Seven Oaks Magazine.

1) At your April 2 protest four activists were arrested. What message were you trying to bring to Gordon Campbell and the BC school board trustees?

The message we were bringing to Gordon Campbell and the school board trustees is one that we have dogged the Liberals with throughout their term - the attacks on poor and working people will not go unmet. We wanted to convey to the trustees that meeting with Gordon Campbell is not acceptable - as has been proven over and over again, any notion of working 'with' this government to create positive change is completely ridiculous. The only partnerships that the Liberals are working to foster are within the private sector.

2) How has this government's agenda affected the educational system for students from poor and working class backgrounds?

First of all, there has never been a government in BC with an agenda favourable to poor or working people. The Liberals may be more ruthless and cut-throat about how they implement neo-liberal policies, but we cannot forget the NDP's attacks on poor, working and indigenous people in this province.

Students from poor and working backgrounds have been adversely affected by all of the Liberals' cuts, not just those specific to the education system. No matter if it is kindergarten, high school or university, learning is all the more difficult for anyone to do when they are preoccupied with the stress and anxiety of economic insecurity, poor health or substandard housing.

3) The APC has been a target of the police repression in recent years. Was this a motivation for working on the people's police inquiry?

Police brutality and repression against the Anti-Poverty Committee is certainly at an all time high, although this isn't what prompted the People's Inquiries. Our members have witnessed and/or experienced the systemic brutality of the VPD as it affects women, people of colour and poor people on daily basis for too long. We wanted to create a venue to discuss the true systemic nature of police violence.

To this end, we have held four forums so far, three of which were focussed on specific themes - policing poverty, racist police brutality and police violence towards women as well as their complicity in other violence against women. By discussing in-depth the operation of police brutality within the spheres of classism, patriarchy and racism, it helped us deepen our analysis of this issue as we continue to work on this and other campaigns. It also helps maintain and develop the perspective that police violence is not a problem of a few rogue officers or something easily remedied by small reforms to the current system. Rather, we believe that the entire system and the oppressive mechanisms that uphold it must be overturned for this abuse of authority to stop.

4) In fact, since the end of the Woodswards Squat and the arrest of the Britannia 9, there has been a decline in street protest against Campbell. Has repression worked to quiet dissent?

Brutality, harassment and intimidation have always been effective tools of the state in dividing and marginalizing people. Although the numbers vary, there has continued to be a steady stream of protest against Campbell and the Liberals. Several of these protests have involved arrests, police assaulting protesters and threats.

5) This last weekend there was a demonstration against the so-called Safe Streets Act. What happened there?

This weekend's demo included squeegeeing, panhandling (both of which are now illegal under the Safe Streets Act) as well as postering and leafleting. We met at Victory Square park (Cambie and Hastings) and by the time we reached Pender and Homer (two blocks away) there were four people arrested, and several tickets given out for by-law infractions as well as SSA infractions. We will be contesting these and any other tickets people come to us with.

6) MLA Lorne Mayencourt brought in this legislation, and recently he's been accused of taking his bullying of poor people to the physical level. Did you have any security plans in case he showed up at Saturday's protest?

Lorne didn't show up. I don't know if that's fortunate or unfortunate - I guess we had enough squeegees to defend ourselves with had he shown.

Mayencourt's absolute and unmasked disdain for poor people is a perfect example of the real face of the Liberals agenda for poor, working and otherwise marginalized people in this province.

To learn more about our on-going campaigns and how to get involved, the first thing is to get in touch. Visit our website (http://apc.resist.ca/home), e-mail (apc@resist.ca) or call (604-682-2726).

For anyone who can afford it and is so inclined, financial contributions are always appreciated. Cash can be deposited directly into our account at any branch of VanCity (account is listed under Anti-Poverty Committee), or cheques/money orders made out to the APC can be mailed to us at P.O. Box 1, 12 East Hastings St. Vancouver, BC V6A 1N1.