Amina
banner
ayasinvan.bsky.social
Amina
@ayasinvan.bsky.social
Former WNBA player•anti-imperialist Pan-African•BAP•former Vancouver Planning Commissioner #newwest

🏗️cities are capitalisms playground for race-class struggle, and yet I love public housing, parks, trains, libraries, bike lanes & benches when we get them
Pinned
Life is 1/3 exciting, 1/3 boring, 1/3 a nightmare, do with that what you can.
“So many local rapid response groups that the number is uncertain but somewhere between 80 and the low hundreds-especially when one considers that several immigrant communities have their own non-English rapid response networks usually uncounted in the main English-language directories.“
message from MN
February 8, 2026 at 3:02 AM
Reposted by Amina
I’m finding it painful to watch CBC platform mostly conservatives to gush praise at former Prime Minister Stephen Harper (they’re releasing his archival collection) with almost zero commentary about the awful things he did while in power & around the world since. The selective amnesia is nauseating.
February 6, 2026 at 11:29 PM
Caught the #28 Remodelado tram in #Lisbon passing in-front of the Museum Aljube Resistência e Liberdade, focused on the Portuguese revolution of 1974-5, profoundly influenced by African liberation movements, which overthrew the Portuguese empire & right-wing regime.

One of the best Lisbon museums.
February 6, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Now why would a European org, in a European nation during the Winter Olympics be afraid of imagery, in 2026, depicting one of the worlds most successful revolutions - against Europeans - led by enslaved African peoples in Haiti? Could it be that they understand the issue is unresolved and on-going?
Why the IOC removed image of Toussaint Louverture from Haiti’s Olympic uniforms
Haiti has fielded two athletes for the Milan Cortina Winter Games and will proudly wear Haitian symbols — although one less than intended after intervention by the International Olympic Committee.…
www.chicagotribune.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Reposted by Amina
I think one thing people outside Minnesota don't understand is that after Good and Pretti were killed by feds while observing, the most normal people you could imagine have made peace with the fact that they could be next, and they are still out there because they say it's the right thing to do.
“If I am killed doing this, throw my body at the White House, martyr the shit out of me & raise hell. Do not be sad. Do not think I would do anything differently. I would do it over & over again — this is too important to sit down & shut up and not do anything.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Pursued by federal agents, suburban ICE observers remain resolved
After a frightening pursuit by federal agents, suburban ICE observers say fear hasn’t stopped them from protecting their communities.
www.mprnews.org
February 4, 2026 at 4:30 PM
“Surviving in hostile climates is a lesson that Minnesota’s Somali community knows well. Rather than retreat and wait for the admin to find a new scapegoat, the community’s response has been to create an ecosystem of care that does more than proclaim to “love your neighbor.”
Somali Communities Are Building Collective Power in the Face of Trump’s Attacks
Minnesota’s Somali community has organized mutual aid and neighborhood patrols amid Trump’s campaign to crush them.
truthout.org
February 5, 2026 at 4:20 AM
Reposted by Amina
Yes!!

Six Palestine Action activists, Charlotte Head, Samuel Corner, Leona Kamio, Fatema Rajwani, Zoe Rogers and Jordan Devlin, have been cleared of all charges over a break-in at Elbit.

Free the Filton 24! Shut down Elbit! Lift the ban on Pal Action!

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Palestine Action activists cleared of aggravated burglary at Israeli defence firm site
None of the six activists were convicted of any offence over break-in at Elbit Systems factory near Bristol in 2024
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:38 PM
Reposted by Amina
While Poilievre and his MPs talked up being the “party of Canadian workers,” the Conservative's new top council shows other priorities.

Our analysis shows half the council are recent or active lobbyists for oil & gas, Big Tech, telecoms and pharma giants.
breachmedia.ca/pierre-poili...
Pierre Poilievre’s new governing council stacked with corporate lobbyists ⋆ The Breach
Lobbyists and anti-abortion activists on influential body are a contrast to Conservative Party’s public messaging
breachmedia.ca
February 4, 2026 at 8:10 PM
Reposted by Amina
We cannot leave something as important as senior care in the hands of private corporations that know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

It’s time to bring long-term care into the public and non-profit system where it belongs.
February 4, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Manitoba uses expropriation powers for care home: “The precedent for this decision is clear: we will not leave seniors without a home, Manitoba health-care workers without jobs or allow publicly funded care home beds to disappear at a time when demand for long-term care is high across the province.”
NDP government uses health system expropriation powers for first time, seizes care home
The provincial government has taken control of a personal care home in south Winnipeg, marking the first time since taking power in 2023 that it has used expropriation within the health-care system to...
www.ctvnews.ca
February 5, 2026 at 4:09 AM
Reposted by Amina
Today, I am thinking of the countless victims of Epstein’s vile abuse.

The files are an appalling reminder of a rotten political system that shields the rich & powerful from accountability.

We need to build a new kind of politics — one that protects the safety & dignity of all.
February 2, 2026 at 6:27 PM
“Usher, chair of the union’s employee relations committee (CERC), pointed out that Sec 86 of Ontario’s Labour Relations Act says after a bargaining unit serves notice to an employer to bargain, the employer can’t make any unilateral changes to the conditions of employment.“ So this is a violation.
February 4, 2026 at 11:13 PM
Reposted by Amina
Listen to the voicemail that Doug Ford left for an Ontario public servant after they texted the premier with concerns about the return to office mandate.

