Winnipeg Copwatch

1) Run for Rights

Winnipeg Copwatch will be participating in the 7th annual Run for Rights held at 8:30am Kildonan Park on Saturday June 7th 2008. The run is aimed to raise money in support of Winnipeg organizations working for social justice and human rights, because we cant all have government funding, or do not necessarily want government funding. But anyways, Copwatch is participating and we will be collecting pledges to cover our day to day expenses and fund our actual copwatch patrols.

Copwatch is very excited to be working with other great organizations in Winnipeg in the struggle for tangible human rights. For more information, check out the Run for Rights website, or you can download our pledge sheet(PDF) and start asking everyone you know for the money, its “only” 10km, or 5km, or you can walk, bike, run, or whatever you want.

2) Patrols

Copwatch has recently gone on two patrols in the last month. On one of our encounters officers rushed one of our video cameras and demanded we step back. At this point the person responsible for liaising with the police informed them that we were not there to interfere, we would stand back and we are simply observing. Officers then threatened to seize the video camera and continue to advise us that we were in a dangerous neighborhood and “you guys are gonna get it”. What that individual officer meant at that moment in time I suppose we will never know. It is however unfortunate that that two of the six officers present were threatening to seize a video camera because we were present and documenting their actions.

Our role is not to interfere or to escalate the situation. We are simply observing police interactions with citizens because the Law Enforcement Review Agency in charge of handling police complaints is ineffective without video or audio evidence. We also feel that officers will operate according to their core values which include respect and integrity if people are observing, whether copwatch or people from the neighborhood. The mentality of “war” that the police have with certain neighborhoods its very dangerous and must change.

3) Get involved!

We are continually looking for people who are interested in getting involved in this type of work. Whether you are interested in going on patrols, helping us organize workshops, or just wanting to assist in the day-to-day operations of Copwatch, we need you! Just ring us up at 942-1588 or email us in our contact us section.

On a final and sad note for this post, the NYPD detectives that fired over 50 shots to kill Sean Bell and injure his friends less than a day before his wedding were acquitted from all charges.
+ Police acquitted over NY shooting BBC News.
+ Were New York cops trigger happy? BBC News.

Two days ago marked the 12^th annual International Day against Police Brutality. It began in 1997 as a joint initiative by the Montreal Collectif Opposé à la Brutalité Policière (Collective Opposed to Police Brutality) and the Black Flag group in Switzerland in response to the beating deaths of two children, aged 11 and 12 by Swiss police.

March 15^th 2008 began in a parking lot located near the corner of Logan and Main street. People began arriving close to 6pm and it was already obvious that police were present. There were two police cruisers on Main Street looking onto the parking lot, and two to three more circling around the backlane to the parking lot which was where people were congregating. A man in a white van with tinted windows was also spotted across on the west side of Main Street taking photos then returning to his vehicle when spotted and pointed out.

The following is a write up from Jo Redsky from the march.

I just wanted to let everyone know on March 15, Saturday afternoon I
attended an “International Day Against Police Brutality March” held by
Cop Watch, a non-profit Organization to watch and observe, educate
people if one believes they are being treated unfairly by the Police.
The event was held in Downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba. I invited my cousin
Marlene to join me in this event. As the March continued, I was in the
crowd marching, my cousin Marlene in her Pick up truck following behind
the march, was suddenly stopped by the Winnipeg Police. More police
officers surrounded the pick up truck, indicating a complete stop.
Marlene at the time of incident was using her “flashers”, to signify she
was driving leisurely behind. I noticed fellow marchers reacting to the
sudden stop of her truck, by the Winnipeg Police. I started towards the
confrontation, confused to why the police would stop my cousin, who has
never participated in a march like this before, was being stopped for
questioning.
“My cousin knows of the real problems we face. Let us look at the
Brutality Matthew Dumas, and JJ Harper, faced from passed cruelty and
violence brought to you by THE POLICE, and what our Anishanabe people
face in everyday city and rural injustice, discrimination of the law of
peace and justice or to “Serve And To Protect”.

