Phone Zap:
❝Carrying out a hunger strike for nearly eight weeks is either an act of insanity or extreme desperation. A Virginia court has already ruled that Rashid is competent to make his own decisions. This must mean that he believes he is already facing a life-or-death situation by not receiving necessary medical care.❞
Please contact Director Dotson. It may save a courageous man’s life.
Chadwick Dotson
Director, Virginia Department of Corrections
Email: Chadwick.Dotson@vadoc.virginia.gov
Phone: 804-674-3000
(Not his direct line. Call this number and ask to be connected with his office.)
WHY?
❝
For the first month of the hunger strike, Rashid was kept in a cell with no running water. He was denied bottled water, along with soap, toothpaste and other hygiene items. The only water he had to drink was from the toilet, which he was not able to clean.
❞
Not only will we be subjected to the same leapfrogging nonsense as the last few weeks, the cops are threatening organizers with a $10,000 fine for being on the truck; to arrest anyone who climbs at today's action; and the crowd is full of plain clothes cops.
Today it is snowing, and I'm inside. In fact, as I dictate this, I'm sitting in a hot bath with epsom salts soothing my aches and pains.
The night before last I was sleeping (well, sitting actually, as I did/could not sleep) outside, my choice, as part of a protest about houselessness in the City of Toronto.
⛺️ ⛺️ ⛺️ ⛺️
It's not the first time I have "slept rough" with unhoused people, but it has been because I have been requested to fulfill a role as a Legal Observer from the Movement Defence Committee, in case of interactions with police.
As a Black woman, when I have privilege in certain contexts, it is extremely apparent to me. And no, it's not ❝Black privilege❞ as certain #wypipo like to complain about when white privilege is commented on.
🫠 🫠 🫠 🫠 🫠
First of all, and it annoys me to have to cover this ground repeatedly, the PRIVILEGE in question is "privilege" vis-à-vis rights, not "privilege" as in wealth.
🫠 🫠 🫠 🫠 🫠
1️⃣ The first privilege, and this will probably confuse those of you who insist upon hearing privilege as in wealth, is that I have dedicated camping gear (and it is camping gear, as opposed to what I'm relying upon to save my God damn life every night) designed for winter camping, AND I've had the luxury to learn how to use it properly in non-emergency situations.
Even then, not being able to use a wood stove or start a fire, made things deeply unpleasant. It reached -13°C at one point, and the cold coming up from the cement was brutal, even through the reflectix. I gave one roll of reflectix to someone who was sleeping directly on the ground.
It was windy, and even with my hammock sock over top of my entire setup, I could feel convection happening. The fact that I EVEN KNOW the difference between convective cooling (the wind pulling the warmed air away from your immediate space) versus conductive cooling (the cement sucking the heat from your body) and how to compensate for it, is part of that privilege.
Hmmm I'm going to make this into a thread instead of a one post novel.
Kicking off a Legal Observing Marathon with a Defund the Police Party at Nathan Phillips Square.
Loaded down with stuff to give away: warm clothing (gently-used and freshly washed); tent and accompanying camping gear that I no longer use now that I am a tree-sleeper; then a dash over to Street Knit to pickup warm knitted gear to bring back.
Making a dash over to Street Knit to pick up more warm gear, because every single one of the items in the big bags of hats, scarves, and sweaters that I brought are all gone.
Mercifully, others have also brought lots.
Please bring used but still warm coats, sleeping bags, or other gear by if you have them.
Next Saturday,
December 16th, 6pm
Yonge-Nameless Square:
🕯 🕯 🕯 🕯 🕯 🕯
🕯 Justice for Soli 🕯
🕯 🕯 🕯 🕯 🕯 🕯
From yesterday's Star:
❝
Faqiri, who had diagnosed schizophrenia, spent 11 days in segregation while experiencing a psychiatric emergency. On Dec. 15, 2016, Faqiri allegedly spit at one of several guards escorting him back to his segregation cell; the guard slapped him in response. After this, a hallway video shows six officers push Faqiri into his cell and one presses the Code Blue button, which sees at least another 20 officers run in for backup.
The hallway video does not show what happened in the initial minutes after the guards returned Faqiri to his cell.
❞
If you are able, please head to St Stephen-in-the-Fields for encampment defence.
This is what the city would rather do than to let unhoused people sleep in safety and peace. Shelter workers were literally sending people to this encampment a month ago.
They will undoubtedly also blame the pending death of the tree on the encampment, too.
3/🧵
It's endlessly horrifying to me just how deeply so many people need other people to suffer in order to feel good about themselves.
This shitty capitalist system NEEDS there to be unhoused and struggling people BOTH as a warning to those who would reject trading their short healthy years for shit wages, but also as a marker for those so dissociated from what actually makes them happy of their "success" — at least they have a roof over their head.
No, actually, it is NOT the measure of a good person that you can sufficiently follow the rules of a garbage society to earn enough to eat.
You are most definitely NOT a good person when you are totally fine with SOMEONE ELSE living hand to mouth.
As part of the International Action to Stop Arming Israel, L3 Harris in North York has been blockaded by a group coordinated by Labour Against the Arms Trade, Labour for Palestine, and World Beyond War.
L3 Harris manufactures some of the smaller parts for bombs and other weapons used by Israel.
