By Mike Ma
BCCLA AGM – Wednesday, May 8, 2019, Vancouver Public Library
Last week I attended the BC Civil Liberties Association annual general meeting at the Vancouver Public Library. There were the usual agenda items you would expect: a review of activities and milestones, farewell to outgoing board members, and an election of new board members. However, what was of note was the panel discussion organized by Dylan Mazur, Community Lawyer, titled: Policing Racialized Communities. Dylan invited Andrea Glickman, Senior Policy Advisor, Union of BC Indian Chiefs, Lama Mugabo, Hogan’s Alley Society, and Audrey Siegl, Musqueam Activist, to speak about street checks and the targeting of people of colour by police services. Audrey spoke powerfully about her experiences of the downtown eastside and her distrust and frustration with police services. Lama reminded us of the daily indignity of being racially profiled by police services when “driving or walking while black.” And Andrea re-affirmed the fact that indigenous peoples are over-policed and under-served by police. She sees street checks as “a tool of discrimination and institutionalized oppression.” It was a great conversation showcasing the issues that BCCLA is continuing to work on this coming year. For more click on the video links below.
