Response to 'Open Letter Regarding "Freedom Rally" This Weekend distributed by the Vancouver District Labour Council (VDLC), dated October 15, 2020

October 16, 2020 

My name is Tracey Young, MSW, RSW. I am the CEO of the Canadian Advocacy Centre for Health, Safety & Justice. I am a former delegate of the Vancouver District Labour Council (VDLC), and a former trade union activist. 

After more than 25 years as a civil and human rights activist in BC, I remain committed to Canadian values of civil and human rights, democracy, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This includes their right to exercise those rights and freedoms as a hallmark of living in a democratic nation, and in a civil society. 

With great alarm, and shock, I received a letter, signed by numerous misguided individuals, elected officials, "leaders" and organizations in BC that has been organized, circulated and distributed by the VDLC. This letter has deceived, misconstrued, and manipulated signatories, the public, and members of various organizations about the purpose of the "BC Freedom Mega Rally," scheduled to take place on October 17th and October 18th in Vancouver, B.C. 

This letter contains numerous false narratives, incorrect and deceptive information, and appears to be a malicious attempt to subvert and disseminate propaganda and disinformation about this event, those who plan to attend this event, or those who have attended these marches and rallies in the past. This response letter will provide factual information in an attempt to address the disinformation being propagated and disseminated by the VDLC, and President Stephen von Sychowski, who is the primary signatory of this letter. 

See the letter here on the VDLC website: http://www.vdlc.ca/open_letter_regarding_freedom_rally

Fact 1: Numerous marches and rallies have been held throughout 2020 in response to the draconian, disruptive, and unwarranted violation of the constitutional, civil and human rights of citizens in BC, pursuant to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

These marches have occurred under different names, themes, and reasons. Some of these include: Ending the "lockdowns," and forced closure of businesses by the BCNDP government, and the destruction of local economies. Themes have included the loss of jobs, and concerns about the future of the BC economy and BC communites. Larger concerns have also been noted about the "Great Reset" that is ongoing, and is transforming every aspect of society in Canada, and globally. 

Other themes include concerns about vaccinations, and plans that are unfolding with regard to the dangerous fast tracking of COVID-19 vaccines. Many of the ongoing vaccine trials have been stopped due to severe illnesses and reactions the human guinea pigs being used to test them have experienced. These are evidence-based facts.  

Concerns about the use of COVID-19 vaccines in Canada are warranted. This has been made a legitimate and real concern when elected and appointed public officials, including Justin Trudeau, Premier John Horgan, Adrian Dix, former Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC's Provincial Health Officer, have all repeatedly signaled, in the provincial and national media stories, that the citizens of BC will continue to have their lives, and participation in society, disrupted, interfered with,and restricted by governments until COVID-19 vaccines are available, and widely administered to Canadians. I do not accept, or agree with those positions, nor should any other Canadian. 

Canada has a disgraceful history of using non-consenting individuals, including First Nations people, and children, as human experiments by governments who wanted to conduct "scientific research" on topics of interest to them. It is no "conspiracy theory" or "anti-vaxxer" concern that corporations and other entities all over the world are fast-tracking vaccines to get them to market, including forgoing human testing. 

Additionally, many of the Big Pharma corporations involved in COVID-19 vaccine development have histories of causing harm to test subjects, and others, and have been successfully sued for the vaccine injuries and harms they have caused to recipients of their vaccines. These corporations have been ordered to pay billions in damages by courts all over the world. Other Big Pharma corporations have no previous history of developing vaccines. Yet, they are fast-tracking, and skipping evidence-based scientific research phases, and crucial steps in their zeal to capitalize on stakeholder, and corporate profits. 

Fact 2: These marches and rallies have included a wide range of participants and groups, with a diverse set of interests, beliefs, and causes they support. This is no different than the wide "tent" that the "progressive" movement in BC, and Canada, sees at its demonstration, marches, or rallies. 

In my years of attending various demos, or rallies that included individuals and members of various groups, and organizations I have not always been in agreement, or aligned with the perspectives that have been advanced, or promoted by others, including those in the trade union movement. Such is life -- and free speech in a democracy. I did not attempt to "cancel" these individuals. 