Similar actions are taking place across the country including in Ottawa, where Lockheed Martin is also being blockaded.
National Day of Action 100K for Gaza Toronto Saturday, November 4 2PM US Consulate 360 University Avenue End Canadian Complicity Ceasefire Now Life the siege on Gaza
NOVEMBER 4 - CANADA GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION Ceasefire Now! End Canadian Complicity! Lift the Siege on Gaza! ALBERTA Calgary 12pm, Tomkins Park Edmonton 2pm, Churchill Square BRITISH COLUMBIA Nanaimo 2pm, Maffeo Sutton Park Vancouver 2pm, Vancouver Art Gallery Victoria 1pm, Legislative Assembly MANITOBA Winnipeg 1pm, US Consulate NEW BRUNSWICK Fredericton 12pm, City Hall NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR St John's 1:30pm, Harbourside Park NOVA SCOTIA Halifax 2pm, Province House 7pm, Park Victoria Sydney 1pm ONTARIO Guelph 11am, City Hall Kingston 2pm, City Hall London 11am, City Hall Markham 2pm, Markham City Centre Mississauga 4pm, Mississauga City Hall Ottawa 2pm. Parliament Hill Thunderbay 3pm, Hillcrest Park Toronto 2pm, US Consulate Windsor 2pm, Sunset & University PEl Charlottetown 2pm, Cenotaph QUEBEC Montreal 2pm, Place-des-Arts Quebec City 2pm, Place de l'Université-du- SASKATCHEWAN Regina Royal Saskatchewan Museum Saskatoon 2.30pm, City Hall additions/ corrections: @PalSolidaritySitin
Up today:
📣 📣 📣 📣 📣 #Toronto Protest:
End the Genocide in Gaza
Sunday, October 29th
2:00 p.m.
U.S. Consulate
📣 📣 📣 📣 📣
Time to get my butt in gear!
Passing along info for today's action.
if you're attending, some (gentle-but-firm) reminders:
I. cover up - undercovers, fascists, and zionists have been seen to be covertly filming/photographing attendees + organizers alike; keeping yourself covered (masks, hair, etc.) will help keep EVERYONE safe; collective safety LEADS TO individual safety, and vice versa.
photography - if/when taking photos/videos (as a supporter), try your best to not get participants' faces in your frame - especially those that are racialized/ targeted/otherwise marginalized.
on the ground- if you're supporting logistically maintain situational awareness (see: number 1) at all times - you don't know who's around, so be mindful when relaying communications with your comrades.
solidarity - bring your Palestine flags, any banners, signage, AND YOUR KEFFIYEH.
The same people behind the so-called “1 Million March” last month are planning once again to rally
➡️ Saturday, October 21st, 2023 in Queen’s Park ⬅️ for their “right” to abuse youth.
🏳️⚧️ 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️ 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️
NEW START TIME FOR
THE COUNTER IS 9:30 AM
🏳️⚧️ 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️ 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️
In case any of you were operating under the delusion that this was just about trans health care. When they come for the bodily autonomy of one of us, they're coming for the bodily autonomy of all of us.
❝
Abdulsalam has promoted the "million
man marches" by making appearances on far-right convoy-adjacent livestreams and podcasts. Earlier this month, Abdulsalam posted a statement on behalf of Hands Off Our Kids that claimed: "This is a movement for the children and straight families."
❞
And:
❝
The event has been promoted by right-wing alternative media sources like Rebel Media, True North and the Post Millennial, as well as fringe sources like
convoy livestreamer Chris Dacey and convicted criminal Kevin J. Johnston.
The march has also been endorsed by a number of hardline social conservative groups and influencers, including Take Back Alberta, 4MyCanada, Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson and the anti-abortion group Campaign Life Coalition.
❞
To protect yourself and others, we share some notes on safety:
➡️ MASK UP. All attendees will be asked to mask, to protect our immunocompromised kin and to reduce the risk of doxxing. Masks will be provided if you don’t have one. Flags and banners, if you have them, can also be raised to cover your face, but they aren’t a replacement for a mask on their own.
➡️ DON’T TALK TO COPS. Police lie all the time. They may act friendly or sympathetic, but their goal is always to get information that can hurt our friends. If an officer insists on talking to you, direct them to a police liaison.
➡️ DON’T TALK TO FASCISTS. Conserve your energy and your empathy to use for supporting our friends. Anti-trans protesters may try to draw you into involved debates; they won’t be convinced by anything you say. They enjoy riling us up and turning those conversations into content to mock online.
👩🏻🤝👨🏿👩🏽🤝👨🏼 BRING A FRIEND & DON’T LEAVE ALONE: Going around solo increases the likelihood of ending up in a dangerous situation, even after the action has ended. If you don’t have anyone, you can ask the organizers to link you up with a group to head out together.
📸 DON’T FILM ALLIES. If you must film, keep your phone trained on the cops and transphobes at all times. Too often, photos and videos posted online lead to far-right harassment, which regularly gets people fired, stalked, and criminally charged. Never, ever hand over footage to the police.
🏳️⚧️ REMEMBER WHY YOU’RE THERE. Your job's not to dictate how community members respond to threats; it's to take up space so fascists can't fill it. If you’re worried about someone, check in and offer a hand, make sure they're hydrated and not hungry, but stay focused on on how you can best contribute to the defense.