Approximately 25 individuals gathered last week as a part of SFU Against Displacement. The protest organized by a group of students concerned about the displacement of street vendors along the zero to 300 block of East Hastings.
On Monday, November 16, the Vancouver Police Department began to clear the vendors, many of whom are impoverished, off the streets as part of the city’s push to relocate them to safe sanctioned market areas.
The group met at noon on Friday, November 20, just off the Hastings and Carrall intersection, to develop and implement the direct action in protest of the displacement.
The Vancouver Sun reported, “The sidewalk market has been operating for years on the north side of Hastings Street in the heart of the Downtown Eastside and has long been dogged by accusations that its vendors sell stolen goods.”
The city insists their effort is to ensure vendors are operating in safe and legal spaces, and not to push homeless residents off the streets. However, SFU International Studies student and creator of the initiatve Amy Widmer believes that it is no coincidence that this push surfaced just prior to the opening of Sequel 138, a new condominium complex directly marketed to the middle class.
The development is to be opened on the south side of Hastings St. in the block between Columbia St. and Main St.
Widmer created the Facebook event for SFU Against Displacement around 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday morning, expecting to garner about 20 responses. By Wednesday night, there were over 1,000 people invited.
Reflecting on her position as a student who attends the SFU Woodwards campus, she felt there was an immense lack of engagement among students in issues surrounding the Downtown Eastside (DTES).
Widmer and the other organizers decided not to plan out exactly what was to happen at the protest, as they wanted it to be a collective decision made by all of those in attendance, to ensure everyone was comfortable and in agreement with the action.
After gathering, the group decided to block off East Hastings and marched towards Sequel 138, where the they held the street for nearly two hours from around 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
“For the first little while it was kind of quiet, or maybe even slightly uncomfortable,” reflected Widmer. “But after a little bit, the residents in the Downtown Eastside started approaching us, and talking to us, and asking why we were there, and thanking us.”
Widmer explained that most of the community members they engaged with were overwhelmingly supportive of their initiative, joining in and sharing stories of their personal histories and experiences with vending.
She explained that residents expressed their concerns about the displacement, saying that “it was detrimental to their community and their safety.”
According to Widmer, beings students gave the group a certain amount of credibility and ability to engage in this public action with little difficulty or conflict, both with the authorities and members of the community.
She believes the fact that the action was spearheaded by students made the event successful: “I’ve been to many direct actions where we take the street, and pretty much [at] every single one, after about the first hour and a half, maybe even less than that, there are a lot of cops present and they start to kettle you.
“They start to push you to the sidewalks, they start kicking you off the street and threatening you with arrest — not once did that happen, not once,” Widmer added. “I think that partially has to do with the fact that we’re students, and it sends a different message to the public if police [interact with] students in this more aggressive manner.”
During a debrief meeting directly after the action, the group agreed that from that point forward they wanted to make an effort to increase the direct engagement of students and faculty in issues surrounding the DTES.
As an International Studies student, Widmer expressed that being at the frontline of the action almost enhanced her educational experience, and that such interactions within the DTES community are an invaluable part of learning.
“You learn all this critical theory, and you learn to critique things, but all in this way that is so separate from those who are experiencing the worst aspects of gentrification and capitalism,” she said.
I remember when we were young and idealistic – then I became enlightened. Hence why only the young and inexperienced protest for the wrong people. You’ll figure it out soon enough, kids.