First media coverage

[Ashley Fehr]

http://www.straight.com/article-333117/vancouver/black-bloc-activists-not-welcome-upcoming-g20-protest-vancouver

For the record I didn't say that the black bloc isn't welcome, simply that their tactics are not welcome. However, overall, I think it looks like a pretty solid piece. It doesn't have location on it yet but I think it'll be updated as I e-mailed Stephen with the updated location information.

[Reilly Y.]

ashley,

it's a fairly big problem that the title is "black bloc activists not welcome" - this is likely to alienate a significant portion of vancouver's committed activist community, who support diversity of tactics to one extent or another.

we need to do a message box for everyone who is going to speak to the media, with key points such as "everyone is welcome at the rally - certain tactics, however, will not be tolerated."

in my opinion, we should ask stephen to change the title and / or print a correction. he's a good guy. did this go into the print edition? i wouldn't share this on facebook with this title.

for the record, i'm not comfortable being publicly involved with something that will be divisive like this. i'm not a supporter of black bloc tactics by any means, but i'm even less comfortable with anything that divides the community even further.

reilly

[Britt Flue]

We seem to have missed the point that people, other than the black bloc have reasons to cover their faces. That the police can and do identify people, that if people are arrested, certain people are almost certain to taken. 

Justice isn't blind. 

The G8 leaders wear masks, have private functions and are unwilling to disclose public matters.

I for one do not want to see black, but covered faces in other colours should be accepted.

Britta

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Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 15:48:55 -0700
Subject: Re: First media coverage
From: reill...@gmail.com
To: capp-vanc...@googlegroups.com

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[Ashley Fehr]

I have e-mailed Stephen asking for a clarification on the title. I've let him know that if that is what I said I mispoke, that it's the tactics that are not welcome. 

I let him know that we don't want to alienate anyone, that the issue here is human rights. SO we'll see what he says. Hopefully he understands and changes the title.

[Paul LeBlanc]

It would be good if he changed the headline.  Making that the issue would suck and invites a distracting confrontation we don’t want.  But that’s always the trouble with media – you don’t always get the coverage you want.  And the Straight may not want to change the heading to something less provocative.   As we saw in the coverage of the G20 the media loves to cover conflict, and masked demonstrators carrying rocks provides that in spades.

 

If we have a few dozen masked demonstrators in our midst on the 17^th, that will again be the focus of the coverage, as it was during the G20 and as we have seen with this Straight interview.

 

There are no shortage of people who have every reason to be extremely angry with our government, and who have been screwed over by our economic system generally.  And while I won’t support all the actions of the masked demonstrators, I can on some level understand them. 

 

But we need to keep in mind is how the decisions we make affect our objectives.   If our objective is to bring the public onside with the need to allow free demonstrations having demonstrators who smash windows works against us.  If our objective is to discourage excessive spending on police having demonstrators who burn police cars works against us.  If our objective is to get more people to attend our peaceful protests then having scary masked people in our midst works against us. 

 

If you have been a masked demonstrator, or if you know one, and if you or your friends don’t feel safe demonstrating publicly there are other ways you can help which don’t work against us. 

 

Regardless of the colour of your bandana, I beg you, don’t work against us.  Join us in the open or help us in the background.

____________________________________________________________

Paul LeBlanc

[Masrour Zoghi]

I really do wish you two (ie Reilly and Britt) had showed up to the meeting yesterday: we had a wonderful discussion about the black bloc issue, since half of the people in attendance seemed to be sympathetic toward the bloc and the other half not so favourably disposed. Also, just for the record, I would like to point out the fact that I did mention in an email that the topic would be discussed at the meeting.

As a future topic for discussion (at the Night CAPP events or whatever), I would like to propose the task of investigating the activist scene in Vancouver. Reilly seems to be suggesting that the black bloc has become the mainstream mode of activism, which I find profoundly disturbing, whereas Britt seems to be alluding to the alleged police harassments that certain activists face here (also one of the arguments presented at the meeting as well), which is equally disturbing if not even more so, and which is probably the reason for the black bloc philosophy becoming so predominant.

If we are to address the issue of political participation, we need to look into these aspects of it as well, and I invite everyone to share their views with CAPP, while we're talking about this stuff.


Masrour.

[Dayla]

I think talking about the black bloc is important and can be really interesting, but I'm disappointed it is taking the place of organizing a rally. We don't have a location, we don't know what we're going to be doing, and we don't even know what this rally is hoping to achieve. If the black bloc manages to disrupt even our conversations they are more of a threat than I ever realized.
If we don't get our act together, than nobody is going to be talking about what really matters, and that is incredibly frustrating.

[Masrour Zoghi]

Actually, we do have a location (thanks good work Ashley) and we have 2 out of the 4 speakers that we need (thanks to you and Paul LeBlanc: actually could you forward David Eby's response to me?), so we're not doing as horribly as it might seem.

I completely agree that we should focus on the main point which is the preservation of our civil liberties, but you should keep in mind that the rally is being organized by people as opposed to robots, and that it is not unheard of for people to disagree on certain points.

At any rate, I'm all for talking things out, and this is wonderful opportunity for people to be exposed to a point of view that they would not normally be exposed to.

Anyway, my two cents.


Masrour.

[Ashley Fehr]

I was under the impression that what we hoped to achieve was a federal independent inquiry. We also want to make clear that as Canadians we want our Charter upheld. At all times.

Our location is beginning at the Vancouver Public Library - Central Branch and marching to Victory Square. At victory square we will have 4 speakers.

I am working on getting placard painting space. If nothing else I have space where my roommates and I can paint placards, if you guys have slogans you want painted on them.

No matter what interview I do the biggest question anyone will ask is about the Black Bloc. 

For the record I also want to point out that this is a big deal to mention in interviews and media releases. Because we are unable to attain permits for the rally we as individuals are liable for what happens. Moreso it is myself who is liable. We have to be open and transparent so that it is clear what our intentions were and are when it comes right down to the wire. 

[Reilly Y.]

i strongly agree with dayla's main points here. and by no means meant to suggest that the black bloc has become the mainstream mode of activism - please don't put those words in my mouth.

let's refocus on the main goal, which is securing a full public inquiry, and ensure that any press or communication focuses on that as well.

~r.

On Thu, Jul 8, 2010 at 8:06 PM, Dayla <paper.bag...@gmail.com> wrote: