On Sunday October 10th, about 250 people participated in a mass direct action against climate crime in Surrey, BC. Marching from Scott Road Skytrain to a South Fraser Perimeter Road construction site, we dug it up and filled sandbags to raise the dike protecting the low-lying community of Bridgeview from flooding. Using shovels and wheelbarrows we took a significant bite out of the huge pile of 'pre-load' sand next to Bridgeview Elementary School and raised a section of dike by about three feet using 350 sand bags. A lawyer was on standby in case of arrests, but the police did not intervene.
A massive thank you goes out to the many participants, volunteers, safety marshals, and the 21 groups who endorsed this action and helped make it such a huge success.
Check out the VMC video! http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/video/can-you-dig-it/4837
The action was also featured on CTV, Global, CKNW, News1130 and others. See all the coverage here: http://gatewaysucks.org/dig-in-media
It was exciting and inspiring to see so many familiar faces, and so many new ones at this event. Let's keep the momentum rolling: tell your friends, this is just the beginning, we'll see you at the next one!
Help plan the next action:
Action for Climate Justice: Building the Climate Justice Movement
A workshop to plan action and build the movement
When: 11 am - 2:30 pm, Saturday November 13
Where: Grandview Calvary Baptist Church, 1803 E. 1st Avenue (1 block east of Commercial Drive) (wheelchair accessible - from the north side)
Why: The next major round of UN climate negotiations will be held in Cancun November 29 to December 10. The last one in Copenhagen failed miserably. Why wait for governments to take action? It is the collective voice of people that can make climate justice a reality. Join us to plan and coordinate actions during the UN Climate Negotiations and beyond. For more info see: http://gatewaysucks.org/workshop
10/10/10 - Dig in for Climate Justice!
Mass Direct Action against Climate Crime
Last October thousands of people marched in Vancouver as part of the largest ever coordinated global rally - 5,200 demonstrations in 181 countries demanding action on global warming. This year, it is time to do more than march. Now is the time for mass direct action against climate crime. Now is the time to help communities deal with increased flood risk and other dangers caused by global warming.
When: Sunday October 10, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Where: Meet at Scott Road SkyTrain (East / Taxi Stand side) then march to 129th St. and 115b Ave in North Surrey – near Bridgeview Elementary School (Map: http://bit.ly/bQzSHl)
This year as part of the 350.org 10/10/10 Global Work Party (Oct 10, 2010), we will get to work stopping a deliberate climate crime –the South Fraser Perimeter ‘Road’ freeway which is part of the Gateway Program. The estimated $2 billion proposed freeway would greatly increase greenhouse gas emissions, pave over some of BC’s best farmland, scar the delicate banks of the Fraser River, and pollute elementary school playgrounds.
Freeways = Climate Crime
Presently, the South Fraser Freeway route is marked by piles of ‘preload’ sand. We will use this sand to start raising the flood control dikes around a Surrey neighbourhood to protect it from flooding caused by global warming.
We need people to fill sand bags and use them to raise the dike, and lots of people to help out in other ways and show their support. The risk of arrest is very low for anyone who does not wish to risk arrest. Legal information will be available.
This action will emphasize the need to shift resources away from climate crimes to creating green jobs and climate justice. Every cent is needed for solutions like public transit and electric passenger trains, and to protect communities from flooding and other effects of global warming.
Questions and Answers about this action.
What can I do right now? Go to www.350.org/dig-climate-justice and sign up to receive more information, including volunteer orientation and work party times.
Direct Action / Legal Workshop and Volunteer Orientation
Monday, Oct 4th 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Grandview Calvary Baptist Church. 1803 E. 1st Avenue (1 block east of Commercial Drive) (wheelchair accessible - from the north side).
If you want to volunteer on 10/10/10 please attend this important workshop and volunteer orientation. We will cover the basics of mass direct action and provide legal information. We will also be assigning specific tasks to individuals and groups for the day of the action.
Posters and Leaflets are available at:
- Bridgeview Hall. 11475 126A Street, Surrey (15 min walk from Scott Rd Skytrain).
- Burns Bog Conservation Society 4-7953 120th Street, Delta BC, V4C 6P6 Tel: 604-572-0373
- The Council of Canadians 700-207 West Hastings St. Vancouver, BC, V6B 1H7 (604) 688-8846 (Near Waterfront SkyTrain Station and on many bus routes)
- The Wilder Snail (Grocery and Café) 799 Keefer St, Strathcona (Vancouver)
- People’s Co-op Books 1391 Commercial Dr. Vancouver, BC (On the #20 bus)
The 10/10/10 Dig in for Climate Justice is a project of the Council of Canadians (Delta-Richmond, Vancouver-Burnaby, and Surrey-White Rock-Langley chapters), and GatewaySucks.org
Endorsed by: Bridgeview Community Action Group, Bridgeview In Motion, Check Your Head, East Vancouver Abolitionists, Grandview Woodland Area Council (GWAC), Greenpeace, Livable Region Coalition, No Tanks, Pedal Revolutionary Radio, Root Force, Simon Fraser Public Interest Research Group (SFPIRG), Solidarity Notes Labour Choir, Streams of Justice, Sunbury Neighbourhood Association, Transformative Communities Project, Unitarian Church of Vancouver Environment Committee, Vancouver Action (Van.Act), Vancouver Catholic Worker, Village Vancouver, Voters Taking Action on Climate Change (VTACC), Youth Taking Action on Gateway (YTAG)
Will your organization endorse this action, and help us make it a success? Please send endorsements to edoherty (at) uniserve.com, call 604 877 1223 or 604 340 2455 for more information.
