News Flash of Police Harrasment at Day of The Dead Parade

City of Victoria News from the front lines.

Below is a quick announcement about police harassment at the Day of the Dead gathering that happened here in Victoria, Nov. 1st. We met in honour of street involved women who have died on the streets. Many participants said they were going to write letters about the Police harassment. We will forward those as well. We are considering taking legal action against the Police.

The story:

Seeing the Take Back the Night was not happening this year, Women Helping Women Coalition were host to a Day of the Dead parade in honour of street involved women who have died on the streets here in Victoria. I was asked to MC the parade in a consensus style. Rose Henry brought attention to missing and murdered women in Vancouver and across Canada. Moss and Rachelle sang some powerful and beautiful blue grass tunes that had us dancing and weeping.

We met at Quadra and Broughton. We were a small group and yet, it was energised. We had food in the form of great tuna/cheese sandwiches. Food Not Bombs also brought some vegan/vegetarian sandwiches. We had candy and lots of it to share with the dead as we made alters along the way for the women who walk in the spirit world, and we honoured their ancestors.

We thanked the Hospital Employees Union for their support of posters, and Yvette for helping to purchase the Amp Can Sound System. We must again thank the many community women and men who came out in support, who made sandwiches, who brought the wheel barrel and so much more. This was truly a community event.

Street involved women who we spoke with before the parade had brought up wanting to go to View and Government to the location Mary Anne Ford was working the night she was murdered years ago. We left an alter of candy and boughs of trees and lights representing candles at Sandy Merriman House and brought attention to the fact staff need proper training. Why? Because women are not being allowed in due to "behaviors", stated Cool Aide's Kathy Stinton at Women Helping Women Coalitions community meeting in February of 2005.

So, we went to SMH on Blanshard and Burdette, we then consensed to go to View and Government. While walking on Yates, a Police vehicle drove alongside our parade, I believe in a dangerous way, and said to a woman walking, "Move onto the sidewalk". She said she will see what she "can do" and the parade just happened to turn onto government sidewalk to go to honour Mary Anne at View Street. We sang songs, we sang Good Night Mary Anne to the tune of Good Night Irene.

We consensed to go to SOS via Government/Johnson/Blanshard. We got to Johnson and about Blanshard when police again told us from a mike in the van to get off the street. Many women did not want to, others felt it was cool to be on the sidewalk and did not want to risk arrest, some of these were poor and/or disabled. We consensed to go on the sidewalk. The banners kept getting stuck and caught in trees and business signs.

A parade participant went back to the Police van and let them know what we were about, how "Take Back the Night" did not happen and who the march was for. We also stated the concerns about the banners. He said a few things as well as "I don't care".

We went on the sidewalk as we approached the Health Building where a 420 gathering was happening supporting use of cannabis. We handed them candy.

We went to the side walk across from SOS, out of respect for our sisters and brothers whose home was the SOS side of the street.

We set up on the sidewalk, we began to greet friends who came over from the other side of the sidewalk with open arms. Tears fell from some eyes in long embraces. We represented hope to some, a breath of fresh air for others.
I, personally, had not seen one of the young street involved women in a few years. Most of what happened was a blur to me as we embraced in a beautiful hug. I had just seen and hugged and greeted her mom moments before.
They have both had to live off of and on the streets for far too long. One night can be too long.

The police, seeing such love could not stand it! They began to show up, a ghost car, a paddy wagon and marked car, harassing the paraders and those honouring the women by trying to find an "organiser". Well, since we are a rag tag group everyone told the truth and mentioned we are all organisers, which was true in so many ways. The word went out, a call for help from the streets and we responded!

We are community women, we love. We are angered by violence. State violence seems to really upset us and move us to song. Women speaking out against violence, well, the system seems to really hate that. Speak out about homelessness and housing issues and you can land in jail in this town.

Well,..

Anyways, at one point I turned around and there was suddenly a police officer asking me for ID. I guess he had been trying this with others as well.

I did not have any ID on me ironically because I was wearing chaps, and besides, there were so many present who knew me who are family and friends, I felt fine to not take it. Since I was not sure why he was asking me for ID, I asked him.

The police officer was not happy with that. He said I did some kind of motor vehicles offence and he wanted me to come with him, he took my elbow and tried to lead me away from the group, the group moved towards me, I said I did not want to go and he said I had no choice. I asked why. Many others asked as well. Why was I being asked to go over there, he mentioned I was parading illegally. I then turned and asked the crowd how many folks were parading on the street tonight, they all put up their hands.

The police left and got in their cars. They then decided, since they could not jack us up, they could jack up the homeless.

One of the bluegrass singers began to sing a song about "We love cops who support people who support people...cops who protect the people...", she just made it up right there.
It helped.

Someone then suggested we leave cause of the homeless getting jacked up. We needed to take the heat off of them. The moment we consensed and announced we were leaving, the police got in their cars and left. How dare we come together with such love and honour!

Police Harassment/Hostility /Disruption. They put us at risk. They disrupted a great community event. I want to know if the anti war rally had so much jacking up? Police uttering threats re: tickets and offences and having to have a permit to be on the street...or, is this just a homeless/poverty issue here in Victoria they are more embarrassed about? Only the homeless rallies get ticketed?
Some women felt it was important to walk on the streets, so, we did. We walked carefully and with pride for all the women like Mary Anne Ford who was murdered, Lisa Louie who died of menengitis due to a minor knife wound to her back near her vertebrae. The presenting Doctor at the clinic did not order an x-ray, he sent her home with an antibiotic prescription, Spike dying in custody, Michelle O'Brien dying of double pneumonia....

We left SOS and walked down to Quadra and Balmoral and sang and danced and got some free bread from the Wildfire Bakery...our spirits back, after much dance, we walked back to the Park from whence we started. On the way, we met with one of the homeless women we had met earlier, she was now shivering on some steps at an old church building, we shared a warm vest and love and as much warmth and sandwiches we had left. We also intervened with a fellow who was very upset, homeless and angry. We helped calm him down. After debriefing I am now writing this first letter.
When the debriefing happened the first remedy given for such police harassment was "we have to have these rallies more often," stated by a women who was at the rally. How refreshing.

So folks, whenever you see an anti-poverty or housing rally, go. It seems it does make a difference.

The police have been given their orders: harass those who support the poor. Do not allow the voice of the poor to get out there. At any cost stop them. The Mayor himself called a woman from the Woman Helping Woman Coalition abusive and harassing. We are called this when we advocate for those under attack, when we merely put forward queries by those under attack. We must beware of wolfs in sheep's clothing, my friends.

We learn and we educate, we speak up against injustice, we do not allow divide and rule tactics by the system/police/Mayor to get in our way. We are a gentle, angry people and we are singing, singing for our lives. We are a gentle, angry people and we are singing, singing for all of our lives.

Kym Hothead
Women Helping Women Coalition
whelpw@telus.net