0:00:01.091,0:00:02.135
A point on the mass movement,

0:00:02.135,0:00:03.403
and this is kind of an obvious one,

0:00:03.403,0:00:06.073
beyond that, i dont think building a mass movement is always the gauge

0:00:06.073,0:00:07.808
of the success of a tactic.

0:00:07.808,0:00:10.511
If that was the case, indigenous blockades would not be happening,

0:00:10.511,0:00:12.423
because we'd have to wait for every single canadian

0:00:12.423,0:00:14.281
to denounce canadian patriotism

0:00:14.281,0:00:16.517
and canadian nationalism.

0:00:16.517,0:00:19.186
Direct action happens because there is a need for it.

0:00:19.186,0:00:21.922
Direct action happens because people are fighting back.

0:00:21.922,0:00:26.026
And we're not waiting millions of people to stand beside us for the revolution to happen.

0:00:31.695,0:00:34.201
In terms of, um, 2 more points,

0:00:34.201,0:00:35.769
im really sorry.

0:00:35.769,0:00:36.870
2 more points.

0:00:36.870,0:00:38.205
In terms of the media and law enforcement,

0:00:38.205,0:00:39.806
this is probably a really obvious point,

0:00:39.806,0:00:42.934
but we cannot let them mediate our debates.

0:00:42.934,0:00:44.244
This should be really obvious,

0:00:44.244,0:00:45.512
but the media and law enforcement cannot,

0:00:45.512,0:00:47.848
cannot dictate the terms of our debates.

0:00:47.848,0:00:48.982
And most of what i have seen

0:00:48.982,0:00:51.051
is this idea that we have been denounced in the media,

0:00:51.051,0:00:53.620
and therefore we have lost our credibility

0:00:53.620,0:00:55.422
because of the media.

0:00:55.422,0:00:57.758
As far as im concerned the media was never on our side,

0:00:57.758,0:01:00.894
the media is not the gauge of the success of our protests,

0:01:00.894,0:01:04.031
and the corporate media and the police should not be let off the hook

0:01:04.031,0:01:06.600
by us replicating their smears,

0:01:06.600,0:01:09.102
by us replicating their denunciations.

0:01:09.102,0:01:11.205
Instead, we should be very very clear,

0:01:11.205,0:01:15.866
and we should have some more nuance than denouncing our comrades as violent.

0:01:18.946,0:01:22.115
And the fact that, the fact that the media is not picking up

0:01:22.115,0:01:25.752
on why theres property destruction against the Hudson's Bay Company

0:01:25.752,0:01:28.755
is not the fault of the black bloc.

0:01:28.755,0:01:29.857
Let's be clear, ok?

0:01:29.857,0:01:34.995
The media has not picked up for 7 years on why people are protesting the olympics.

0:01:34.995,0:01:38.498
So let's, yknow, before we're going to start denouncing our comrades,

0:01:38.498,0:01:40.634
let's be clear about who our allies are,

0:01:40.634,0:01:42.269
and who our enemies are.

0:01:42.269,0:01:45.138
Um, in terms of the fact that the black bloc, um,

0:01:45.138,0:01:47.374
reinforces and legitimizes the police state,

0:01:47.374,0:01:50.677
the resistance will legitimize the police state.

0:01:50.677,0:01:52.179
And if that argument is going to be used,

0:01:52.179,0:01:54.114
then we may as well never be on the streets.

0:01:54.114,0:01:59.019
Um, you know, so to me that kind of argument is a false one.

0:01:59.019,0:02:01.555
Because the police state justifies itself.

0:02:01.555,0:02:02.990
We cannot hold our allies accountable

0:02:02.990,0:02:08.028
for the increased police brutality and the increased visits from VISU we may get.

0:02:08.028,0:02:09.296
Final point.

0:02:09.296,0:02:11.498
Solidarity does not equal censorship, folks,

0:02:11.498,0:02:17.471
Um, so, as far as im concerned i dont think that anyone who engages in black bloc tactics

0:02:17.471,0:02:18.572
or supports them

0:02:18.572,0:02:20.707
is asking for our allies to censor themselves.

0:02:20.707,0:02:21.642
What i am asking for

0:02:21.642,0:02:24.645
is for people to not have facebook comments like

0:02:24.645,0:02:28.448
"silly black bloc" or "fuck the police and fuck diversity of tactics".