The newly formed and forming civil rights and liberties groups coming together across Canada to signal their commitment, advocacy, and support for the civil and democratic rights of all Canadians is actually much the same as the diverse, inclusive, and wide range of individuals and groups involved in the social justice and "progressive" movements that the trade union movement has also collaborated with. This overlap is even directly stated in the VDLC letter:  "... a handful could be spotted hanging around the edges of climate and social justice events" (page 2). 

Fact 3: The efforts to malign this civil rights and liberty movement as being "far right" is a deceitful, defamatory, manipulative and unconstitutional act that is aimed to "cancel," silence, and subvert the civil rights of Canadians to exercise their constitutional rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

The letter provides a mealy-mouthed nod to these rights, while also gaslighting them away. This is not dissimilar to abusers who use language to deceive, degrade, disarm, and manipulate their targets and victims.  

After being subjected to numerous experiences of violations of my free speech from government representatives, and on social media, (exercising my Charter right to Freedom of Expression), I wrote an article about these rights, and the increasing limitations and undermining of these rights in Canada. I suggest that the signatories and groups listed in the VDLC letter read this. The article can be found here: 

Freedom of Speech and Expression in Canada: Civil Rights under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Young, T. (2020). Advocacy BC. Retrieved from: https://advocacybc.blogspot.com/2020/06/freedom-of-speech-and-expression-in.html 

Fact 4: All of the Vancouver demos, marches, and rallies have been organized in coordination with the Vancouver Police Department by those who have been the organizers. There has been an excellent working relationship and collaboration between the individuals, and organizations involved. Efforts to defame and pathologize those involved in organizing these events as "dangerous" repudiate the collegial relationship between VPD and this "movement." 

For instance, at every single demo, or march, the organizers, and many of the speakers thank the VPD. They also encourage the crowd to give them a round of applause for the important work they're doing. This crowd is not the ones calling for "defunding the police." Individuals and groups who attend respect and honour the rule of law in Vancouver, and elsewhere. They also appreciate the VPD's work and efforts to keep these demos and marches safe for them, and others. Organizers and others also do not hesitate to reach out to, and engage with the VPD, if they have questions about matters related to community events. 

Fact 5: Members of the Vancouver Police Department, employees and representatives of the City of Vancouver, have been in attendance, and have provided escort for every demo, march, and rally that these individuals and groups have held in 2020.

Fact 6: Members of the VPD are well informed, and respectful of the constitutional rights of all individuals and groups in Canada to exercise their Charter rights, including Freedom of Association and Freedom of Assembly through peaceful assembly at demonstrations, marches, and rallies. 

The VPD officers who have been assigned to work at these demos deserve to be recognized for their respectful engagement, professional behaviour, and conduct. 

They have done an excellent job of balancing public safety, environmental threats that have sprung up (see below) and the needs and rights of citizens to give voice to their warranted concerns about events that have, and are unfolding in BC, and in Canada. 

Fact 7: The individuals who have incited hatred, and violence, and have engaged in criminal acts of violence toward others at any previous demos, and those who have been arrested, have primarily been individuals who have identified themselves as local members and participants of so-called, "progressive," "anti-racist," and/or "Antifa" groups. This is information I  received directly from the VPD. 

I have personally, and indirectly (via videos), witnessed acts of violence, and physical assaults, threats, and hate speech from individuals toward peaceful marchers and protesters, including children. I have witnessed people wearing clothing that indicates they are "Antifa" "activists." 

I have personally witnessed individuals throwing glass and and plastic bottles at, or into these peaceful crowds of marchers -- even from several stories up in buildings where the spineless cowards who did this hid so no-one could see them. Make no mistake about this -- children and youth have been participants in exercising their civil rights to be heard about the issues impacting them under COVID-19, as well as their rights to assemble and associate with others. These children and youth, including young people with special needs, were put at-risk from hateful, anti-social, bigoted, intolerant, and violent adults who have thrown objects and missiles into these crowds. 

There is not a shred of doubt in my mind, and my considerable experience over the past 25 years of attending Vancouver demos and rallies, that agent provocateurs, are attending these events. It has been quite easy to spot these anti-social, pathological and vile individuals who are behaving in bad faith. They engage in behaviour that is dangerous, reckless, callous, and with malicious intent. The unethical actions of these nefarious and malevolent bad actors, subversion operatives, and well-organized, trained and resourced "activists" is a well known phenomenon to all parties involved, and all over the world where they are crawling out of their parents' basements to play "activist" for the day. 

