![[small-web-version_harperfree_poster.jpg]](https://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WGczmWu7Wwc/SdCJyy2LN1I/AAAAAAAABWE/ABYCkbJaKaQ/s1600/small-web-version_harperfree_poster.jpg)
Government lawyers have already filed an injunction against Occupy Vancouver protesters, who moved Monday from city property onto provincial land – and Premier Christy Clark says demonstrators shouldn’t expect to see any demands met.
The injunction application, which was rushed in as soon as court opened at 10 a.m. Tuesday, contains broad terms that would prevent protesters from relocating onto any other public land, including land owned by the federal government.
“I’m fed up,” Clark said Monday evening. “It’s time to end this nonsense.”
“Did any of their demands get met by the city in the whole time they were there on city land? I don’t think that they did, so I’m not sure what they think they’re going to achieve by being on provincial land,” Clark said.
“They’re testing the limits of the public’s tolerance for this kind of behaviour in public space,” she added.
Her faithful Attorney General (who has yet to respond to my question about the RCMP Contract) was quick to make a statement…
B.C. Attorney General Shirley Bond issued a statement Monday night saying she was “very concerned that by re-establishing their camp within close proximity” of the original site, protesters were “acting in defiance of the spirit of the original [injunction] order.”
She also suggested the placement of the camp could potentially hinder public access to the courts.
The Judge who heard the application was none other than Justice Anne MacKenzie, the same judge who took over the BC Rail corruption trial, as well as the Sunriver Estates corruption trial in Sooke regarding an Agricultural Land Exclusion that was related to the same players. In that case originally the partners in the Swiftsure Development Company were named as defendants, but the Judge ruled that the Corporation was the guilty party, and it (the corporation) paid a small fine. Not surprising then, that she ruled in favour of the Crown. But what does this ruling mean? Protesting is now banned in public? That is what this ruling says to me. You may not peacefully assemble to voice your opinion on Provincial or Federal land?
Crown land. Who owns Crown Land? Does it Belong to the Queen? According to Wikipedia, “94% of the land in British Columbia is Provincial Crown land, 2% of which is covered by fresh water. Federal Crown lands make up a further 1% of the province, including Indian Reserves, Defence Lands and Federal Harbours, while 5% is privately owned. The Ministry of Agriculture and Lands issues Crown land tenures and sells Crown land on behalf of the Province of British Columbia.”
94% of this Province belongs to the Crown. Administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. The Crown reserves the right to issue tenures and sell the land. The people who pay the taxes that pay the Crown to protect the public interest on the 94% of the province that is deemed Public Land no longer have the right to assemble and have public discourse in public space. We have no right to occupy our own unbranded space. This is a legal precedent and the courts will be able to look at this case and further erode our rights as citizens.
The numbers of people living in poverty has grown by 2% at least, by 2009, according to StatsCan, so I assume that number is conservative, and that things have deteriorated since then, so I would suggest that the percentage of children living in poverty here is at least 16%. Today, acording to the CBC via StatsCan,
On a year-over-year basis, the increase in earnings was a mere 1.1 per cent, the lowest level of growth since November 2009.
That is why I suggest that things are even worse on the poverty front than we are being told. That is why the Occupy Movement has much work to do. I would suggest that a forum be set up online to draft a constitution by the people, for the people. Much like Iceland has done. We need to take back our land. Only sovereignty will alleviate poverty.
All of this is A) awesome and B)total crap from the perspective of the average citizen.
ck Reply:
November 24th, 2011 at 8:02 PM
ok, Logan, then how could this be not “crap from the perspective of the average citize?” Isn’t time to wake these particular folks up from their slumber and comlacent arrogance? Isn’t it time to end populist movements that simply feed into the anger, ignorance and paranoia of the masses? For some very odd reason, many middle-class folks are still determined to wear their submission and wear it proudly? Americans are starting to slowly wise up to the fact that their submission has gotten them nowhere.
Can you believe the ignorance of some of the blogging SupposiTories, like “Trusty Tory”, who still insist, falsely (or erroneously; some are that wilfully ignorant), that Canada’s banks were never, at anytime, bailed out? Yeesh, even that name “Trusty tory” reeks of mega sucking up to masters, submission and of course, blind ignorance.
It is a scary thought that your premier is attempting to make sure that dissent is illegal in her province and her attempt to get this injunction, is making sure it’s illegal for anyone to protest or demonstrate anything (except gov’t friendly, of course)on most provincially owned land.
Clarify.