Occupy Toronto Archives - Page 10 of 12

TRNN Commentary: “No Accountability Yet for Toronto G20 Police Crimes”

Occupy Toronto 05 July 2012 by Michael Holloway In this The Real News Network (TRNN) Commentary, Paul Jay, Executive Producer of TRNN lays out the case for a full public inquiry on policing at the G-20 Summit (2010); and warns that if Ontarian’s do not demand accountability on this, we will – in fact – lose our Constitutional Rights to Peaceful Assembly. “No Accountability Yet for Toronto G20 Police Crimes” Canadian Civil Liberties Association: “Demand a public inquiry now!” (February 28th, 2011) – http://ccla.org/2011/02/28/take-action-g-20/ The Real News Network (TRNN) – “No Accountability Yet for Toronto G20 Police Crimes” – http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=8565 ...

TRNN Commentary: “No Accountability Yet for Toronto G20 Police Crimes”

Chris Hedges with Kevin Zeese: mass movement key to disobedience tactic’s success

Occupy Toronto 05 July 2012 by Michael Holloway Truthdig: ”Occupy Will Be Back” 18 June 2012 by Chris Hedges Chris Hedges interviews Kevin Zeese, “..one of the original organizers of the Occupy encampment in Freedom Plaza in Washington, D.C. …”. Zeese says, “..breaking the enforcement structure, which almost always comes through nonviolent civil disobedience, increases your chances of success by 60 percent. …” These last three paragraphs of the article caught my eye especially, “Our job is to build pockets of resistance so that when the flash point arrives, people will have a place to go,” Zeese said. “Our job is to stand for transformation, shifting power from concentrated wealth to the people. As long as we keep annunciating and fighting for this, whether we are talking about health care, finance, empire, housing, we will succeed. “We will only accomplish this by becoming a mass movement,” he said. “It will not work if we become a fringe movement. Mass movements have to be diverse. If you build a movement around one ethnic group, or one class group, it is easier for the power structure and the police to figure out what we will do next. With diversity you get creativity of tactics. And creativity of tactics is critical to our success. With diversity you bring to the movement different histories, different ideas, different identities, different experiences and different forms of nonviolent tactics. “The object is to shift people from the power structure to our side, whether it is media, business, youth, labor or police,” he went on. “We must break the enforcement structure. In the book ‘Why Civil Resistance Works,’ a review of resistance efforts over the last 100 years, breaking the enforcement structure, which almost always comes through nonviolent civil disobedience, increases your chances of success by 60 percent. We need to divide the police. This is critical. And only a mass movement that is nonviolent and diverse, that draws on all segments of society, has any hope of achieving this. If we can build that, we can win.” Read the whole article, “Occupy Will Be Back” at Truthdig – http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/occupy_will_be_back_20120618// By Kevin Zeese, at Global Research.ca – http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=listByAuthor&authorFirst=Kevin&authorName=Zeese mh...

Shelf Life Superhero Action Figures face coup d’état and Occupy problems in Season 3

Occupy Toronto 04 July 2012 by Michael Holloway The Shelf Life writers and cast tackle the end of the Republic on the Shelf, and later – an old charge from the right, that most activists are just out to get laid is examined as Hero Man joins Occupy in ”Occupy This Space”. Very interesting subject line at any rate. The writing in Year 1 was was the best so far, I think. As an activist in Occupy, what do you think? Embedded below are the 2 episodes in the Occupy story arch so far: Season 3, Episode 1 – “Sic Semper Tyrannosaur” Season 3, Episode 3 – “Occupy This Space” The group is up to episode 4 – in their third season. In year 1 and 2 they released 10 episodes. Looking forward to see if this story arch continues. Season 3 Titles SHELF LIFE – Season 3, Episode 1 – “Sic Semper Tyrannosaur” (2:44) SHELF LIFE – Season 3, Episode 2 – “Magic: The Blathering” (2:43) SHELF LIFE – Season 3, Episode 3 – “Occupy This Space” (2:12) SHELF LIFE – Season 3, Episode 4 – “Tiny Dancer” (3:40) *** SHELF LIFE the Series on Youtube – Season 3 playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0F09D016C83BB197&feature=plcp SHELF LIFE the Series Web: http://www.shelflifeseries.com/ ...