As a real activist, and an advocate committed to peaceful assembly, demonstration, protest, and non-violence, I find these individuals, and their "groups" to be loathsome, foolish, and gullible. While they are out in the streets causing chaos, and engaging in acts of violence, bigotry, and hate, destroying their own lives and futures, they are considered low-hanging fruit, and easy to exploit by the chain-of-command. They are too dim-witted, and/or brainwashed to even understand how they are being used as the foot soldiers in a losing "war" -- a war that threatens the lives and futures of these fools without them even knowing it. 

Fact 8: Freedom of Association is a Charter right. No-one has a right to threaten, impede, interfere with, or deprive Canadians of that right. 

The letter the VDLC is circulating threatens the constitutional rights of all Canadians, under sec. 2(d). This letter clearly and intentionally sets out to deceive, manipulate and to intimidate, silence, and invoke fear and worry for those who wish to associate, and meet with like-minded individuals at this demo, march, and rally, or future ones. It does so by painting individuals who do wish to, or do attend in a false, pejorative, and malicious manner, including such defamatory and inflammatory labels as the following: 

• "far-right threat;" "fringe groups;" "extremists;" "paranoia and misinformation;" 
• "dangerous movement;" "conspiracy believers;" "anti-vaxxers;" 
• "white supremacists;" "neo-Nazis;" "bigotry and hate;"
•  "COVID deniers"; 
• "violent neo-fascist movement to grow and threaten society"

This deceitful, manipulative, gaslighting, and defamatory letter, and this statement, in particular, attempts to position and frame peaceful demonstrators and civil liberties advocates as domestic terrorists is a disgraceful, egregious, and reprehensible sham (and it is guaranteed to backfire on all who participated in this letter and campaign): 

"We are particularly concerned about the immediate threat this full weekend convergence poses to workers in the service and transit sectors.We have already seen members of this extremist movement confront workers and passersby around the issue of wearing a protective mask. These may or may not have been isolated individual events. We are afraid that weekend will see groups of these extremists instigating violence. Such cowards are emboldened when they have large numbers." 

This is called, projection, a pathological behavioural and defense mechanism. This describes members of "anti-racism," "Antifa," or other low level "activists" perfectly. Brave in numbers while bullying, mobbing, harassing, threatening, yelling, and trying to cancel others. 

I guarantee you, and all of the individuals who demonstrated significant lapses in judgement who signed this letter, I am none of those things. I am a Registered Social Worker (RSW), forensic investigator, researcher and scientist. I am also writer, and as noted above, I have been a civil and human rights activist, and advocate for decades. All of these things have directly arisen out of my experiences as a front line social worker, therapist, and other professional roles I have played working with the most vulnerable and marginalized people in BC. 

I take the exercise of my constitutional/Charter rights seriously. I live by these values and rights, including, when and where able, the right to freedom of belief, association, assembly, and participate in political action. 

I will not tolerate any individual, group, organization, or elected official defaming me, or broadly defaming and making false claims about this broad-based movement of individuals and groups who share a common thread -- preserving, protecting, and repairing the fractured constitutional and civil rights of all Canadians in BC, and Canada. 

Fact 9: Canadians have a right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly, pursuant to sec. 2(c). As noted above, it has not been the participants in previous marches and rallies who have posed risks to individual, or public safety. It has been cowards, bigots, and anti-democratic bad actors who have  posed those risks. Beyond risks, these individuals have engaged in deliberate and volitional acts of violence, Criminal Code violations, inciting hatred, and committed cowardly acts of potential child abuse, assault and violence toward children, and youth, including kids with disabilities and special needs. I have directly witnessed these acts and actions that placed children and youth at-risk of harm.

Fact 10: Canada is facing numerous domestic and international threats to our national security.  This includes domestic, bio-security, international and trans-national security risk and threats to our country, and to Canadians. This is a well-evidenced fact that is known to many within Canada, and external to Canada. 

