March 21st to 27th, 2021
Sunday March 21st
Coordinating Committee Meeting
Bi-weekly meeting of the Red Braid CC, tasked with planning organizational work over the coming week.
We planned two discussions for our next member meeting: one on the impact of intellectual property rights on the production and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination internationally; and another discussion on sex work and trafficking, which was spurred by the Atlanta shootings earlier this month where six Asian women, profiled as sex workers, were murdered in a massage parlour.
Read Red Braid’s statement here: “Anti-Asian misogyny is state power: On the mass shooting in Georgia”
Wednesday March 24th
Evictions Defence Network
We didn’t meet today, but we finalized our “No More Evictions” survey, which will help us learn more about working class and Indigenous people’s housing situations in order to organize collective resistance.
We also launched our new website last 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
Thursday March 25th
Eviction Defence Network: RTB Hearing
A resident at Cityviews had his RTB hearing. We supported him to present evidence to argue that the landlord failed to comply with the tenancy act and helped him advocate for the compensation he is entitled to.
Bread, Roses & Hormones
Weekly meeting of Bread, Roses & Hormones, a campaign led by trans and non-binary people.
We reflected on our recent outreach efforts and planned the next week of outreach. We also held our first consciousness raising session, where we discussed three forms of violence trans people face and hypothesized that violence is always institutional whether it comes from police and bylaw officers or friends who do the work of the state by asserting power over trans people.
Friday March 26th
Eviction Defence Network: RTB Hearing
A second Cityviews resident had his RTB hearing this week. We supported him to present evidence arguing that the landlord failed to comply with the tenancy act.
Whalley People’s Resource Centre
The Whalley Centre is open every Friday from 11pm to 7am. It is run by the Surrey Street Council.
About a dozen people came throughout the night to warm up, rest, and get a warm meal, coffee and tea, dry clothes, harm reduction supplies, and first aid. We trained a new Whalley Centre volunteer from the community, had some political discussions, and invited people to our regular Street Council meetings.
Donate to the Whalley People’s Resource Centre. If you have coats, blankets, extra socks, or gloves, please consider donating them!
Saturday March 27th
Supporting families in MCFD abuse case
Red Braid supported a working class woman of colour in developing a victim impact statement to assist with the sentencing of an abusive foster parent who harmed her grandchildren while they were in his care.
Indigenous Leadership Council
The Indigenous Leadership Council held a community meeting. We discussed Indigenous sovereign fights within urban centers. We are holding community meetings once a week with our social base unless COVID prevents us. As we experiment with struggle, wish us power!
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:
Tana Copperthwaite, “Back into the gully: what the end of CERB means for the poor”
Red Braid, “Anti-Asian misogyny is state power: On the mass shooting in Georgia”
Laura Rose, “Trans women’s economic justice demands total social transformation: IWD 2021 speech”
