First paragraph (Teaser):

VICTORY SQUAT STILL STRONG!!

Rest of the text:

#8, APC WEEKLY CONNECTION, July 12-18
It’s a bad time to be poor: SPARC BC

0. Introduction
1. Victory Squat Rocking
2. Tent City Events
3. North Burnaby Welfare Forum
4. Music Without Borders
5. Casework Update!
6. Operation Torpedo Update
WEEKLY FEATURE: Immigration Canada Visited
7. What is APC? Basis Of Unity & CONTACT INFO!!

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0. INTRODUCTION

This is the weekly internet newsletter of the Anti-Poverty Committee. APC WEEKLY informs members and subscribers of news in Vancouver. APC-Announce is a low traffic list-serve; designed to keep you in the know. APC meets every Tuesday night at 327 Carrall Street (by Pigeon Park Downtown Eastside), starting 6 PM. Contact info at the end of the WEEKLY.

To subscribe or unsubscribe to APC-ANNOUNCE e-mail:
apc-...@lists.resist.ca
If you want to post news on the APC WEEKLY e-mail: garl...@resist.ca

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1. VICTORY SQUAT ROCKING

RALLY, TUES MAY 15, 6PM
VICTORY TENT CITY

The squat is still up and strong with over 60 tents and 100 squatters. There are meals coming in from the Franciscan Sisters, and APC’s allies. Food was donated by the Indigenous People’s Grassroots Movement after their rally against the Governance Act on Friday. DERA donated use of their washers and dryers after the rainstorm on Saturday. There is a fully functioning medical tent at the squat. There is a security and squatters council. The Victory Squat is not always perfect, but it is a strong step forward. Call APC, sign up to provide a meal…bring a tent, a sleeping bag, medical supplies, a tarp, etc.. Send us a letter of endorsement, come visit, and hang out.
a...@resist.ca

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APC/HAC/SQUATTERS:

We want to let you know that our group, the Valley Anti-Poverty Initiative (based in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia) is behind what you are doing to combat the oppressors 100%. We are a new group based in a rural area and we are made up of people that are struggling to survive on low-income. Their is a lot of fear among the poor people here, they agree with what we are trying to do but do not want their faces to be seen at say a demonstration, it is hard to get through that wall. And yet we will keep on, we've only just begun. We stand in solidarity with the brave people who have set up the tent city, you are an inspiration to us. From one coast to another we are fighting the same fight.
-The Valley Anti-Poverty Initiative

Greetings and respect all APC crew and Scumbags for Socialism in
Vancouver, BC, from Dignity Village in Portland, OR.

Our friends at TDRC in Toronto sent us the Vancouver Sun story about the tent city in Victory Square and we want you to know you have our full attention and respect. We were wondering if and how we can help your effort there, please let us know.

We like your Web site http://apc.resist.ca/ which is nice and tight and hope you like ours at http://dignityvillage.org which we try to keep as up-to-date as we can. Be sure to send a shout out from Dignity to our brothers and sisters camped out on Victory Square, tell them they have our massive respect and that the cops can't beat us down if we all stand together. We wish them victory in their heroic struggle for decent housing.
In strong solidarity.
Jack Tafari, chairman.
Dignity Village.

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GET ON THE LIST OF ENDORSERS, DONATERS AND SUPPORTERS:
-Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction Society-WARS
-End Legislated Poverty
-Health Employees Union
-Downtown Eastside Residents Association – DERA
-Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users
-NO GAMES 2010 Coalition
-No One Is Illegal Vancouver
-Woodwards Legal Defence Committee
-Bus Riders Union
-Prepare the General Strike Committee
-disAbility Coalition To Stop the Cuts
-Harm Reduction Coalition
-Aboriginal Women’s Action Network
-Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group-SFPIRG
-Simon Fraser Students’ Society
-Battered Women’s Support Services
-The Truth Commission Into Genocide in Canada
-Organizers Training Group
-Lower Mainland Coalition For Social Justice – LMCSJ
-COPWATCH Vancouver
-Franciscan Sisters of Atonement
-First United Church Mission
-South Asian Students Alliance
-Sound Resistance (co-op radio)
-University of British Columbia Social Justice Centre
-Ethical Environmental Consulting
-BC Government Employees Union Component 603 Social and Educational and
Health Services
-Equal Chance Club
-Woodwards Coalition for Social Justice
-Ontario Coalition Against Poverty – OCAP ONT.
-Peterborough Coalition Against Poverty – ONT.
-Toronto Disaster Relief Committee – TDRC ONT.
-La Clac Longement – QUE.
-Comite des Sans Emploi – QUE.
-The Tent City Montreal – QUE
-The Valley Anti-Poverty Initiative (N.S.)
-Dignity Village (Portland Oregon)

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END THE 2 YEAR WELFARE TIME LIMIT!! SOCIAL HOUSING FOR ALL IN NEED!!

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2. TENT CITY EVENTS

The Parks Board has made it clear that they want Victory Square clear by the time park renovations start on July 16th. The City plans to do some extensive changes to the park, but that will be impossible with 120 people sleeping there. On Monday July 7th we met with the Parks Board and opened up a dialogue. People from Housing Action Committee, APC, and the Tent City pressed the City to provide space for the homeless to sleep. The question asked was; where are people expected to go when the squat is shut down?