Ford relays some advice from his mother: "you don't like it, go get another job."

My latest w @ericwickham.ca @pressprogress.ca
February 4, 2026 at 10:59 PM
Reposted by Amina
"There is no visible trace left of a plot just outside the main cemetery set aside for Canadian UN peacekeepers. Inside the main graveyard two whole sections of graves have been razed, of more than 100 allied soldiers killed in the second world war..."
The Israeli army bulldozed parts of a cemetery in Gaza which houses the graves of Allied solders, including dozens of British and Australian soldiers, from World War II.

The IDF has falsely claimed that the dismantling was done out of self defense due to it being an "active combat zone".
Revealed: Israel bulldozed part of Gaza war cemetery containing allied graves
Satellite images and witness testimony show destruction as IDF claims it was forced to take defensive measures
www.theguardian.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:33 PM
The federal government is eager to build pipelines under the guise of ‘nation building,’ while slashing $5B from transit. This is a major divestment from our national future. Carney’s defunding the very systems that connect communities, reduce emissions, and make life affordable. This is backwards!
Statement: $5 Billion in Transit Cuts a Huge Step Backwards - Environmental Defence
Statement from Sam Hersh, Clean Transportation Program Manager Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – Cutting $5
environmentaldefence.ca
February 4, 2026 at 9:07 AM
Reposted by Amina
we're entering late stage Elon Musk
This gets us one step closer toward the final form of Tesla, where the only thing it sells is pieces of paper that say “we swear this isn’t a Ponzi scheme.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on Wednesday that the automaker is ending production of its Model S and X vehicles, and will use the factory in Fremont, California, to build Optimus humanoid robots. cnb.cx/4rp70Xq
January 30, 2026 at 8:49 AM
Reposted by Amina
Council Workshops are important. That’s where public & stakeholder consultation is reviewed & discussed, where “hearing from” the public becomes “listening to” the public.

It’s also where Council can discuss policy & outcomes with subject matter experts. It’s where we can actively learn... 1/6 🧵
February 4, 2026 at 1:29 AM
Reposted by Amina
Care about parks planning and funding as population grows? Think there are too many dentist offices downtown? Worried about renters being displaced by redevelopment? Want to see a new elementary school built ASAP? WE HEAR YOU! These are important topics worthy of Council time to get right... 3/6
February 4, 2026 at 1:31 AM
Reposted by Amina
...which makes it amazing to me that NWP members of #NewWest Council sat silent for the entire 4 hours. No concerns raised, no ideas offered, no constructive feedback, nothing to say. They paradoxically refused to even take part, to do the jobs they were elected to, they get paid to do... 4/6
February 4, 2026 at 1:32 AM
Reposted by Amina
Instead of listening, instead of collaborating or contributing, they spend their time on-line and on regional media running #NewWest down. They shit on everything then complain about the smell. That’s not leadership, and that’s not the #NewWest spirit that makes this City a great community. 6/6
February 4, 2026 at 1:35 AM
“The motion comes after Italian news outlets revealed that an ICE unit will operate in Italy during the upcoming Winter Olympics. Outraged Italians flooded the streets of Milan after the news broke protesting the agency's presence at the games.“

I hope this motion succeeds.
February 4, 2026 at 4:27 AM
Reposted by Amina
A condo complex in Coquitlam is the site of a wild strata civil war

Super fascinating reporting by @portmoodypigeon.bsky.social, with more to come
'State of chaos': Coquitlam's Grand Central engulfed in a war between two opposing strata councils – Tri-Cities Dispatch
Inside the fight for control of one of Coquitlam's largest strata corporations Control of one of Coquitlam’s largest strata corporations is now the subject of an ongoing legal battle, with allegations...
tricitiesdispatch.com
January 29, 2026 at 7:03 PM
Reposted by Amina
Let's get Vancouver on the Vote Bus!

A new motion from Cllr @seanorr.bsky.social calls on Council to support:

- Adding a 'Vote Bus' polling station like Calgary has

- Looking at fare-free transit on E-Days

- Moving to a Ranked Ballot for Mayor

Sign up to support: vancouver.ca/your-governm...
February 3, 2026 at 6:57 PM
Reposted by Amina
This motion aims to help Vancouver reach it's target of at least 60% voter turnout and to make voting more accessible.

In the last general municipal election in 2022, only 36% of eligible voters cast a ballot.

Read the full motion here: council.vancouver.ca/20260204/doc...

#vanpoli #democracy
council.vancouver.ca
February 3, 2026 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Amina
"Canada cannot claim to defend human rights while exporting armoured vehicles that will be used to terrorize communities”: @greenpeaceca.bsky.social calls on MPs to halt export of armoured vehicles to U.S. immigration agency ICE
www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/pr...
Greenpeace calls on MPs to halt export of armoured vehicles to U.S. immigration agency ICE  - Greenpeace Canada
Toronto – Greenpeace activists unveiled a banner saying “No Canadian Arms for ICE” at the Brampton headquarters of the Canadian company that is building armoured vehicles for the U.S. Immigratio...
www.greenpeace.org
February 2, 2026 at 7:37 PM