This includes our allies in the Five Eyes Intelligence, and the intelligence and security community in Canada. Many sources have been warning Canadians for years about threats to our country, and to democracy from various bad actors. Many wonder why these warnings have not been heeded, or acted upon. I am one of those individuals. This question deserves answers. 

What individuals, groups, and organizations that pose threats to democracy, civil society, and the constitutional rights of Canadians, and to Canadian values is an ongoing issue, and dialogue. 

In an effort to delve into this, to enhance knowledge and understanding of these matters, I have written the article below, which I would strongly suggest people review. 

Part 1: Terrorism in Canada: Terrorism Laws, Activities and Groups. Retrieved from: https://canadianadvocacycentre.blogspot.com/2020/10/part-1-terrorism-in-canada-terrorism.html 

Fact 11: Canada is facing an unprecedented constitutional crisis. This is being encouraged, tolerated, and ignored by many groups in society -- including the trade union movement. 

The threats to democracy, the rule of law, and civil society Canada is facing are by internal, and external entities. There is substantive material evidence available to suggest that the interference with, the deprivation of, and the subversion of the constitutional rights of Canadians has led, in part, to this constitutional crisis. 

The violations of the constitutional rights of the people of BC has been, not just noted by activists like myself, it has also been reviewed, researched, and reported on by a wide range of individuals and groups. More formally, the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), after a thorough analysis of the actions taken by the BC government in 2020, made the following findings:

- "There is little doubt that government restrictions on citizens’ freedom to move, travel, associate, assemble and worship are violations of the rights and freedoms protected by the Charter. 

- The B.C. Government’s lockdown measures of enforced social distancing and isolation violate our Charter freedoms of association, 2 peaceful assembly,3 mobility and travel,4 liberty, 5 security of the person, 6 and conscience and religion.7 

- Even in July of 2020, these measures continue to have a severe and negative impact on British Columbians’ access to healthcare, which violates the Charter section 7 rights to life and security of the person.8 

- Finally, these measures have had - and will continue to have - a severe impact on B.C.’s economy, with a predictable negative impact on the ability to pay for healthcare." 

Through my commitment and adherence to my professional Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice as a RSW, I have devoted a significant amount of my time and energy in 2020 to exposing, naming, and voicing the concerns, suffering, and civil and human rights violations, and the disproportionate impacts on different groups of individuals in BC. 

I have exercised my right to Freedom of Expression to "speak truth to power." I have used evidence-based science, data, and information from governments to inform the public, and people with societal power, about the realities of COVID-19  in BC. This is an example of one of the infographics I have used to show people who low the prevalence rates are in BC, while the BCNDP has kept the citizens of BC in a State of Emergency since March 18th, 2020, one they have no plan to ever let us get out of: 

I have created online social media campaigns, written letters and submissions (which have been ignored) confronting the BCNDP government, and the Canadian government over the mass violations of citizens' rights under the Charter that have never been supported by evidence-based science, best practices, or research. 

I have pleaded with governments to improve protections, and not ignore the plight of those who have been most impacted by the "measures" taken to "manage" COVID-19. All of which have been to the great detriment of the most marginalized, vulnerable, and at-risk people, and communities in BC. I have gone to all of these efforts because I am Canadian. With all of our faults, and our shameful history, Canada is worth fighting for. In my career as a social worker and therapist, many immigrant and refugee clients have told me that they worked hard to come to Canada because it is a better place than where they came from. I will continue to fight for my civil and human rights, and the rights of other Canadians. 

Conclusion

I see this VDLC letter as a form of intimidation intended to invoke fear in members of the public, and individuals and groups who are planning to attend. It has been written and disseminated to silence and attack Canadians who are freely exercising their Charter rights and freedoms. It is an anti-democratic letter that has no place in a civil society. 

I also see this letter as something much worse, and more dangerous -- this letter appears to be foreshadowing, and perhaps could/should be seen as a rally call, and an incitement to bad actors to threaten, instigate, provoke, and/or carry out acts of hate and violence at this rally.

Acts of violence committed by individuals who present themselves as members of the "left," "left-wing," or "progressives" have led to massive civil unrest, and civil war that is ongoing in the United States. This destructive, societal breakdown ideology and the kinds of actions taking place in the US cannot, must not, and will not be tolerated. This is the line in the sand. This will not take root in BC, or Canada. Those who are responsible for encouraging this kind of subversion in our province, or in Canada, will be held accountable and responsible by all of the rules and laws of Canada. 

