FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 22, 2002
Police raid Woodwards tent city: brutalize homeless people At 11:30 pm Sunday night, the police attacked the tent city that has been outside of the Woodwards building for the past eight days. This marks the second time in 48 hours that police arrested and brutalized people at the building site. Dozens of people were arrested and the belongings of sixty people thrown into four waiting garbage trucks. The police stated that the reason for the brutal raid was that people were committing a bylaw infraction by obstructing the sidewalk. Police cordoned off Abbott between Hastings and Cordova and two blocks squatters off the premises, and then without allowing people to gather their belongings and leave, the police started to arrest people at the site. Many were thrown to the ground and witnesses saw police beating people up during the arrests. "I witnessed a homeless woman being grabbed by the scruff of the neck and thrown down by three police officers after she asked them where their heart was. They are picking on the homeless and poor," said Jack, an orginal squatter from the Woodwards building. Police went so far as to arrest John Richardson, lawyer for the squatters arrested on Saturday morning, when he asked to speak to an officer who could provide more information on the charges under which people were being arrested. Last Saturday the homeless squatted the Woodwards building to demand the province make good on their promise for social housing in that building. Early Saturday morning, 58 squatters were brutally arrested and evicted from their home in the Woodwards building. The Anti-Poverty Committee demands the unconditional release of all people arrested at the Woodwards building tonight. There will be a Community Meeting Monday morning at 10 am at Victory Square. Contact: Mike Krebs 604-779-7430 -30- ------------------------------------------- Macdonald Stainsby http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/rad-green http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international -- In the contradiction lies the hope. --Bertholt Brecht _______________________________________________ Leninist-International mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] To change your options or unsubscribe go to: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/listinfo/leninist-international
