1
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A point on the mass movement,

2
00:00:02,135 --> 00:00:03,403
and this is kind of an obvious one,

3
00:00:03,403 --> 00:00:06,073
beyond that, i dont think building a mass movement is always the gauge

4
00:00:06,073 --> 00:00:07,808
of the success of a tactic.

5
00:00:07,808 --> 00:00:10,511
If that was the case, indigenous blockades would not be happening,

6
00:00:10,511 --> 00:00:12,423
because we'd have to wait for every single canadian

7
00:00:12,423 --> 00:00:14,281
to denounce canadian patriotism

8
00:00:14,281 --> 00:00:16,517
and canadian nationalism.

9
00:00:16,517 --> 00:00:19,186
Direct action happens because there is a need for it.

10
00:00:19,186 --> 00:00:21,922
Direct action happens because people are fighting back.

11
00:00:21,922 --> 00:00:26,026
And we're not waiting millions of people to stand beside us for the revolution to happen.

12
00:00:31,695 --> 00:00:34,201
In terms of, um, 2 more points,

13
00:00:34,201 --> 00:00:35,769
im really sorry.

14
00:00:35,769 --> 00:00:36,870
2 more points.

15
00:00:36,870 --> 00:00:38,205
In terms of the media and law enforcement,

16
00:00:38,205 --> 00:00:39,806
this is probably a really obvious point,

17
00:00:39,806 --> 00:00:42,934
but we cannot let them mediate our debates.

18
00:00:42,934 --> 00:00:44,244
This should be really obvious,

19
00:00:44,244 --> 00:00:45,512
but the media and law enforcement cannot,

20
00:00:45,512 --> 00:00:47,848
cannot dictate the terms of our debates.

21
00:00:47,848 --> 00:00:48,982
And most of what i have seen

22
00:00:48,982 --> 00:00:51,051
is this idea that we have been denounced in the media,

23
00:00:51,051 --> 00:00:53,620
and therefore we have lost our credibility

24
00:00:53,620 --> 00:00:55,422
because of the media.

25
00:00:55,422 --> 00:00:57,758
As far as im concerned the media was never on our side,

26
00:00:57,758 --> 00:01:00,894
the media is not the gauge of the success of our protests,

27
00:01:00,894 --> 00:01:04,031
and the corporate media and the police should not be let off the hook

28
00:01:04,031 --> 00:01:06,600
by us replicating their smears,

29
00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,102
by us replicating their denunciations.

30
00:01:09,102 --> 00:01:11,205
Instead, we should be very very clear,

31
00:01:11,205 --> 00:01:15,866
and we should have some more nuance than denouncing our comrades as violent.

32
00:01:18,946 --> 00:01:22,115
And the fact that, the fact that the media is not picking up

33
00:01:22,115 --> 00:01:25,752
on why theres property destruction against the Hudson's Bay Company

34
00:01:25,752 --> 00:01:28,755
is not the fault of the black bloc.

35
00:01:28,755 --> 00:01:29,857
Let's be clear, ok?

36
00:01:29,857 --> 00:01:34,995
The media has not picked up for 7 years on why people are protesting the olympics.

37
00:01:34,995 --> 00:01:38,498
So let's, yknow, before we're going to start denouncing our comrades,

38
00:01:38,498 --> 00:01:40,634
let's be clear about who our allies are,

39
00:01:40,634 --> 00:01:42,269
and who our enemies are.

40
00:01:42,269 --> 00:01:45,138
Um, in terms of the fact that the black bloc, um,

41
00:01:45,138 --> 00:01:47,374
reinforces and legitimizes the police state,

42
00:01:47,374 --> 00:01:50,677
the resistance will legitimize the police state.

43
00:01:50,677 --> 00:01:52,179
And if that argument is going to be used,

44
00:01:52,179 --> 00:01:54,114
then we may as well never be on the streets.

45
00:01:54,114 --> 00:01:59,019
Um, you know, so to me that kind of argument is a false one.

46
00:01:59,019 --> 00:02:01,555
Because the police state justifies itself.

47
00:02:01,555 --> 00:02:02,990
We cannot hold our allies accountable

48
00:02:02,990 --> 00:02:08,028
for the increased police brutality and the increased visits from VISU we may get.

49
00:02:08,028 --> 00:02:09,296
Final point.

50
00:02:09,296 --> 00:02:11,498
Solidarity does not equal censorship, folks,

51
00:02:11,498 --> 00:02:17,471
Um, so, as far as im concerned i dont think that anyone who engages in black bloc tactics

52
00:02:17,471 --> 00:02:18,572
or supports them

53
00:02:18,572 --> 00:02:20,707
is asking for our allies to censor themselves.

54
00:02:20,707 --> 00:02:21,642
What i am asking for

55
00:02:21,642 --> 00:02:24,645
is for people to not have facebook comments like

56
00:02:24,645 --> 00:02:28,448
"silly black bloc" or "fuck the police and fuck diversity of tactics".

