FINAL UPDATE: We are continuing the photo campaign and encouraging people to register to speak at the final Ottawa Police Services Board budgetary meeting on November 23rd. This is the last chance of this year to tell the OPSB that we are in a crisis and we need to say NO! to Police Exapansion, and YES! to Social Supports!
So far, Dozens of people have came out and gave speeches to show their disdain for the Ottawa Police. Soon we will have a world free from cuffs and cages! Thank you everyone! And a huge THANK YOU to everyone who submitted a photo calling for the defunding and abolition of the Ottawa Police Service. It means so much to us that you want an end to policing and an invest in social supports! Check out some of the submissions that people have made to our Defund The Police Photo Campaign below and on our Instagram @CPEPgroup and Facebook CPEPGroup.
Click Here to request to speak at the November 23th OPS Board Meeting (don’t forget to add your name and signature to the email – Deadline to register is November 16th)
Here’s how to participate in the photo campaign:
Take a photo with your #defundthepolice message. This can be a selfie or photo of you holding your message, a photo of your message chalked on a sidewalk, or another creative idea to get your message across in a picture (more details below).
Send your photo to cpep.defundthepolice@gmail.com
Here’s what we’ll do:
We will be posting photos until November 9th, 2020, the day of the finance and audit committee meeting where CPEP and members of the community will be speaking.
We’ll be continuing to post the photos we’ve received on CPEP’s social media accounts.
If you’re comfortable doing so, post your photo on your social media accounts from now until November 9th, 2020. Tag CPEP and don’t forget to use the hashtags #defundthepolice, #WeKeepEachOtherSafe, and #defundops.
Disclaimer: Recently, Ottawa folks who have shared #defundpolice messaging have been subject to unwanted attention from the police. We recognize that BIPOC are at higher risk of being targets of police violence. If you don’t want your face to appear in your photo, consider wearing a mask, Halloween costume, or send your photo message without being in the photo at all. If there is anything we can do to support your participation, feel free to get in touch!
We can’t wait to see your photos! For further information please contact or check out CPEP on social media:
Twitter: @CPEPgroup
IG: @CPEPgroup
Facebook: CPEPGroup
Twitter: @CPEPGroup
Facebook Event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/343546830047828/
Download a Press Release Here: Defund OPS Press Release
Update Here is the link to part 1 of the November 9th Ottawa Police Services Board meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztBL_dfzdGc, or listen to the whole thing here: https://opsb-meeting-nov-9-2020.s3.amazonaws.com/most-of-the-meeting.m4a
