Issues&ideas Activism defines boundaries Vancouver protests take many forms and The Voice explores the outcomes #Meloo half the equation Online campaign raises awareness but expert says action is needed = By LINDSEY LLOYD s the #MeToo movement continues to grow on- line, one sociologist said hashtags may not be enough. The social media campaign arose to recognize sexual assault victims in the wake of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's scandal and is similar to campaigns such as Black Lives Matter and Occupy Wall Street. Samantha Monckton, organizer with March On Vancouver, believes the campaign is effective because it resonated with the high number of women who have been sexually harassed. “I think it helps to pick it up,’ Monckton said of social media’s role in popularizing activism. “Maybe we can actually make huge changes. That's what we did at the Women's March [in January], may- be it wasn't a hashtag but that was still an ass-kicking movement that helped.” Monckton uses social media to reach out to people to organize similar social movements across Canada. She is one of the organiz- ers of a #MeToo rally on Nov. 4 at the Vancouver Art Gallery. By contrast, Peyman Vahabzadeh, professor of sociology at the Uni- versity of Victoria, said although he agrees that social media can create awareness, the impact of online ac- tivism on changing society will only last if people act in the streets, too. “Social media has had, to a great extent, a negative impact on partici- patory movements,” said Vahabza- deh, attributing it to ‘slacktivism,’ a term to describe the lack of motiva- tion to take concrete action against what some deem societal ills. “You cant defy the law through your Facebook account,” Vahabza- deh said. “You have to participate. You have to invest concrete days and hours and life and energy...not digital.” Francesca Colyer, who attended the Vancouver Women's March, does not usually protest, but was inspired after seeing its scale on Facebook. “I definitely have liked things online or been part of [Facebook] groups that I didn't take action on.” ACTIVISM EVENTS » Nov. 4 #MeToo Rally March On Vancouver will host a solidarity rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery from 10 a.m - 12 p.m. » Nov. 29 Angela Davis Battered Women's Support Services is hosting the long-time activist for a talk at the Orpheum. ? EDITOR SASALAKIC | THURSDAY, NOV. 2,2017 | THE VOICE 7 ——— Kayaktivists get ready to paddle to the construction barge in an effort to stop preliminary work for the Kinder Morgan Westridge Marine Terminal on the Burnaby side of Burrard Inlet on Oct. 28. NATALIA BUENDIA CALVILLO PHOTO Preliminary work for Kinder Morgan pipeline halted for a day m=By NATALIA BUENDIA CALVILLO he ‘kayaktivist’ move- ment is gaining mo- mentum in Vancouver and participants are not afraid to stand in the way of the oil industry to achieve their goals, even if that means possible jail time. Marine-borne activists took to their vessels from Cates Park in North Vancouver Oct. 29 and man- aged for that day to stop prelimi- nary work at a construction barge in the Burrard Inlet. ‘The barge is just off-shore from Kinder Morgan’s Westridge Ma- rine Terminal at the foot of Burna- by Mountain, where the envisioned ‘Irans Mountain pipeline would ship Alberta crude oil to waiting tankers for world-wide export. Hayley Trachsel, Langara en- vironmental studies student and are trying to convey.” Leaders of the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, whose territory is directly north across the water, — haven't consent- kayaktivist with [— the Sea Wolves “Trudeau at one ed to the project collective, joined . ak ; approved by the the flotilla and time said it's going federal govern- was prepared for . ment and the potential legal to be Canada against National Energy consequences. .T! Board a year ago. “Pminot afraid B.C.; I d take on. that The First Naw of it really,” . ” tion has been Trachsel said fight. leading the about being ar- — RUEBEN GEORGE, TSLEIL-WAUTUTH litigative pro- rested. = NATION _| cess against the “Tt is more im- portant to put yourself out there. “Tt’s non-invasive to the environ- ment to get out in the kayaks, and that puts forth the message that we twinning of the pipeline at the Federal Court of Appeal. Rueben George, Tsleil-Waututh sundance chief, said he and his people are ready to face the govern- ment agencies and industry. “[Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau at one time he said it’s going to be Canada against B.C.; I'd take on that fight,” George told a cheering crowd. Olivia French, articling student at environmental law charity Eco- Justice, said the flotilla was an ex- ercise in democracy. "Public involvement in civil soci- ety is absolutely fundamental to our democracy," French said. "It is really important that people have the ability to voice their con- cerns.” Five kayaktivists were eventually arrested by the RCMP and charged with criminal mischief for tying themselves to the barge. Roger Waters speaks activism and BDS movement Former Pink Floyd rocker wants to shine a light on the plight of Palestinians = By MYRA DIONNE oger Waters, former Pink R tee bassist, clarified his support for the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions movement against Israel at St. Andrew’s-Wes- ley United Church last week, as roughly two dozen protesters called for the end of the controversial campaign. Reaching the last days of his North American tour, Waters sat down before an audience of rough- ly 1,000 with Langara College in- structor Itrath Syed and Martha Roth, of Independent Jewish Voic- es, for an interview in downtown Vancouver on Oct. 26. By supporting BDS, Waters said he wants to shine a light on the Israeli and United States govern- ments which, he claimed, legitimize oppression of Israel’s Palestinian population, denying them basic hu- Audience gathers at St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church ahead of the Roger Waters interview on Oct. 26. ye4 DIONNE PHOTO man rights and subjecting them to colonization. “Lots of people will deny that's what the fighting’s all about,” Wa- ters said. “They believe it's about religion or extremism or something. It's not. It's about having stuff and not hav- ing stuff.” The BDS campaign, launched in 2005 by Palestinian civil groups, has been accused of anti-Semitism by Jewish organizations the world over. Aidan Fishman, the interim na- tional director of human rights for B'nai Brith Canada, said the BDS movement is hypocritical because it is based on nationality, which also violates human rights, but then portrays Israel as the only violator of these rights. “It’s very hard to see how a pro- ductive way to end the conflict could be totally excommunicating and not talking to one side of it,” Fishman said. “It's hard to imag- ine how that could possibly make things better.” For Rabbi David Mivasair, ac- tivist with the Centre for Jewish Nonviolence, the movement is eco- nomic in nature and a last resort for protesters. “After years of negotiations, elec- tions, violent military revolt bombs on busses, they have come up with this tactic,” Mivasair said. “It's just a tactic of asking people around the world to boycott, divest, sanction certain parts of the Israeli economy in order to put pressure on Israel.” Waters ended with words of hope. “Hope resides in the fact that hu- man beings are beautiful, interest- ing, capable of philosophizing, of love, of thought, of connection and community,” he said.