57
00:02:28,448 --> 00:02:31,552
We can emphasize communication between our allies.

58
00:02:31,552 --> 00:02:33,253
And as far as i know,

59
00:02:33,253 --> 00:02:35,389
i have never seen comments

60
00:02:35,389 --> 00:02:38,926
--and im using facebook as a gauge, because thats my only gauge as of this morning

61
00:02:38,926 --> 00:02:40,527
about these debates--

62
00:02:40,527 --> 00:02:43,463
i have never seen comments coming from any other allies,

63
00:02:43,463 --> 00:02:44,631
including radical allies

64
00:02:44,631 --> 00:02:46,500
denouncing other peoples rallies.

65
00:02:46,500 --> 00:02:48,769
i have never seen people denounce, you know,

66
00:02:48,769 --> 00:02:55,375
"why is Svend Robinson or Libby Davies or you know Jenny Kwan speaking at rallies?"

67
00:02:55,375 --> 00:02:57,447
Thats never happened, and ive never seen it on facebook so,

68
00:02:57,447 --> 00:03:02,462
if we're gonna talk about some kind of equality of how we want to treat each other with respect?

69
00:03:02,462 --> 00:03:04,218
Then lets do that.

70
00:03:04,218 --> 00:03:06,119
Lets not denounce people publicly.

71
00:03:06,119 --> 00:03:09,089
Lets not denounce people in vague generalizations.

72
00:03:09,089 --> 00:03:11,158
Let's have a commitment to dialogue.

73
00:03:11,158 --> 00:03:15,048
Let's have a commitment to doing so, um, in person.

74
00:03:15,048 --> 00:03:19,333
So this idea that somehow um the black bloc are the ones running around denouncing people

75
00:03:19,333 --> 00:03:22,135
i havent seent that in my experience in vancouver in 7 years,

76
00:03:22,135 --> 00:03:24,838
but i have this week seen it going the other way around.

77
00:03:24,838 --> 00:03:28,375
Um, i think i wanna end,

78
00:03:28,375 --> 00:03:32,145
i unfortunately dont have permission to read this poem,

79
00:03:32,145 --> 00:03:36,416
but i hope if Cynthia sees this on tv or otherwise, um, is out there,

80
00:03:36,416 --> 00:03:41,788
she wont mind, because, theres nothing more that i can say.

81
00:03:41,788 --> 00:03:45,459
And this is from a good friend, um, and a dear sister who wrote a poem,

82
00:03:45,459 --> 00:03:50,163
and ill only read --yay! she's right here!!--

83
00:03:50,163 --> 00:03:54,935
in honour of anti-olympic comrades of the Heart Attack action of Feb 13, these are excerpts:

84
00:03:54,935 --> 00:03:56,303
"We are real

85
00:03:56,303 --> 00:03:57,571
these arms they do break

86
00:03:57,571 --> 00:03:59,339
these throats they do get parched

87
00:03:59,339 --> 00:04:00,874
these legs they do crumble

88
00:04:00,874 --> 00:04:02,943
these hearts they do beat

89
00:04:02,943 --> 00:04:03,977
we do laugh

90
00:04:03,977 --> 00:04:04,711
we do love

91
00:04:04,711 --> 00:04:05,646
we do bleed

92
00:04:05,646 --> 00:04:06,547
we are afraid

93
00:04:06,547 --> 00:04:07,347
we are brave

94
00:04:07,347 --> 00:04:08,282
we do press on

95
00:04:08,282 --> 00:04:09,750
and are born every morning

96
00:04:09,750 --> 00:04:11,151
thankful for the sun

97
00:04:11,151 --> 00:04:12,262
we will not forget

98
00:04:12,262 --> 00:04:13,353
nor abandon ourselves

99
00:04:13,353 --> 00:04:14,788
in the face of riot gear

100
00:04:14,788 --> 00:04:15,923
fortified condos

101
00:04:15,923 --> 00:04:17,658
and the ambitions of the rich

102
00:04:17,658 --> 00:04:19,226
those who would rather be assets

103
00:04:19,226 --> 00:04:20,861
than members of a people

104
00:04:20,861 --> 00:04:22,162
we are more than collateral

105
00:04:22,162 --> 00:04:25,799
we will not build a pyre for our sisters and brothers to burn

106
00:04:25,799 --> 00:04:28,330
we will not glorify our own ashes

107
00:04:28,330 --> 00:04:29,403
we will plant trees

108
00:04:29,403 --> 00:04:30,170
and build homes

109
00:04:30,170 --> 00:04:31,138
and tell our stories

110
00:04:31,138 --> 00:04:32,272
we are here

111
00:04:32,272 --> 00:04:33,574
and we are not going anywhere"

112
00:04:33,574 --> 00:04:34,808
Thank you.

113
00:04:34,808 --> 00:04:37,578
[applause]