0:02:28.448,0:02:31.552
We can emphasize communication between our allies.

0:02:31.552,0:02:33.253
And as far as i know,

0:02:33.253,0:02:35.389
i have never seen comments

0:02:35.389,0:02:38.926
--and im using facebook as a gauge, because thats my only gauge as of this morning

0:02:38.926,0:02:40.527
about these debates--

0:02:40.527,0:02:43.463
i have never seen comments coming from any other allies,

0:02:43.463,0:02:44.631
including radical allies

0:02:44.631,0:02:46.500
denouncing other peoples rallies.

0:02:46.500,0:02:48.769
i have never seen people denounce, you know,

0:02:48.769,0:02:55.375
"why is Svend Robinson or Libby Davies or you know Jenny Kwan speaking at rallies?"

0:02:55.375,0:02:57.447
Thats never happened, and ive never seen it on facebook so,

0:02:57.447,0:03:02.462
if we're gonna talk about some kind of equality of how we want to treat each other with respect?

0:03:02.462,0:03:04.218
Then lets do that.

0:03:04.218,0:03:06.119
Lets not denounce people publicly.

0:03:06.119,0:03:09.089
Lets not denounce people in vague generalizations.

0:03:09.089,0:03:11.158
Let's have a commitment to dialogue.

0:03:11.158,0:03:15.048
Let's have a commitment to doing so, um, in person.

0:03:15.048,0:03:19.333
So this idea that somehow um the black bloc are the ones running around denouncing people

0:03:19.333,0:03:22.135
i havent seent that in my experience in vancouver in 7 years,

0:03:22.135,0:03:24.838
but i have this week seen it going the other way around.

0:03:24.838,0:03:28.375
Um, i think i wanna end,

0:03:28.375,0:03:32.145
i unfortunately dont have permission to read this poem,

0:03:32.145,0:03:36.416
but i hope if Cynthia sees this on tv or otherwise, um, is out there,

0:03:36.416,0:03:41.788
she wont mind, because, theres nothing more that i can say.

0:03:41.788,0:03:45.459
And this is from a good friend, um, and a dear sister who wrote a poem,

0:03:45.459,0:03:50.163
and ill only read --yay! she's right here!!--

0:03:50.163,0:03:54.935
in honour of anti-olympic comrades of the Heart Attack action of Feb 13, these are excerpts:

0:03:54.935,0:03:56.303
"We are real

0:03:56.303,0:03:57.571
these arms they do break

0:03:57.571,0:03:59.339
these throats they do get parched

0:03:59.339,0:04:00.874
these legs they do crumble

0:04:00.874,0:04:02.943
these hearts they do beat

0:04:02.943,0:04:03.977
we do laugh

0:04:03.977,0:04:04.711
we do love

0:04:04.711,0:04:05.646
we do bleed

0:04:05.646,0:04:06.547
we are afraid

0:04:06.547,0:04:07.347
we are brave

0:04:07.347,0:04:08.282
we do press on

0:04:08.282,0:04:09.750
and are born every morning

0:04:09.750,0:04:11.151
thankful for the sun

0:04:11.151,0:04:12.262
we will not forget

0:04:12.262,0:04:13.353
nor abandon ourselves

0:04:13.353,0:04:14.788
in the face of riot gear

0:04:14.788,0:04:15.923
fortified condos

0:04:15.923,0:04:17.658
and the ambitions of the rich

0:04:17.658,0:04:19.226
those who would rather be assets

0:04:19.226,0:04:20.861
than members of a people

0:04:20.861,0:04:22.162
we are more than collateral

0:04:22.162,0:04:25.799
we will not build a pyre for our sisters and brothers to burn

0:04:25.799,0:04:28.330
we will not glorify our own ashes

0:04:28.330,0:04:29.403
we will plant trees

0:04:29.403,0:04:30.170
and build homes

0:04:30.170,0:04:31.138
and tell our stories

0:04:31.138,0:04:32.272
we are here

0:04:32.272,0:04:33.574
and we are not going anywhere"

0:04:33.574,0:04:34.808
Thank you.

0:04:34.808,0:04:37.578
[applause]