RALLY TO SUPPORT THE SQUAT!!!
TUESDAY JULY 15th – 6PM
MEET AT VICTORY SQUARE

The Anti-Poverty Committee and its allies will be hosting a series of workshops Saturday July 19 starting NOON, @ VICTORY SQUAT. Come down and learn about the APC, housing, welfare, capitalism, etc. Workshop topics to be announced. We also need people to put workshops on. Come meet APC members. Bring snacks if you can, eat snacks if they are there!!
Contact APC: jess...@resist.ca

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END THE THREE WEEK WAIT FOR NEW WELFARE APPLICANTS!! NO WORKFARE!!

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3. NORTH BURNABY WELFARE FORUM

Thursday, July 17th
6PM doors open,
McGill Library,
4595 Albert Street (1 block north of Hastings and Willingdon
panel + community discussion

Speakers:
a. Benerice Fortier, APC organizer
b. Claudio Ekdahl, BCGEU organizer
c. Lily Loncar, DERA advocate
d. Irene Schmidt, Burnaby Resident & activist

Transit subsidies, childcare, snacks + coffee provided
WELFARE IS A RIGHT!!! WELFARE IS A RIGHT!!!

For more info, or to register for childcare, please call APC at,
682-2726, or e-mail us at a...@resist.ca

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STOP THE DISABILITY REVIEW PROCESS NOW!! WELFARE IS A RIGHT!!

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4. MUSIC WITHOUT BORDERS

A CELEBRATION OF IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RESISTANCE
FRIDAY JULY 25th
Doors and bar open at 7PM, show starts at 8PM

MUSIC, POETRY, SPOKEN WORD, VIDEO AND FOOD, FEATURING:

-Flying Folk Army
-lx – Spirit of the Grand Jaguar
-Joey Streetpoet

ADMISSION BY DONATION – SLIDING SCALE $2 to $20
WISE HALL – 1882 ADANAC
A legal defence fundraiser for
NO ONE IS ILLEGAL * VANCOUVER
noii...@hotmail.com

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NO ONE IS ILLEGAL!! STOP THE DEPORTATIONS NOW!! OPEN UP THE BORDERS!!

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5. CASEWORK UPDATE

APC has been working hard to keep up with its casework responsibilities while maintaining a presence at the Tent City. APC is in desperate need of more casework volunteers. Currently we are running casework and flying squad workshops at the Tent City. These workshops empower the homeless campers and teach us how to present casework in a logical/simple format. We use direct action casework to fight back at places like welfare offices. For those interested in becoming a volunteer caseworker, or joining a flying squad we will be having workshops in the coming month.
a...@resist.ca

-APC has paid several visits to a Coquitlam Human Resources office. After our last visit on behalf of Harold and Helen we found out just how nervous they were. The RCMP checked the garbage for bombs, and the HR receptionist was scared that we were going to jump over the desk. Harold and Helen have been turned down for a Hardship Assistance Cheque. We have been applying pressure to MLA Harry Bloy who openly admitted to APC Anton that he supported the cruel welfare policies. If welfare won’t help Harold and Helen, Harry Bloy will pay out of his own pocket.

-APC has been advising a young woman on a Housing Tribunal Case, she will likely win. There has been work done with the tenants at 370 Jackson to fight back against a rent increase. APC is also going to help a disabled woman fight her landlord.

-There are several different welfare cases being waged. Also, some of the squatters have started to apply for welfare; and we will work hard to make sure they all get it.

We need caseworkers to take on one or two cases at a time!!! Join APC!!! FIGHT BACK!!!

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GET THE 55 PIGS OUT OF THE EASTSIDE!! SAFE INJECTION SITE NOW!!

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6. OPERATION TORPEDO UPDATE

The cops decided that they would not run a deficit to step up the Downtown Eastside crackdown (crack powder down). COPE City Council claims that there have been a lot of complaints from Mount Pleasant, the West End, and Commercial Drive area because of dealers being pushed out of the Eastside. COPE forgot to mention the complaints of the Downtown Eastside.

After all we filled the streets, we targeted the mayor, we disrupted MEET THE MAYOR dinner, we opened a SAFER INJECTION SITE, carried on COPWATCHES, we shut down Main and Hastings when APC Trevor was in jail, we shut down the police board meeting, and we opened a tent city. Our allies in PIVOT charged cops with brutality, and Human Rights Watch condemned the pigs. What did the West End say that got COPE’s attention so much that the Eastside got no mention in their press release?

Former Royal Canadian Mounted Pig, Mayor Larry Campbell, insisted that if the pigs need more money City Council would make it available to them. It’s no secret that Larry likes donuts.

Meanwhile Operation Torpedo has invaded our lives like a Paramilitary Occupation. APC Anton was attacked, APC Trevor arrested, and APC Joey had his pot stolen by the PIGS black devil dog. Despite all the police encroachments life on Hastings hasn’t changed that much.

ROCK POWDER DOWN?

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APC SENDS OUR SOLIDARITY TO THE NON-STATUS ALGERIANS OF MONTREAL!

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WEEKLY FEATURE: IMMIGRATION CANADA VISITED

On Friday, July 11, No One Is Illegal – Vancouver and eight supporters met at the Victory Squat Tent City at 12:30 pm, and went to an Immigration Canada office at Georgia and Hamilton, in solidarity with the Action Committee of Non-Status Algerians in Montreal. This flying squad action was in support of the Non-Status Algerian’s demonstration in Ottawa on the same day, demanding that Immigration Canada stop deporting non-status immigrants and denouncing the police brutality against members of the Action Committee and No One Is Illegal - Montreal during their occupation of Immigration Minister Denis Coderre's Ottawa office on May 29.

The No One Is Illegal – Vancouver flying squad took an elevator up to the Immigration Canada office chanting, “stop the deportations now