OP/ED: Occupy Vancouver blocks New Brighton Park Port
By Michael Scott
On a crisp and sunny afternoon, over one hundred Occupy protesters held a rally and march in support of the Occupy movements all across the West Coast of Turtle Island (North America) to send a strong and clear message to the 1%.
“We here to support workers who are under union busting, who aren’t even allowed to unionize; they’re rights, wages, income are being eroded.” Explained Maxim, a participant in today’s demonstration.
“We’re under an assault by the 1%: the global capitalist elite. We are here standing in solidarity and fighting back. We’re also here to call attention to all the environmental concerns around these ports, and around the Kinder Morgan port in Burnaby [which is] shipping tar sands crude [oil] through the Burrard inlet; they want to expand that.”
Following an effervescent rally at Callister Park, the demonstrators proceeded to the Brighton Park Port, and successfully blocked it for over an hour. Dozens of trucks were backed up for blocks. This action was well in the spirit of the union slogan, an injury to one is an injury to all.
“This is for all the locked out unionized workers being replaced by scabs.” Bellowed a protester, as she prepared to start a powerful chant. “This is for all the workers that are not able to unionize; for all the unionized workers who are not able to bargain within their union: union busting is disgusting.” Fellow protesters emphatically joined in.
Mya from Food Not Bombs, went on to further explicate the purpose of today’s port demonstration. “We really want to send the message that as people we can stand together to create change. A lot of people are afraid to come forward and stand for what they believe in. So, as occupiers, as radicals, as activists we really want to send the message out that we can unify. There is unity going throughout the entire west coast right now of people that want to stand up for worker’s rights, stand up against environmental destruction, and really create a voice of change.”
Given the strong showing of over one hundred diverse people on a Monday afternoon (with many coming late or leaving early due to their day jobs), compounded by the numerous honks and thumbs up from passing motorists, including some of the port truck drivers themselves, it is increasingly clear that the Occupy movement, and their fight for social, economic, and environmental justice continues to resonate with common people – the 99%, if you will.
Kimball had this to offer the jovial crowd. “The right to eat, the right to a place to live, the right to a job, none of that can ever be taken for granted because the bosses want to take it all away from us. That’s why we need movements like Occupy…all of us need to be united in the fight for basic human rights.”
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