Rally in protest of B.C. missing women inquiry precedes annual memorial march

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      Demonstrators formed a circle in the intersection of Georgia and Granville Streets today (February 13) to draw attention to their ongoing concerns with the B.C. missing women inquiry.

      The protest outside the inquiry came the day before an annual women’s memorial march is set to take place in Vancouver Tuesday (February 14).

      Speakers at the demonstration this morning included Marlene George, who has been an organizer of the February 14th Annual Women’s Memorial March for 16 years.

      As demonstrators held placards and a quilt inscribed with the names of missing and murdered women, George noted she was working in the Downtown Eastside when many women started going missing from the area.

      “We have our history laid out from all of our women’s memorial marches on these placards—from all the work that we have been doing,” she said. “All the times that we tried to raise the issue around missing women—where are they, what’s being done, who’s looking for them? Where’s the investigation?”

      “It’s such a shame to be able to hear about what’s coming out of that public inquiry on the eighth floor of this building, about how the women were failed and the families were failed, and the 75 children that were left behind, because they have no mothers today,” she added.

      The commission of inquiry was established by the B.C. government to examine why serial killer Robert Pickton wasn’t arrested earlier than 2002. The majority of Downtown Eastside organizations that were granted standing at the inquiry withdrew from the process after the province said they would not cover their legal costs.

      Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, the president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, told demonstrators that the issue of missing and murdered women is a “national disgrace”.

      “It’s the most horrific abuse of human rights in the history of this country, that indigenous women continue to go missing and continue to turn up murdered, and that the perpetrators continue to operate with such impunity,” he said. “Women continue to go missing, day and week and month after month.”

      “The Government of Canada is more interested in pandas and dirty oil than they are to deal with missing and murdered women,” he charged.

      George questioned what changes will arise from the inquiry.

      “How are things going to change?” she asked. “What are we going to do different in our lives to make sure that this never happens again?”

      Lorelei Williams, who attended the rally today, said she’s hopeful that the inquiry will result in positive change.

      The DNA of Williams' cousin, Tanya Holyk, was found on Pickton's farm, while her aunt, Belinda Williams, has been missing since 1977.

      “I want to raise awareness of the alarming high rates of violence against First Nations women and girls across Canada, and the high alarming rates of missing and murdered First Nations women across Canada,” she said.

      Williams, who has been attending the missing women inquiry, noted that “it’s very emotional, going through it all”. She plans to attend the memorial march Tuesday through the Downtown Eastside.

      The 21st annual Vancouver march for missing and murdered women will coincide with similar memorial events in at least 12 cities across the country. The local march will begin at 1 p.m. at Main and East Hastings Streets.

      Comments

      3 Comments

      Maria Thompson

      Feb 13, 2012 at 5:56pm

      Social Activists like Marlene George failed these women just as much as the system has. All Marlene George cares about is getting her face in the paper it seems. She hasn't done anything except collect a fat city pay cheque and disrupt traffic. I'm sick of people like Marlene advancing her own social agenda all in the name of justice for these poor women!

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      Disgusted

      Feb 13, 2012 at 8:15pm

      If it were not for people like "Social Activist" Marlene George - people like you Maria would still be blissfully rationalizing the fact that powerless and impoverished persons are regularly being literally butchered. People like you truly revolt me.

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      amanda james

      Feb 16, 2012 at 12:16am

      @ maria thompson
      i would have to say you no nothing of this woman and she collects no fat city pay check for her work in the community and just because their profession is in the helping field all of the extra effort that she puts in is from the kindness of her own heart

      i grew up with her and her husband as my role models and i am deeply offended of this comment and i hope you refrain from judgement of the people that are trying to better our communities and empower our indigenous people

      and before you are so quick to speak against good deeds
      please ask yourself , What you have done in efforts to help people around you ? and if the answer is nothing do you really have grounds to judge the people who take time out of their lives to do so ?

      i believe you have some major misconceptions as to what this rally is supposed to represent

      and if you took more time into your research in the roles of our elders and social advocates you would not be so quick to make the comments you just did

      i hope we continue to interrupt your precious commutes through the downtown east side

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