I am calling for the immediate resignation of Mr. Stephen von Sychowski, President of the VDLC, due to the role he has played in organizing, deceiving, manipulating, and subverting the constitutional rights of the citizens of BC, and Canada through the drafting and distribution of this letter. 

If Mr. von Sychowski will not resign, I am calling on the executive board of the VDLC to call an emergency meeting and use all legal processes and mechanisms available to the VDLC to terminate Mr. von Sychowski for exposing this venerable organization, and its member-unions and delegates to an unacceptable level of risk.

I am calling on the VDLC Board to publicly denounce this anti-democratic, unconscionable, and unconstitutional behaviour and conduct in the name of the VDLC. I am calling on member-unions and delegates for those unions to publicly denounce this letter, the VDLC, and resign from this organization if they will not make this situation right, or whole.

These actions have brought the VDLC, and by extension, its delegates, into disrepute, and, perhaps much worse. The actions, and potential foreshadowing of the "violence," and "danger," and "threats" mentioned in this letter, which bears Mr. von Sychowski's name as VDLC President, may have made the VDLC, and its Board, into accessories in the commission of criminal code offences in Canada.

I am calling for the misguided individuals, groups, elected officials, and organizations that have signed this letter to immediately and publicly renounce their support of this letter because their actions constitute an act of interference and subversion of the constitutional rights of the citizens of BC and Canada. This is abusive, and undemocratic behaviour and conduct.

I believe some of the individuals who signed this letter, or allowed their organization to be named, should resign from their positions of leadership for their participation, and the exposure of their memberships, groups, or organizations to become involved in what should be considered acts of subversion in a democratic nation.  Their involvement also signals their disrespect and repudiation of the laws of Canada, and the rights of Canadians to advance and exercise their constitutional rights under those laws. This could make these individuals, groups and organizations accessories to potential Criminal Code violations, or other legal consequences, should anything occur.

It is also important to note that this letter also exposes individual VDLC Board members (and signatories to the letter) to being identified by domestic and international intelligence and security organizations as potentially being considered security threats, being added to "watch lists," and/or other intelligence and security lists. All of these occurrences could have far-reaching impacts for these individuals within Canada, and outside of our nation.

It is anathema to civil society, or in a democracy, that any individual, groups, elected officials, or organizations would participate in the subversion, risk, or threat to other citizens' exercise of their guaranteed and inalienable civil rights to democratically protected rights and fundamental freedoms under the Canadian Charter. The rule of law must be respected and adhered to in Canada, by all Canadians, and other residents of Canada. 

Individuals, groups, elected officials, or organizations that feel entitled to engage in threatening actions, or the use of words to intimidate, silence, or threaten the civil and democratic rights of others in Canada should be seen to pose a risk of subverting and threatening democracy and civil society in BC, and in our country.

To that end, I am making the VDLC letter, including the signatories, and my response to this letter public. 

I have alerted the appropriate authorities as to the public safety risks and threats that may be posed as a result of this letter, and what it is signalling about potential actions that may impact the individual and public safety, health and well-being of Canadians, and other residents of Canada, who choose to attend the BC Freedom Rally on October 17th and 18th, 2020, or any other future events that are protected to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. 

Sincerely, 

Tracey Young, MSW, RSW

Additional References

Constitutional Rights Centre Inc. Retrieved from: https://www.constitutionalrightscentre.ca/.

Government of Canada. Charterpedia. Retrieved from: https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/csj-sjc/rfc-dlc/ccrf-ccdl/check/index.html

Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms. Benefits assumed, harms ignored: A Charter Analysis of British Columbia's Response to COVID-19. Retrieved from: https://www.jccf.ca/published_reports/benefits-assumed-harms-ignored-a-charter-analysis-of-british-columbias-response-to-covid-19/.

Statement of Claim from Vaccine Choice Canada et al. v. Canada, Ontario, Toronto, the CBC and others. Retrieved from: https://vaccinechoicecanada.com/media/press-release-legal-challenge-to-covid-19-measures-filed-in-ontario-superior-court/.