Robyn, the entrance to the theatre at all points was blocked. I wouldn't
have been able to get past the usher/security if I'd tried. Even as I
approached them to ask permission, I could see them eyeing my cloth grocery
bag with suspicion. Then after I'd asked, they held me there while someone
else trotted off to find a supervisor.
When the supervisor arrived, who I'd been given to understand was the
Theatre Manager, she suggested I could hand out the flyers in the lobby
downstairs. So off I went to do that.

Five minutes later, a woman approached me in the lobby, grabbed me, told me
I had to stop, must put my flyers in my bag immediately, right that second,
and leave.

Finally identified herself as the Theatre Manager.

She assumed my guilt.

So I said I'd go outside. I was told No, and No, and No.

Was an extremely unpleasant, eye-opening experience.

Ocean


WISE Book - Policies of Exclusion, Poverty & Health: Stories from the front
Podcast Channel: http://bcseawalker.podbean.com/
Personal Blog: Challenging the Commonplace - and other irreverent activities
http://challengingthecommonplace.blogspot.com/

See also Fair Vote Canada's home for abandoned, neglected and abused voters
-
http://www.orphanvoters.ca/




On Fri, Oct 17, 2008 at 9:10 AM, Kalda, Robyn <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

>  > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Health Promotion on the Internet
> > [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chrystal Ocean
> > Sent: Saturday, October 11, 2008 7:24 PM
> >
> >
> > For example, at the All Candidates Meeting in my community, I
> > wanted to distribute Fair Vote Canada flyers on the seats in
> > the theatre. I'd printed off 250 flyers, plus sheets of the
> > FVC petition for candidates and audience members to sign (was
> > hoping to ask a question at the mic on ER/PR).
> >
> > When I arrived at the ACM venue, I asked permission of the
> > manager to distribute my flyers on the theatre seats.
> >
> > Denied.
> >
> > So I asked permission to distribute the flyers outside, at
> > the front of the building.
> >
> > Denied again.
> >
> > Even the purportedly public sidewalk fronting the building
> > was off-limits....
> >
>
> I'm purely curious, so don't take this as aggressive or accusatory at
> all: why did you ask?
>
> In a similar situation I honestly don't think it would've occurred to me
> to ask anyone before starting to put flyers on seats, and if someone
> decided to get their knickers in a twist about it I don't think I
> would've thought to ask about distributing them outside either.  The
> sidewalk is, as you say, public space.
>
> Anyway -- just curious about your thinking, because I'm involved with
> hosting ACMs in my riding and I would like to avoid discouraging
> people's participation in whatever form (flyers, questions, etc.),
> whether deliberately or accidentally.
>
> Robyn
>

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