A petition and campaign has been initiated by the DTES Power of Women group against the City of Vancouver, VANOC, RCMP, and VPD in their attempts to change next year’s historic and sacred Feb 14 March for Murdered and Missing Women in order to ensure ‘flow of Olympic traffic’ down Hastings Street. The Power of Women group is based in the DTES neighbourhood and its membership is composed of women living in poverty who have experienced and survived sexual violence and mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional abuse.

Please sign the online petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/feb14/petition.html

Text of petition:

It has been brought to our attention that the City of Vancouver, Olympic officials, and the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit are trying to change the historic Feb 14, 2010, March for Murdered and Missing Women in order to ensure ‘flow of Olympic traffic’ down Hastings Street.

As residents of the DTES and supporters of the Memorial March, we completely oppose any change in date, time, or route of the Memorial March. This March has been happening for 18 years to honour our sisters who die each year due to the violence of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual abuse. It is something far more significant and sacred than the Olympic Games, which has already increased poverty, homelessness, and policing in our neighbourhood. The government is spending billions on a circus, while putting people aside.

We, the women in the Downtown Eastside and our supporters, demand that:

• There be no attempts to change or control our Feb 14th Memorial March

• Not a single person be forcibly removed, evicted, or displaced from their homes in the Downtown Eastside and any other community due to the Olympics.

For more information or to obtain hard copies of the petition for your organization, contact project at dewc.ca or call 604 681 8480 x 234.