The Olympic Tent Village, is a grassroots and autonomous community effort to draw attention to homelessness created and/or exacerbated by Olympic building projects and their lasting impact on the cost of living in the area. They will be having a rally starting tomorrow to educate people about the links between homelessness, oppression of women and children and First Nation people, and the Winter Olympics tomorrow February 15th, as well as setting up what they hope will be a permanent tent village in the midst of the Olympic games.
NO MORE EMPTY TALK, NO MORE EMPTY LOTS:
The upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics has escalated the homelessness crisis in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and the Greater Vancouver area. Since the Olympic bid, homelessness has nearly tripled in the GVRD, while real estate and condominium development in the Downtown Eastside is outpacing social housing by a rate of 3:1. Meanwhile, a heightened police presence has further criminalized those living in extreme material poverty in the poorest postal code in Canada.
With the eyes of the world on Vancouver, residents of the Downtown Eastside and our supporters will be taking the streets to affirm our call for justice and dignity. We want:
- Real action to end homelessness now
- End condo development and displacement in the Downtown Eastside
- End discriminatory ticketing, police harassment, and all forms of criminalization of poverty.
You can help by:
- Stay[ing] the evening, night, and/or morning after the rally to protect the Tent Village, especially the first 24-72 hours. If your organization, group of friends, or community network can commit to a six hour supporter shift (6 am to noon, noon to 6 pm, 6 pm to midnight, midnight to 6 am) with a presence of 8 people, please let us know by emailing streamsofjustice@gmail.com or call 604-253-1782. We definitely need to ensure a high presence during night times when we are most vulnerable to law enforcement activity.
- Donati[ng] tents, sleeping bags, blankets, foams, non-perishable food items (granola bars, trail mixes, peanut butter, rice, beans, couscous etc) are particularly needed. Donations can be dropped off at Baaad Anna’s: – 2667 East Hastings St., Vancouver. Monday – Sunday (11 am to 6 pm). 604-255-2577. Or alternatively, donations can be coordinated through Streams of Justice
The rally is endorsed by the following social justice organizations in Canada:
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