“As long as sex work is criminalized then authorities have a mandate to treat sex workers as criminals. They’re oversurveilled and they’re underprotected.”
Each trial is its own contained drama, but it is also a link in the chain of our laws.
As International Women’s Day approaches, it’s been nearly a year since Jenny Wright stepped down as Executive Director of the St. John’s Status of Women Council. In October, the Independent revealed RNC and provincial government involvement in the sequence of events leading to her departure. Since that time, there have been a range of responses from community organizations, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, and state officials. Five months after the story emerged, and nearly a year after Wright stepped down, the Independent takes a look at what’s transpired in the wake of the revelations. The provincial government has maintained clear support for key figures involved in the overreach, including Royal Newfoundland Constabulary Chief Joe Boland and now-Deputy Minister for Status of Women Linda Ross. But many important relationships across the community remain strained. The St. John’s Status of Women Council, as well as the Provincial Action Network for the Status of Women…
The circumstances surrounding Jenny Wright’s departure from her post as Executive Director of the St. John’s Status of Women Council (SJSWC) were mysterious from the outset. After five years at the helm of the feminist advocacy group, she abruptly announced her resignation on March 21, 2019. A month later on April 17, CBC published a story reporting on a leaked letter, signed by eight individuals, that was sent to Wright’s employer (the SJSWC Board of Directors) on November 9, 2018. It complained about “damaged relationships” and accused Wright of “creat[ing] a divide within the community sector.” The letter was signed by representatives of five local community groups, one private individual, Linda Ross on behalf of the Provincial Advisory Council on the Status of Women (PACSW), and Chief Joe Boland on behalf of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC). The signatories demanded an in-camera meeting with Wright’s employer to discuss their concerns,…
One of the most fascinating things about the Village Mall affair is its longevity. Nearly a quarter century after the investigation into cruising at the shopping mall, people are still gossiping about what happened. Some people will recall the story of the Habs jersey. The rumour at the time was that men who were looking for sex at the Village would wear Montréal Canadiens jerseys in order to identify one another. This only makes sense if one forgets that the Habs won the NHL playoffs in 1993 the last time a Canadian team got the Stanley Cup. It is safe to assume that many men were wearing those hockey jerseys in the winter and spring of that year, not just ones cruising for sex. Recent discussions over Pride, police, and public apologies have raised concerns over the way LGBTQ histories come to be celebrated and the challenges that arise when…
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and local forces are putting workers at risk.
A police services board could help address challenges facing the RNC and should be given serious consideration.
The controversy over police presence at the St. John’s Pride parade has revealed more about the politics of solidarity than some of us wanted to know.
Rationally approaching delicate matters in the public interest, especially those as sensitive as the Don Dunphy shooting, is the most effective way to gain the answers and the information we seek.
The contents of a leaked letter allegedly written by the RNC officer who shot and killed Mitchell’s Brook resident Don Dunphy earlier this month reveals a disturbing and troubled attitude about the role of police in our communities, and policing culture more broadly
The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary’s new recruitment ad backfires in all the worst ways, and undermines a lot of really good work they’ve done recently
Who are the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary trying to recruit with their new video? How well do they understand the community?
“Austerity doesn’t work”: Reaction to Budget 2014 — The ‘Really Important News’ with Hans Rollmann — ‘Rogue Meteorology Weather Report’ with Matt Grant — Tribute to Emile Benoit and Frank Maher — Prof. launches petition to keep guns out of Memorial University classrooms — Special 3-part Indy exclusive explores social, political, economic circumstances surrounding sealing disasters of 1914
Frank Ledrew says that he say a disturbing scene unfold with the RNC on Saturday night. He says that he saw a woman, 45, who is from Ontario and who had just received a phone call informing her that her son had been murdered there, break down and lay on the ground, kicking her legs in the air and screaming, and was hysterical as two RNC officers arrived on the scene. “They moved in on her quickly,” Ledrew told CBC News. “I saw a woman in distress [and a] hysterical nervous breakdown,” he said in an interview. “I saw a police officer kick her, call her a slut and throw her into the back of a cruiser.” The RNC has not commented on Ledrew’s allegations. Source: CBC
An intoxicated 43-year-old man died in police custody in St. John’s Thursday, according to the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, after police officers and paramedics were called to a fast-food restaurant in the Torbay area. The RNC took the man into custody where he was brought to the St. John’s City lockup. A police news release said officials were unable to revive the man when he arrived at the lockup. The province’s chief medical examiner is investigating the cause of death. Source: CBC