Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran told a sexual assault survivor and advocate of the city害羞草研究所檚 rape survivors to 害羞草研究所渂e quiet害羞草研究所� as she demonstrated in council chambers today.
Demonstration occuring in council chambers. donning signs and a shirt that reads 'rape culture lives here'
害羞草研究所� Michael Rodriguez (@MichaelRdrguez)
Donning a shirt that read 害羞草研究所榬ape culture lives here害羞草研究所� and a sign that read 害羞草研究所榶our silence speaks volumes害羞草研究所�, Heather Friesen began to speak to her issues during a regularly scheduled council meeting but was stopped by the mayor.
害羞草研究所淢a害羞草研究所檃m if you could please be quiet, that would be appreciated,害羞草研究所� Mayor Basran said to her.
害羞草研究所淛ust like you?害羞草研究所� quipped Friesen.
In a Tweet following her exit of council chambers, Friesen said the mayor should know by now that she won害羞草研究所檛 be quiet.
Mayor Basran,
害羞草研究所� The Other Heather (@pinklady_ktown)
If there's one thing you should have learned by now.
I'm not ever going to be quiet about rape and rape culture in Kelowna.
That's apparently your job.
The city and Kelowna RCMP detachment came under fire in October 2019 after 害羞草研究所 revealed 40 per cent of sexual assaults reported to police in 2019 were deemed 害羞草研究所渦nfounded.害羞草研究所�
Since then Friesen has been on the warpath, calling the city 害羞草研究所渟teeped in rape culture害羞草研究所� and organizing both a protest in front of the RCMP detachment and a petition to implement a sex crime unit for Kelowna. She has also become one of the most outspoken advocates of sexual assault victims in the city.
Friesen said she害羞草研究所檚 met with several councillors and other local politicians, who have expressed their support behind closed doors but have yet to make a public statement. She did not give the names of those she害羞草研究所檚 met with but said Basran refused a meeting.
Following the meeting, Basran denied that Heather made a formal request to speak to him.
This is the second time Friesen has attended a council meeting to call out the mayor and councillors directly.
The Kelowna RCMP has completed an internal review of the extremely high number of unfounded sexual assaults, however, the results have not yet been made public.
害羞草研究所淲hy aren害羞草研究所檛 (councillors) asking the Kelowna RCMP to give them that review?害羞草研究所� Friesen said.
The council meeting continued as scheduled but after it was adjourned, the mayor said he will request the RCMP害羞草研究所檚 report on the unfounded sexual assaults come to light.
READ MORE: Kelowna RCMP completes internal review of sexual assault cases deemed 害羞草研究所榰nfounded害羞草研究所�
READ MORE: Sexual assault survivor confronts Kelowna mayor at council meeting
michael.rodriguez@kelownacapnews.com
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