A protest against ICE scheduled for Friday afternoon is just one of the Vancouver connections to the controversial immigration enforcement group that has been revealed this week.
At 3 p.m., a protest against Vancouver-based Hootsuite will take place at the headquarters of the tech firm at 111 East 5th Ave.
The protest was in response to a contract for services connected to ICE.
Irina Novoselsky issued a statement in response to some of the public concerns about the potential agreement between the two agencies.
“Our use-case with ICE does not include tracking or surveillance of individuals using our tools. Any claim otherwise is false and prohibited under our terms of service, which we actively enforce.”
“We work with a wide range of organizations because listening to real conversations leads to insights that drive better decisions and accountability, without endorsing specific actions or policies,” Novoselsky added.
The protest is in part a demand for accountability.
“We are taking direct, visible action during business hours to make a clear public statement and demand accountability. Acting during the workday signals urgency and ensures visibility to Hootsuite employees and clients,” the event description states.
Hootsuite is one of two Vancouver-based companies that were linked to ICE this week.
Jim Pattison Developments, based on Hastings Street, recently shared some information relating to a property it owned in Virginia.
In a statement earlier this week, Jim Pattison Developments shared that it had accepted an offer to sell the building to a U.S. government contractor. It was alleged that the building would be used by ICE.
In a follow-up statement released by the Vancouver-based development firm on Friday, Jim Pattison Developments revealed that the sale would not be proceeding.
“The transaction to sell our industrial building in Ashland, Virginia, will not be proceeding,” the statement said.
You can find more information about today’s protest on the Eventbrite page.