I screamed and hollowed at the police to leave Marlene alone, but the
one officer asked Marlene if she would present her registration and
driver’s license. I asked the officer to explain what Marlene was doing
wrong. In a quick reaction I took up my hand drum and sang, to signify
that racism was upon this episode, and then with out notice another
woman joined me with her hand drum, to use as our only weapon of
protection, we continued to sing; meanwhile our noble and righteous
Winnipeg Police was becoming agitated by our presents of song. I started
to move forward from adrenaline. Marlene was still detained right at the
spot, so I proceeded to go back to where Marlene was and was confronted
by another police officer who stated to me that if I didn’t move on, I
would be ticketed for being off the sidewalks, while the marchers were
observed everywhere, from sidewalk, to street.

An unknown Cop Watch lady, came forward between an officer and me and
said lets not be intimidate by his actions of sour mouth (police). The
now eight (8) Police officers were surrounding me like I was a fugitive
of crime, like I was secured for a hostile invader.

“I was one of many native woman standing up for my views of police
injustice while there were a dozen WPS surrounding me, like I was a
threat. I just moved on the March to the old Remand Center, and then
stopped for 20 minutes spoke. I was really upset now. I thought and
spoke about Connie and Ty Jacobs who were murdered by the police in
Alberta. I want to plan a memorial at the R.C.M.P, Division D
headquarters on Portage Ave, Saturday March 22, 2008, at 2 pm. It has
now been 10 years since Connie and Ty Jacobs were killed by aggressive
force. Ty Jacobs will be 19 years old today. We want the abuse and
violence to our people to stop, so lets get rid of the “Eliminate the
Indian problem!” mentality.

In Sisterhood,
Jo Redsky
Wolf clan

Winnipeg Copwatch will also be attending the memorial for Connie and Ty Jacobs on March 22. Ty Jacbos would have been 19 a few days ago. The memorial will take place at the RCMP Div-D HQ at Portage Ave and Dominion Street.

March 15th will mark the 2008 International Day against Police Brutality. It first began back in 1997 as an intiative by Montreal Collective Opposed to Police Brutality and the Black Flag group in Switzerland. The march was organized by numerous people and they ask that people meet at the Red Road Lodge (631 Main Street) at 6:00pm. The march will leave at 6:30pm and goto the drunk tank on Martha Street, then to the Public Safety Building on Princess Street and then finish at the Law Courts Building at 408 York Ave. For more information you can contact winnipegIDAPB@gmail.com or phone 942-1588.

Copwatch will be hosting a ‘know your rights’ workshop for the second annual Winnipeg do it yourself fesitval (DIYFEST). This will happen on Saturday March 15th at the Red Road Lodge from 12-2:30pm. We encourage people to attend the International Day against Police Brutality later that day.

If your are unable to attend this workshop and wish to still become involved with Copwatch, we will be hosting a training weekend on March 29th. We encourage people to register by phoning 942-1588 or emailing wpgcopwatch@gmail.com. It will take place at the Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre (MERC) at 430 Langside Street from 2pm - 5pm. Here are the workshops that will be covered: Learn how to use a camera, know your rights, how to interact with police and de-escalation tactics.

Sharing Our Stories
Sharing Circle on Police Violence and Community Issues organized by the Manitoba Aboriginal Justice Equality Coalition.
Have you ever felt victimised by the police? Are you concerned about neighbourhood safety or police response? Do you feel vulnerable or powerless? Tell your story so healing can begin.

Saturday February 9th
1pm-4pm
Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre
430 Langside Street

Snacks, childcare and bus tickets provided.

MAJEC is an all-volunteer grassroots coalition dedicated to promoting
equality for Manitoba’s Aboriginal peoples.

For more information, contact MAJEC at info@majec.ca or visit http://majec.ca

Do You Know Your Rights When Interacting with Police?

Come to a free workshop with defence lawyer Jeff Gindin.
Mr. Gindin has been a defence lawyer for 36 years and has been teaching at the law school for 30 years. Come learn about your rights and what you should do when involved with the police.
Saturday January 12th at 2pm to 4pm at the Magnus Eliason Recreation Centre (430 Langside Street) on the second floor in the Multipurpose room. Copwatch will provide food, drinks, childcare and bus tickets to people interested.

On December 6th the Manitoba Human Rights Commission released its report around “racialized communities and police services”. In the report it states that within certain communities there is a fear of the police, that people do not have faith in the Law Enforcement Review Agency, and that police brutality is part of police culture and it’s just not a “few bad apples”.

