Planning logistics and support for safe streets protests and rallies
| life, torontoWe attended the town hall on the topic "How are we going to protect our bike lanes?" It was wonderful to see hundreds of people thinking about concrete ways that they could help make things better. I loved seeing all sorts of people there, and even more that our 10-year-old daughter stood up to host a breakout session on a topic she cares about: supplies and repairs during protests.
Breakout topics
Here were the general topics for open space conversations and some notes on next steps (thanks to my husband for extra notes!):
- rapid response: shift plan
- organizing health care workers to protect our bike lanes: push media attention, union statements, op eds, journals
- organizing parents to stand up for bike lanes: For Our Kids, virtual meeting, bike bus?
- student organizing/University of Toronto Graduate Students’ Union (UTGSU): posters, stickers, town hall for students
- Critical Mass organizing: new ride in May?
- non-violent direct action: training on the 29th?
- Bike Lanes 101: bring in new people, build people power, small group coffee chats, talk to the 905
- engaging business: flip the script, owners, bia, consumers - be visible as cyclists, shopping passport
- cycling winter: shovel bike lanes ourselves
- connecting to opposition to highway 413
- engineering reviews/critiques: will get drawings, make them public
- future proofing: build few projects to high standards, accelerate construction, seamless network, push councillors, education, know what good infra is
- federal level involvement: disallowance, cut bill 212, organize on ridings basis
- website and digital infrastructure: Civic Tech Toronto
- storytelling with data: isolate data for Bloor Yonge University lanes, bikeshare counts, ID core audience, biz owners, 905 drivers, common misconceptions, response, more data from city
- guerrilla postering: creating a repository of art, setting up a mailing list
- supplies and repairs during protest: coordinating supplies at the next protests/events
- engaging drivers
- organizing non-cyclists allies: open letter
- safe complete streets: stop saying bike lanes, say complete streets, beautify, personal stories over stats
- how to organize provincially
- pressuring the city to not police protests: strategic mtg with councillors, pressure mayor, reduce police budget, testimonials from arrested
- transit: TTC integration, free bike share pass?
Here are more notes on the parenting breakout and the supplies breakout that the kiddo hosted.
Parenting, families
I participated in the conversation on organizing parents to stand up for bike lanes. We talked about making protests and rallies friendlier for families and kids through hot chocolate, popsicles, bubbles, stickers, bike decoration stations, and other activities. People also exchanged ideas about organizing bike buses to help kids bike to school, meeting up with other cyclists at bike-friendly cafes during parental leave, and promoting bike education. We talked about widening the conversation from a focus on bike lanes to safety for everyone and connecting to what people care about, especially through personal stories and concrete life changes.
One of the triggers for the shift towards a stronger cycling culture in the Netherlands was collective outrage over so many child deaths in traffic accidents. I would like to get to that point without as many individual tragedies.
- How Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world | Cities | The Guardian
- Why is cycling so popular in the Netherlands? - BBC News
It's challenging to go to protests and rallies when you have to consider kids in tow. They get cold and hungry and bored and tired. They need to go to the bathroom. They need to be safe, especially when there's anger or aggression from people on the road or online. I wonder what can make it easier for families to come.
My husband and I have been going to quite a few of these events together with our 10-year-old. She likes offering people hot chocolate, snacks, and hand warmers: little ways to care for people who care about everyone's safety. I want to connect with other people so that we can figure out together how to make it easier for families to get involved. I am totally willing to start with hot chocolate and stickers. =)
Resources:
Supplies and repairs for supporting protests
I was surprised when our normally quite reserved 10-year-old suggested this open space breakout session herself, standing up in front of hundreds of people to invite them to a conversation about how to support protests through supplies and bike repairs. When she talked to the coordinator, she opted for a small space for about 5 people, but we ended up with about 10. She reported the results back to the main audience herself, too.
It's surprising how little things can go a long way to helping people feel more supported and taken care of. Our experience started by going to protests and offering people water refills, because it's important to stay hydrated. Most people have their own water bottles, but they might run out over the course of a few hours. We have cargo bikes, so my husband brings this huge container of water and refills people's bottles. As the weather got colder, we shifted to bringing warm water too. We're used to making hot chocolate for a crowd because it's a good way to keep kids warm during an outdoor play date. It's actually pretty delightful to see even adults light up when you offer them marshmallows with their cocoa. My husband's also been bringing bike repair tools, since quite a few people had to deal with flat tires from debris in contested bike lanes. Other people have even set up bike stands for check-ups and repairs. Other people have brought hand warmers and snacks. They pitched in with a variety of masks when the machines were grinding up the road surface. Little things help.
Sometimes having a list of ideas makes it easier for people to find one or two things they can contribute. We brainstormed a lot of little things that could help at these events:
- table with snacks & info
- warmth, water, and food
- hot cocoa
- hand warmers
- popsicles in summer
- water: water bottles, refills, hot water
- pizza, samosas, etc.
- tools
- nametags? totally optional
- signs, flyers, sign-making station
- masks, PPE, first aid
- bike repairs: tubes, tools → reach out to bike shops
- info
- info, contact, sign up
- zines
- sign-ups to coordinate with Bike Lane Watch?
- nearby support sites: where to find bathrooms, nearby bike-friendly businesses to recommend
- fun
- kid activities, games, fidgets
- stickers, sticker trading
- other ideas
- music
- candles
- someone to lock up and retrieve a bike if people get arrested
- glow sticks, lights, batteries, chargers - Green P: power?
- introvert corner
- camp chairs, mats, tables
- ways to reduce packaging, trash
- moral support
- $ funds
- individuals sharing
- tip jar?
- that GoFundMe?
It might be nice to figure out how we can coordinate with other people who are thinking of bringing things or ordering things so that for example, if we're picking up pizza, we don't end up with too much pizza. Maybe the Telegram chat?
Sometimes the protest is on a sidewalk where there's not a lot of space to set up a table or cargo bikes. It might be a good idea to identify beforehand a park or a side street where we can set up some more support, so that people can go there to take a break before they go back into the fray. For example, when the protests were at Islington, we stayed at Tom Riley Park, and people came by to refuel as needed.
Is there funding? Quite a few people have offered, although it feels a little complicated. There has been some kind of fundraiser, but we haven't coordinated anything with them. People have also offered donations or suggested having a tip jar. For us, I think we're more comfortable just sharing what we can share as a gift (and avoiding liability! =) ). I love how other people have, on their own initiative, brought samosas and naan bread and pizza and sesame crisps and Timbits. More potluck than catering.
People suggested putting together some pre-packed boxes so that they're easy to grab and go as part of a rapid response to the anticipated bike lane removals next spring. Maybe that's like how we keep a large bag with cups, marshmallows, stir sticks, and hot chocolate mix, so that could be a starting point.
Tomorrow, Friends and Families for Safe Streets is organizing a memorial at 4:30 PM at Tom Riley Park on Nov 15 (parking lot near Bloor and Aberfoyle Crescent) as part of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. We hope to be there. If you want to come and help figure out the logistics of caring for people at these rallies and events, drop by, say hi, and have some cocoa!
%20--%20drawing%20icons.jpeg){kind=link}
%20--%20drawing%20icons.jpeg){kind=link}
%20--%20drawing%20icons.jpeg){kind=link}
%20p46-61%20--%20drawing%20icons.jpeg){kind=link}
