, the EDN discussed tenant struggles that we are supporting in Burnaby, Port Coquitlam, the Downtown Eastside, and New Westminster. We also continued preparations to host the Autonomous Tenant Union Network town hall on April 10, 2021.
We launched our new website this week! Check it out for our recent publications, resources on how to organize your building, and to sign up to join our flying squad: evictiondefencebc.org
Marxist Center Internal Newsletter Working Group
Red Braid is affiliated with the Marxist Center. One of our members sits on the internal newsletter working group, which assembles a regular bulletin for Marxist Center members.
Thursday March 18th
Bread, Roses & Hormones
Weekly meeting of Bread, Roses & Hormones, a campaign led by trans and non-binary people.
This week, BRH discussed supporting a trans person in a local addiction treatment centre who wants to fight for queer and trans specific programming as part of our Universal Trans Care Now! campaign. We also discussed the role of consciousness-raising in trans organizing and made plans to begin monthly consciousness-raising sessions around themes that emerge from our survey work. We also planned a banner and placard making event for this coming Friday.
Friday March 19th
Eviction Defence Network: RTB Hearing
The Eviction Defence Network supported two tenants, who have been homeless since their recent eviction, with their Residential Tenancy Board hearing. The arbitrator dismissed the tenants’ case for purely bureaucratic reasons. Next we will support them to file an order for monetary compensation with the Ombudsperson of BC.
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. We continued discussions to update the coalition’s visioning statement.
Whalley People’s Resource Centre
The Whalley Centre is open every Friday from 11pm to 7am. It is run by the Surrey Street Council.
Throughout the night, about 30 people used the space to warm up, rest, socialize, get hot food and drinks, dry clothes, harm reduction supplies, and first aid. There were also some political discussions about the need to fight to abolish supportive housing and what abolition means more broadly.
Donate to the Whalley People’s Resource Centre. If you have coats, blankets, extra socks, or gloves, please consider donating them!
Upcoming events
Conditions of Struggle: Dissecting Fascism
Six bi-weekly online classes hosted by Red Braid members in Nanaimo, BC and Olympia, WA.
Class 4, on March 30th at 6:30pm, is titled, “Misogyny, colonialism, fascism: Hating women and doing the violent work of the settler state.” 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:
Bread, Roses & Hormones, Universal Trans Care Now!
The Volcano, Join the Eviction Defence Network! New tenant groups springing up throughout the Lower Mainland
