This post has been reviewed by the Vancouver Media Co-op editorial committee.

Vancouver New Year's Noise Agitates Guards and Cops

Anti-Prison Rally One Day After Three Prisoners Escape

by Zig Zag

p { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; }

On New Year's Eve 2010, protesters brought the noise—along with a banner and fireworks—to a local prison as an act of solidarity with prisoners and against prisons. The 'New Year's Noise' rally began in an East Vancouver parking lot early in the evening, when approximately 25 protesters gathered before embarking on a 45-minute bus ride to the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre, located in an isolated rural area in Maple Ridge.

Enduring a cold ride in an old yellow school bus (“School buses are cool,” read the sign on the side—cool like a refrigerator!), once the protesters reached the FRCC property they promptly marched down into the parking lot, hauling a portable but powerful PA system that pumped out rebellious hip hop.

8-9 guards from the prison quickly came out to confront the group but were simply ignored as fireworks and flares were let off. Prisoners, clad in orange jumpsuits, could be seen waving to the protesters as speeches of solidarity were made. One organizer stressed that not only was this a solidarity rally, it was also a manifestation against the prison system itself. Slogans included “Our passion for freedom is stronger than your prisons!”

Some hollered “Happy New Year's” to the prisoners, a group of which were jailed in large canvas tents surrounded by 20 foot high fences at the end of the parking lot. They are kept in these tents while construction work continues to expand the prison.

Built in 1990, the FRCC was originally intended to jail some 254 male prisoners, but currently has 550. In February 2008, the jail was hit with a riot that caused extensive damages, the cause of which has been partly attributed to the overcrowded conditions.

In addition, since August 2010, some 400 male Tamil refugees have been imprisoned at FRCC since their arrival on the MV Sun Sea that month. Solidarity rallies with the refugees and demanding their release occurred at FRCC, as well as the Alouette Correctional Centre for Women and the Burnaby Youth Detention Centre (where Tamil women and children have been imprisoned).

While those rallies were organized by No One Is Illegal, the New Year's Eve night action was, according to one anonymous organizer, part of an international effort traditionally organized by anarchist and prisoner solidarity groups. It is done to let the prisoners know they are not alone, and has a radical analysis about the role of prisons for social control and in maintaining the overall system of exploitation (see the call out, below).

Shortly after returning to the bus and departing, six RCMP vehicles from the Ridge Meadows detachment stopped and surrounded it. An RCMP officer boarded the bus and informed the group that trespassing on government property and shooting off flares and fireworks was mischief (a criminal offence). Despite this information, there was little the police could do as they weren't at the scene when the rally occurred and couldn't identify who had participated.

Instead, they took the hired driver off the bus and threatened him with sanctions under the Vehicle Act if he did not return directly to East Vancouver and deposit the group back at their start point. Obviously intimidated, the driver did as he was told, cancelling a rally at the Burnaby Youth Detention Centre that had been scheduled for the return trip.

One anonymous protester speculated that, while police could have “made up a pretext to seize the bus as a punitive measure, that would have left them with a mob of angry protesters prowling through their jurisdiction.”

Despite this set back, participants felt it was a powerful and successful action. They were seen and heard by the prisoners, the guards were powerless to stop them, and the police were left with few options since it took them so long to get their force organized.

In addition, three prisoners escaped from the FRCC the day prior to the protest, on Thursday Dec. 30. Douglas Erickson (42), Ryan Plotnikoff (30), and David Traill (48), escaped at around 12:30 PM while on work detail. RCMP state they may have been picked up by a blue/grey sedan and their destination was “unknown.” This was unrelated to the 'New Year's Noise' rally.

Call Out: