By: S.W.I.F.A. Mutual Aid Collective
Support mutual aid efforts led by Sex Workers Interrupting FIFA Atrocities (SWIFA)
The FIFA 2026 World Cup is coming to Vancouver this summer. Along with this mega-event will come a heightened police presence, particularly within the 2km “bubble zone” of BC Place, which includes the Downtown Eastside (DTES).
Vancouver has passed a collection of “FIFA bylaws” that will increase the criminalization of activities ranging from street performance to displaying merchandise within the bubble zone. Community has documented the ways this intensified policing can already be felt.
These events are taking place alongside a rapid defunding and shuttering of gender-specific and sex worker-led organizations in the city. With few spaces to rely on, we anticipate that street-based sex workers working in the DTES will be disproportionately impacted by law enforcement crackdowns during the FIFA “event period.” Notably, the City of Vancouver eliminated one of their two sex worker safety planner positions just months before the event period starts.
In response, a group of local sex workers and community workers are organizing direct mutual aid for sex workers working in the DTES. This response will include:
- Hosting a “pop-up” drop-in space in the DTES on FIFA game days to offer sex workers reprieve from police surveillance and harassment
- Supply distribution and outreach on game days to ensure access to essential items and other supports
- Monitoring and documentation of police harassment and displacement of sex workers, in collaboration with P.O.W.E.R.
- Distributing micro-grants to workers negatively affected by FIFA-related displacement.
SWIFA aims to offer a short-term response during a period of heightened instability to offset predicted increase in violence against sex workers. As seen with the 2010 Winter Olympics, heightened police presence escalates violence toward sex workers, especially impacting those who rely on outdoor public space. With an influx of police in Vancouver – including the deployment of additional RCMP – we anticipate more intensive police crackdowns during FIFA that will impede sex workers’ access to care, disrupt social networks, push workers further underground, and lead to greater incidences of gendered and sexual violence.
SWIFA aims to bring together sex workers and harm reduction organizers, to ensure that our communities are cared for and have access to the things they need to stay alive.
With support, SWIFA hopes to create a small ‘decriminalized’ zone where sex workers can access the resources they need to safely do their work!
Ways to support now:
- Contribute $$ to SWIFA, which will be directly used to secure survival gear and be distributed as micro-grants
Follow SWIFA’s social media for ongoing calls, particularly as law enforcement crackdowns ramp up as FIFA 2026 draws nearer!