Vancouver-Kensington MLA Mable Elmore says NDP wants to engage Occupy Vancouver
The NDP’s Vancouver-Kensington MLA has confirmed that NDP Leader Adrian Dix suggested his party hold an event involving Occupy Vancouver this weekend.
“I think a lot of the issues and concerns and values expressed by Occupy Vancouver are also values that the NDP holds, for social justice, for equality and respect for working people,” Mable Elmore told the Straight, standing in the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver lobby to avoid street noise on October 23. The first-term MLA was headed to the Occupy Vancouver site downtown.
Elmore said she spoke to Dix last week, and he suggested that the party hold a “discussion or forum to engage the NDP, and also extend to folks at Occupy Vancouver, to talk about how we can work together and how change happens, and how we connect concerns in social movements in civil society with electoral politics in the legislative arena”.
Elmore said she’s always been interested in how to integrate the wishes expressed within social movements into the political apparatus.
“How do we coalesce that and bring substantive change that’s going to benefit people?” Elmore asked.
Velma Veloria, a Filipina-American labour activist and former Democratic state legislator from Seattle, accompanied Elmore on October 23. Veloria claimed the mainstream press has unfairly maligned the Occupy Wall Street movement.
“But if they [protesters] got kicked out, I think it would spur a broader movement, similar to what happened for us among an older generation, right?” Veloria said. “So it was similar to what happened to us during the Vietnam War in the United States. There was a certain amount of the population that was against, number one, the draft, and, number two, that were against the war altogether.”
When the powers that be didn’t listen, “the whole country got up and protested”, Veloria added.
“I find this to be really exciting, because it’s worldwide,” she said. “It’s not just happening in Seattle. It’s happening in Vancouver, London, you know? So I have great hopes for it.”
Mable Elmore talks about the NDP's attendance at Occupy Vancouver.
Activist Velma Veloria says the mainstream coverage of the occupy movement is "unfair".
Comments
5 Comments
Jan J
Oct 27, 2011 at 5:07am
Finally, A politician that understands "The OCCUPY MOVEMENT" . While the Federal Harper government and BC Liberal govenment continue to support Corporations who pay less taxes.
Where's from Gordo Campbell now? In Europe trying bring the Olympics to Greece again?
Maureen Yost
Oct 27, 2011 at 12:32pm
This is great news. I am looking forward to attending such a forum. Good on the NDP for recognizing what the Occupy movement is; a true grassroots movement of deep concern by the general public. It includes all ages and classes of people not just the young or poor. I'm 57 and retired, and I have marched. The feeling was very positive and the people were well informed about the world's financial situation and know who is responsible.
joan
Oct 27, 2011 at 2:58pm
This is so great to hear, I think for the most part the people of the occupy movement want to be heard and want their politicians to listen to then and really see how their decisions affect the people of Canada. So Finally some one is willing to listen and attempt to work with the people to come up with solutions for the many problems instead of pretending they are not an issue and dismissing the cause like Harper has done on many occasions.
Melinda
Oct 27, 2011 at 9:26pm
Someone please explain to "occupy vancouver" that all the security and policing comes at cost to the taxpayers not the banks so please go home because us average working people can barely support our families let alone the cost of you all living in a public space. I wish I could take a week off with no pay and still be able to feed my family......
james green
Oct 27, 2011 at 11:50pm
The Occupy Movement is very important and should they stay or should they go should not be the focus. The media, the politicians, the community at large, thepolice, all of us should be engaging and embracing the movement and the peopleof the movement. All of us should be going down to the Art Gallery to discuss the issues of greed and corporate dominance and poverty and how to change this ... dreadful situation where the rich are getting richer and the rest are getting poorer.Media outlets should dedicate programming that invites those at the tentin to present. Media should feature stories that feature the various people involved and hear what they have have to say. The mayor should be down there discussing their views and getting behind a culture for change and call for a summit for all, including the Occupiers, to be involved. The heads of corps should be involved as well and the mayor should call on these leaders to participate and ways and means discussions lead by the mayor, should be formed to make positive change.Food, supplies, water and whatever these good people need to survive should be supplied .The Arab Spring saw a violent overthrow of corrupt leaders and we in Northand other countries of the world need to show the world that we can change theworld without violence. This is our change to show our democracy works and we support those who have the guts to put themselves on the line for change.Now as to removal. With the fulfillment of the above a time to end the tent in should be set with a commitment that the city, province will support the movement and work with the people there to keep this going on an everyday basis as a protest not a tentin. However, if this cannot be negotiated we should all assist the people with all we have as this is our chance to show we allow and welcome peace protest and the people's right to assembly. If the province can afford $563,000,000 for a roof, $500,000,000 over budget forthe construction of the convention center and the city can afford $23,000,000 tobuy the Vanoc building and $25,000,000 for an Olympic slush fund and $250,000 to reno the mayor office, we can all afford to support this movement for democracyand a fair distribution of wealth and reduction of poverty, high prices, corporate greed and an end to the monopolies that dominant the economies of the world.It is time for change and we all must jump at the chance. Engagement not rejection must me our means of dealing with this Occupany here now and everywhere.See More
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