[Action-forum] Mayday-Voices from the Street
Jane Scharf
Mayday-Voices from the Street
The forces of change were blowing hard today as those individuals who have
been relegated to the streets are taking ownership of those streets in the
form of risking arrest in direct action.
The Panhandlers Union of Ottawa organized 2 memorial Mayday street marches.
The morning march began with a rally at the Human Rights Monument at City
Hall at 11:30 am. About 50 persons congregated at the monument about one
quarter of which were street involved. By 12 noon the group set off to
confront Rideau Mall security regarding their use of violence against street
involved persons.
Protestors shut down traffic on Elgin and Rideau along their path to the
Rideau Center where they straddled both lanes in front of the second
entrance to the mall. As they proceeded energy was high and chants of ³No
Justice No Peace², ³Capitalism Kills² and ³Whose Streets, Our Streets
resonated in the air².
When the protestors arrived they were joined by another 20 or so street
youth. Hundreds of people gather along both sides of the road to hear the
complaints belted out in a mega phone provided by the Under Pressure
Collective in unrestrained detail about how they are being brutalizes by
mall security. And 500 flyers were passed out to the crowd.
There was a slight police presence and they were none obstructive. At one
point one officer asked organizer Andrew Nellis (without ultimatum) if a few
buses that were trapped unable to take the detour could pass. Nellis
deferred the decision to the protest crowd and after careful deliberations
we decided by vote to let these buses pass.
Traffic on both sides of Rideau Street where shut down for 45 minutes. The
spirit of empowerment and solidarity were high. As the protest voluntarily
broke up organizer Andrew Nellis announced if the brutalization did not stop
we would be back for longer in bigger numbers. And another spontaneous
action was announced for 4:00 pm commencing again at the Human Rights
Monument.
At 4:00 pm about 40 street youth congregated at the monument as with a few
supporters many with covered faces. There was a strong police presence this
time, which created some fear and anxiety amongst the protestors.
Some protestors on bicycles scouted the surrounding area for police and
reported back that along Elgin north of the monument and Rideau Street were
full of bike cops but no police appeared to be anywhere south of us.
A group decision was made by a show of hands as to which route we would
take. The original route planned for Elgin, Rideau, the Market, Bank and
then to the Elgin Police Station was abandoned in favour of a direct route
south on Elgin to the Police Station. Police where not ready for this choice
and they had to scrambled to catch up with us as we headed out stopping
traffic on both sides of Elgin.
As we approached the Police Station we stopped in front forming a line
across both lanes of traffic. A line of about ten police officers stood
across the front entrance to the building.
The first spontaneous chant that was shouted as we arrived was ³ Hay Hoo Hay
Hoo Barakat has got to go².
The protestors decided again with a show of hands that two volunteers would
approach the police and request a spokesperson come out on the street and
register our complaints.
To young protestors with a black flag waving stepped out and approached the
police line. The crowed agreed that the volunteers would be de-arrested if
the police apprehended them. One officer came forward and offered to act as
spokesperson and approached the crowd on the street.
The officer wrote down the complaints, which were mostly about Constable
Barakat. The protestors reported that Barakat was a terror of the streets.
They also complained that they were being ticketed for aggressive
panhandling when they were being very polite and respectful.
The police spokesperson recommended that a police complaints be filed.
Everyone said they were too afraid to file a complaint by themselves.
Nellis negotiated for an opportunity to make a group complaint. This was
agreed to by the police spokesperson. And on this note the crowd decided to
return to the monument and disperse pending the outcome of the group
complaint, which will be followed up by Nellis.
This writer was very moved by the level of bravery showed by this very young
very vulnerable group of people. I felt the energy of the collective action
at least to some degree transform their sense of abandonment and
powerlessness into a sense of hope that in collective action they can effect
change.
Nellis asked that protestors return on June 1 at 1:00 to the monument to
evaluate the results of the complaint process.
Protest organizers are pleased that the police did not use force to repress
our action and they hope that this long awaited change is not transient.
PICTURE URL¹S
Mayday morning march-Rideau St Shutdown and Rideau Mall Showdown
http://homelesscrisis.tripod.com/id25.html
Mayday afternoon march-Elgin St. Shutdown and police showdown
Police negotiated and met demands
http://homelesscrisis.tripod.com/id25.html
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