In the past while, the picketers seem to have become increasingly frustrated by their inability to engage in the behaviours they had been given free reign to do, early in the strike. In seeing security footage, they appear to have increasingly focused their anger and abuse at one of our members in particular; the person they believe owns this blog.
It seems that, no matter how many different people post, or how many disclaimers are made, they refuse to accept that this blog has no owner. This blog is not any one person.
But then, they still refuse to accept that Artspace and SAIL are two different entities.
There was one incident of note on October 16; the first day of AUPE's conference, a few blocks away. The member has submitted an incident report, and the video was sent to the police. The member describes coming home early in the morning to find access to her parking spot blocked by Deb Arcand, with a frequent picketer, Rachel Shepherd, standing nearby. Now we have a transcript as well.
It didn't end there, however, as there was another incident on the 22nd. The police were again contacted, and another incident report submitted.
Here are both videos, with transcripts.
DA = Deb Arcand
RS = Rachel Shepherd
DA: Yeah, you having a good morning? Are you having a good morning? Do you have your video camera on? I hope so.
Driver: Its 6:50 by my console
DA: [unintelligible] Remember me? I'm the one you called a bigot. Because I asked you what kind of a Christian you are that you think it’s nice that a hundred and fifty nine people got laid off of work.
I can't believe that somebody would say something like that.
Y’want to talk about Christians. Do you want me to cite some Matthews for you?
I can't believe that somebody who lives in a country like this gets joy out of other peoples hardship. That you think that these women aren't worth a decent wage. That you’re better than them.
And you make sure you put it on your blog.
Have your cameras ready because you know, yes, convention is on.
Be prepared. You don't know when, but be prepared. So don't go too far away from home today, Anna.
Its people like you that have made this strike go on and on and on.
Instead of looking at the facts and saying, yes these girls are worth some benefits. And that these girls are worth some sick time and these girls do deserve the contract. Because I bet you and your husband had good jobs. And I bet your husband is entitled to a pension. But you don't think these girls are entitled to anything.
[A picketer across the street whoops]
You think we live in a third world country? This is Canada.
And they deserve what everybody else gets.
Bye have a good day you make me ill. You know that, you make me ill. Disgusts me that there’s people like you that live in this province.
RS: Put it on your blog.
DA: Disgusts me
[Car noise]
RS: … park in your stall.
[engine shut off; key noises]
DA: You’re crooked.
[car noises]
RS: [unintelligible] …people that don't know the facts seem to have a voice on so much.
DA: You think you're better than these people, hey Anna. You think you're better than them.
[sounds of driver exiting vehicle and walking]
Driver: I have nothing to say to you
DA: [unintelligible] …you think you can intimidate people, yet you have nothing to say.
RS: No… this… hide behind the blog.
[picketers across the street begin to shout and call “shame” and “shame on you.”]
DA: Because you can’t speak to somebody to their face. Instead you go on a blog and you…
[shouted from across the street: “chicken”]
DA: …spiel out garbage.
[From across the street: “shame”]
DA: And you run down people. And you dissociate yourself from people who stand up for other people’s rights …
RS: It’s nice to be anonymous, isn’t it?
DA: …and you think you’re better than others? You're not. You're worse. You don't deserve what you have.
RS: Loser
[unintelligible]
DA: Ah… that’s not a confession.
In this next video, Deb Arcand is waiting alone for the Artscape member. In the incident report, the driver describes seeing 4 picketers, three on the sidewalk in front of the high rise parking driveways, and Judy, the current acting strike captain, standing in the street in front of them. Deb Arcand was blocked from view by parked vehicles until after the driver had passed the picketers. Details from the incident report are included in the transcript.
Driver, to recording: Oh, look at that. Deb Arcand is waiting for me again.DA: Good morning, Anna! How you doing?
Good?
[Driver begins backing up and re-positioning the vehicle.]
Don't want to talk to me today, Anna.
Huh?
Don't want to talk... Oh you figured it out, did you? [Deb moves out of the way, allowing the driver through.] Telling everybody I was blocking you. Shining a flashlight in your eyes. No, I’m videoing you, like you video us. Remember?
Huh?
Remember, Anna.
[driver parks and exits vehicle]
You having a good day, Anna?
I hope so. I’m having a really wonderful day.
[Deb Arcand moves behind the vehicle, on the sidewalk. Driver briefly holds phone up towards Deb while walking to her unit.]
That’s nice. Good for you, Anna. You should turn it on, though and take your GPS off. I at least am recording.
I have to record my good Christian lady who thinks that it’s good that a hundred and fifty nine [unintelligible] lose their jobs.
‘cause I certainly don’t think that’s a good [fades out].
Have a good day, Anna.
See you the next time I come out.
You’re the reason I get up at five o’clock in the morning.
So I can see you.
In talking to the police, the driver has learned that, when the police spoke to Arcand after the first incident, she claimed that she did not block the vehicle, and that she had video to prove it.
She claimed the driver came to her.
This has flabbergasted all who have heard it.
Just to make it clear.
Driver is on the street and needs to turn into their parking spot.
One the sidewalk, in front of the parking spot, is a person. The driver begins turning into their parking spot.
The person does not move out of the way, preventing the driver from entering the parking spot.
According to Arcand's logic, because the driver turned towards her own parking spot, then waited for Arcand to move, she was not blocking that person.
Of course, the video shows she is quite clearly blocking the way, and the police agree with that.
For some reason, that resulted in only a warning.
In the second incident, because Arcand moved after the driver re-positioned her vehicle, she was not considered to be blocking the way.
The harassment, of course, is obvious, as was the threat to continue to target this person.
There are also several other points that stand out.
This person used to have a parking spot next to the entry of the above ground high rise parking. This put the family's vehicle in the middle of a lot of picketer activity, and the driver was targeted for harassment early on, as can be seen by other dashboard videos the driver submitted for this blog.
It was because of this harassment that they were assigned a new parking spot on the townhouse side, where they live.
The townhouse parking is almost half way up the block from the high rise, and across the street from Inner City Housing townhouses.
AUPE has designated the address of the high rise (the main building, not the unit the place of employment is) as the picket site, however, they have also picketed around the back, and have camped out on the townhouse side, across from the high rise, or would camp out in the shade under a tree near the townhouse parking, something they haven't done since the weather cooled down.
In order to block this person's parking spot, they have to go out of their way, and away from the address AUPE has stated is the picket address.
Under normal circumstances, this would be criminal harassment.
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