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City council about to come back for more public hearing on racism and policing, but first! That school board trustee who said that police are needed in schools to protect (white) students from refugees is resigning immediately. https://twitter.com/cspotweet/status/1275873075834138624 #abed #epsb
Also, councillors @JonDziadyk and @ClrMikeNickel were tweeting about other things during the public hearing. They've been pretty silent throughout the 5 days, I hope not just to focus on their tweets. https://twitter.com/tish_A_tish/status/1275869923089104898 #yegcc #blmyeg
There are two panels of speakers this afternoon, to wrap up 5 days(!) of public hearing. You can watch the #yegcc meeting live on YouTube:
Going back to the school board for a moment, it's good to see that the immediate public reaction to the trustee's racism forced accountability but it's too bad that her vote stands, and police remain in our public schools. That's systemic racism. https://www.theprogressreport.ca/epsb_votes_to_review_sro_program_but_not_suspend_it #abed
The first speaker of the afternoon mentions their ward and it reminds me that people asking city council to #DefundPolice give a lot more detail than those in favour of status quo racism (ex: their wards, their pronouns, their experiences, other speakers they appreciate). #yegcc
Megan Yu talking about "the overwhelming whiteness" of education and teaching. Says that very few students of colour see themselves reflected in teachers at the front of class. #yegcc #blmyeg
Yu noting many BIPOC and marginalized students experience trauma, failures to act ( #MMIWG) and mistrust of police in their lives, which would create a false sense of trust when schools encourage students to go to SROs. "What good does this funding do?" #yegcc #blmyeg
"This is not a reaction of the moment, it’s hundreds of years coming to a head." - Megan Yu (This keeps coming up because pro-police voices keep saying these decisions "can't be rushed" and that it's only an emotional reaction. You know, gaslighting.) #yegcc #blmyeg
Ezra Hockett speaking in favour of #blmyeg calls for de-funding, on the way to abolition of the police force. Also reminds city council of *another* recent police misconduct involving some officer Instagramming. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-police-launch-review-after-officer-posts-photo-of-drug-arrest-1.5591394 #yegcc
You love to see someone maximize their 5 minutes in front of city council. https://twitter.com/britl/status/1275883040632303616
Kyra Koster making lots of great points about needing to act, even when we didn't build the racist systems. "The time for moving the needle was 15 years ago, and it’s clear to me that our police force and commission are incapable of making the change necessary." #yegcc
Also addresses the "bad apple" and "good cop" points: Good people joining the system will either become burned out or be convinced the system works, it's forced compliance. #yegcc #blmyeg
Aisha Rauf tells city council about a night she was "terrified" by police. She was 19-years-old, lost and alone late at night, only to be followed by a police van with officers heckling her, not helping her. They told her she was drunk, shouldn't have been out. #yegcc #blmyeg
Police eventually called her over. But still not to help. They wrote her a ticket for jaywalking and drove off. This is a theme that city council has heard throughout the hearings, that police are not protecting and serving the entire community currently. #yegcc
Heather Macklem supporting the #blmyeg calls for de-funding, and speaking about her experience working at a social agency. Wants policing money to be put into agencies that can respond without violence, come from the community. #yegcc
Macklem: "Police are responsible for 100% of intake to the criminal justice system, but not 100% of the outcomes." That says a lot, when you consider the racial profiling and criminalization of many communities we know to be true. Start at the first step. #yegcc #blmyeg
Even more on this statement of police actions and responsibility: https://twitter.com/britl/status/1275888585019764736
Councillor @MichaelWalters asks Megan Yu "Is de-funding the only answer? Is there a version that’s more realistic (in the short-term)?"
Yu is clear in her response: "Yes. That is the only answer." #yegcc #blmyeg
Yu is clear in her response: "Yes. That is the only answer." #yegcc #blmyeg
Yu: "There are huge consequences to our complacency, and taking things slowly, Black and Indigenous lives are at risk. We can never accept that as collateral to the ways our systems work." #yegcc #blmyeg
Good back and forth between @Ward4Aaron and Helen Frost about how elected officials have to balance leadership with the will of (most) electors. Frost says "You have to ask what is a system that will work and be effective for everyone?"
Frost: Council members have to ask "Am I interested in only what benefits most in society, or a society where those who are most vulnerable are protected?" #yegcc
"Not only is the current system inefficient, it’s costly. It’s very frustrating to see money being spent on a system that is ineffective at what it does." A point that needs to be made again and again to politicians - policing is not working for everyone now. #yegcc #blmyeg
Kyra Koster telling @ben_hen that effective policing requires a needs-based system, so you'll have to identify what you’re actually trying to do/fix/solve/prevent. #yegcc
Koster: Right now the EPS responds *after* violence has occurred, they don’t prevent violence. They only try to prevent crime by saying their presence will keep people from acting in criminal ways, but that’s punitive, not restorative or transformative. #yegcc #blmyeg
As an outside observer, I concur. https://twitter.com/fritzlechat/status/1275892004866547712
Council questions seem to be drying up. Just a couple this afternoon, and not as many this morning as in previous days. Not to mention, we've only really heard from about half the council members at all during Q+A opportunities. And...
The questions don't seem to be trending very much toward specifics of what could be changed, implying that significant change will come. Still getting questions like "Who will respond if there are no police?".
That doesn't mean council couldn't be leaning toward changes to protect people, but definitely keep up your emailing and contacting their offices. The more they hear from people, the harder change is to ignore. Or the harder it will be for them to run in 2021. #yegcc
Martin Luther Mukiibi made some good points to city council about the need to break the chain of poverty. We need agencies that can focus on social services, homelessness and affordable housing. Police could be there for law and order but completely re-engineered. #yegc
OK, city council is on a break and returns at 3:45. While you wait, why not read this: https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2020/06/24/charges-expected-to-be-dropped-against-northern-alberta-first-nations-chief-allan-adam.html