Here is a quote from someone speaking about “Abusive treatment by police based on Aboriginal ancestry”:

“I was driven to the perimeter by police and left to walk home barefoot. I have no
one to complain to. Aboriginal people don’t matter. I have no trust in the police.”

We at Copwatch have heard stories from people speaking about Starlight Tours being practiced by members of the Winnipeg Police Service. This is of larger concern given the statements from Environment Canada that we are in for one of the coldest winters in sometime. Will it take another Neil Stonechild for people to realize that this is happening, and has been happening in Winnipeg for sometime now.

To read the full report, you may visit the Manitoba Human Rights Commission and download the PDF.

This is some reaction from printed media: Policing the Police, Winnipeg Free Press.

Winnipeg Copwatch has been invited to speak on at a public forum organized by the the Winnipeg Anarchist Black Cross(ABC). It will consist of a re-introduction to the Anarchist Black Cross, followed by a look at the history, goals, visions and projects. Afterwards there will be a short discussion with members of ABC, Copwatch, Elizabeth Frye Society and others looking at alternatives to incarceration and how the groups may work together in the future.

There will also be a presentation by Kevin Schachter on prison tourism from Prison Isla San Lucas in Costa Rica.

The event is at the Mondragon (91 Albert Street) at 7pm on November 6th, 2007.

Winnipeg Copwatch endorses the October 22nd Coalition to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation. In support of this day Winnipeg Copwatch will perform a foot patrol in the evening of October 22nd.

The diverse coalition began over ten years ago after wanting to expose the epidemic of police brutality on a higher, nation-wide level. “Police misconduct and brutality have no borders” said Beau Burton, a member of Copwatch. “It is an ongoing and systemic problem and we need to work together to stop it”

The October 22nd Coalition is also responsible for the Stolen Lives Project which documents all cases of killings by members of law enforcement. It has documented over 2000 cases within the United States since the early 1990’s.

For more information on the October 22nd Coalition, visit www.October22.org.

The two events surrounding Two Worlds Colliding and the Tasha Hubbard’s visit to Winnipeg went really well. After the screening of the film, people shared stories and discussed how the film affected them. Naturally, there is a lot of healing that needs to take place and there needs to be spaces for people to share their stories and to be heard. People filled the Mondragon on September 27th to hear Tasha speak about her experiences when making the film and spoke briefly about the history of policing in a Canadian context. Below are some photos from the event courtesy of Aaron Pierre.

Tasha Hubbard is coming!

Tasha Hubbard will be coming to Winnipeg and doing a public talk on September 27th 2007. In anticipation of this public discussion, Winnipeg Copwatch and the Manitoba Aboriginal Justice Equality Coalition(MAJEC) will be hosting a film screening of Two Worlds Colliding, the film that Tasha directed documenting Saskatoon’s infamous starlight tours. Here is the description of the film from the National Film Board:

Two Worlds Colliding chronicles the painful story of what came to be known as Saskatoon’s infamous “freezing deaths,” and the schism between a fearful, mistrustful Aboriginal community and a police force that must come to terms with a shocking secret.
One frigid night in January 2000, a Native man, Darrell Night, finds himself dumped by two police officers in -20° C temperatures in a barren field on the city outskirts and finds shelter at a nearby power station. He survives the ordeal but is stunned to hear that the frozen body of another Aboriginal man is discovered in the same area. Days later, another victim, also Native, is found.
When Night comes forward with his story, he sets into motion a chain of events: a major RCMP investigation into several suspicious deaths, the conviction of the two constables who abandoned him and the reopening of an old case, leading to a judicial inquiry.
It remains to be seen whether the gulf between the two worlds can be bridged.

So come join us September 20th, and we hope to see you on the 27th as well!

Two Worlds Colliding Film Screening

Thursday September 20th 2007
Urban Shaman Gallery (290 McDermot Avenue) at 7:00pm
There will be snacks and either coffee or hot chocolate provided.

& then…

Behind Two Worlds Colliding

Thursday September 27th 2007
Mondragon Bookstore and Coffeehouse (91 Albert Street) at 7:00pm
Tasty vegan treats will be provided.

Tasha will also be doing a public presentation at the University of Manitoba entitled:

Images of Change: Film, Photography and Social Justice

a presentation by Tasha Hubbard and Edith Regier
Wednesday September 26 2007
Room 409 Tier Building University of Manitoba
2:00 - 4:00pm