Hey everyone,
We all know/experienced the barrage of comments and discussion after the cop inflicted his violence on the York campus, in a line of systemic violences upon us as students and community members.
Here is your update on what’s being done and how you can get involved!
A collective has been formed at York comprised of members representing student services, groups, and general members of the community.
This collective is known as GENVep (GENder Violence Eradication Project @ York).
If you have any questions/comments or want to get involved directly, please email GENVep at: genvepatyork@gmail.com
In order to address the various key modes of thoughts around this issue, we have developed a diversity of tactics which include (but are not limited to)
1) OPIRG and CWTP have created a “COPS OFF CAMPUS” letter which is going to be sent to media,circulated around, and will also function as a petition to get on/off campus signatures to end the violence and lack of safety created by the increased presence of cops at York.
2) An ongoing, long-term sustainable effort to change the CULTURE OF VIOLENCE @ York. This will include media reports by various students/groups sent to both York and Toronto media sources.
This will include initiatives to see the “SAFETY” recommendations by the third party group METRAC implemented at York to see REAL change in the mishandling of security and safety at York. Here we want to see DIALOGUE between York community members, students, police, security, and administration (in the forms of panels, meetings, etc.)
This is our school and ACCOUNTABILITY and TRANSPARENCY need to occur.
3) COMMUNICATION TACTICS. To address those who have accessibility concerns, those who live outside of the direct community, and to keep an ongoing discussion around this, we will be employing a number of communication methods, including
Letter Writing Campaign (a general template which people can use and send to authorities)
Educational material (a “History of Violence” postcard detailing the misdoings of York security and Toronto police, possible pamphlets and other material to be distributed throughout the entire period on and off campus and at events, in the effort to inform the public of our grounding discussion/understandings and what we want to see happen).
Guerilla Postering – both on and off campus, we support and encourage individual folks who express their feelings and politics on guerilla postering.
4) PROTESTS.
One protest at YORK, to address the varying opinions from “cops off campus”, to concerns over policing/safety, to the violations and the mishandling of marginalized groups.
We would love to see other students/groups band together on this, to create a visible stance by the community that we are TIRED and EXHAUSTED of this long list of mistreatment and ignorance.
One protest DOWNTOWN TORONTO, CULMINATING AT THE TORONTO POLICE HEADQUARTERS. which will include groups from different pockets of the community (TORONTO-WIDE), as well as those who have differing opinions on this (from those who don’t see the police as a source of safety and want to undo the erasure of bodies by the police, to those who want to demand real change in the way of training and etc.).
The goal here is to show on a wide-scale level (not only on one campus) the community members from the city who SEE the culture of violence within policing and want REAL CHANGE, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ACTION.
The initial promotion for this will occur online, and in the media, at the International Womens Day march at Ryerson. We will be marching in a “York” contingent at the IWD march as well. This will lead up to aligning with the protest SlutWalk Toronto (url), which will walk from Queens Park to Toronto Police Headquarters.
TIMELINE
Mar 2 – Community Safety Council (meeting to discuss how to implement METRAC’s safety recommendations)
March 5 – Banner and Postering Party!
March 12 – International Womens Day march – with York contingent! (DETAILS ABOUT IWD COMING SOON!)
Apr 3 – SlutWalk Toronto – PROTEST AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
Throughout March: letter writing, meetings, possible panels between community members, multiple efforts to open and continue this discussion.
we have split into subgroups:
a) outreach/allies/Toronto initiatives
b) on campus initiatives
c) media blitz
If you are interested in making your voice heard and channelling your concerns into real action, please contact us and let us know which area you are interested in being involved with.
DO YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
Next opportunity: BANNER/POSTER PARTY!
MARCH 5th
11:30-2:30, GSA council office, 433 Student Centre.
Come out and get feisty, help create the banner we will use in the International Womens Day march as a York contingent, and also create guerrilla posters and other materials!
Channel your frusrtration, activism and concern into beautiful works of art to be used on and off campus!
TL;DR
If you wanna protest, we will be doing our toronto-wide city march, culminating at the POLICE HQ, with SLUTWALK TO. http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/
subscribe to stay alerted to meetups and updates.
+++++to get INVOLVED ++++
contact genvepatyork@gmail.com for YORK INITIATIVES
contact alyssa or SlutWalkTO for TORONTO initiatives
-Alyssa