Shelf Life Superhero Action Figures face coup d’état and Occupy problems in Season 3

Round Table was live

Thu, 28 June, 7:40 – 10:00pm Where379 Victoria St Kerr Hall Gymnasium, Ryerson University, Toronto Description Speakers include Trey Winney from Occupy Toronto and Ryan Dyment from the Zeitgeist Movement! Roundtable Live is a discussion platform for a wide spectrum of socially conscious people: activists, academics, artists, educators, public officials and everyday citizens. It’s where we all sit around the table as equals and look for how to build a more just, healthy and sustainable society. The first part of the event features a media panel with 6-7 guest speakers. Every speaker presents his or her point of view and relates it to the other opinions around the table. The audience actively participates by contributing questions and comments to the discussion. In the second part, the audience continues the forum in guided discussion groups of 8-10 participants. All Roundtable Live events are broadcast live on the Internet. We wish for speakers and participants to speak from their hearts. Everyone has an opinion and is encouraged to share it, while the others listen, reflect, and respond; the result is a new, family atmosphere of public discourse. The groups were to reflect on 2 values and making commitments towards some action!...

Occupy Homes Minneapolis’ on-going neighbourhood non-compliance civil disobedience

Occupy Toronto 24 June 2012 by Michael Holloway UptakeVideo covers Minneapolis Occupy Homes on-going action at the Cruz family home in South Minneapolis. Occupy Homes occupied the house to prevent the families eviction after they fell into foreclosure due to a bank error. Minneapolis Police are now occupying the house – so Occupy members in carefully planned actions, are volunteering to cross the police lines and be arrested for tresspass. This in an on-going protest. Good tactic in my opinion – one that focuses global economic issues through a local lens – illustrating the effect that the hair-brained, G20 Austerity Policy is having on neighbourhoods. UptakeVideo‘s post under the video : (video embed below) 125 community members gathered at the home of the Cruz family in South Minneapolis and 13, including hip-hop artist Brother Ali, were arrested when they crossed the police line to protest PNC Bank?s reversal of their commitment to work with the family after the family fell into foreclosure due to a bank error. Brother Ali, who grew up in north Minneapolis, has been an outspoken supporter of Occupy Homes anti-foreclosures protests for about a year. In front of the crowd of supporters, each of the 13 spoke as to why they were willing to cross the police line before asking the officers to allow them to step onto the property and be arrested, bringing the total arrest count at the home to 39 within the past month. Despite Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak?s statement that the city was not in the foreclosure business, nearly two dozen Minneapolis police officers stood guard on the Cruz home to protect it for mortgage holder Freddie Mac. The arrests they made were for trespass. Cruz family tries again in Pittsburgh The Cruz family was not at their former home for Thursday?s arrests. Instead they had traveled to Pittsburgh, PNC Bank?s national headquarters. They came because the bank promised it would try to work something out, but had refused to discuss the loan with Occupy Pittsburgh activists who were demonstrating outside the bank on the family?s behalf. The family tried to meet with PNC Bank CEO Jim Rohr on Thursday and Friday to demand a good faith negotiation. But both times the bank refused to allow them to talk to Rohr. ?PNC did not give us the meeting we requested. Instead of sitting down for a good faith negotiation with someone who had the power to fix the bank?s error, they sat us down with low-level PR executives who had no intention or authority to negotiate with us,? said Alejandra Cruz. ?We came here to resolve this issue, and we?re not leaving without some answers.? The Cruz family drove 800 miles to hand deliver their loan modification documents in person, along with more than 40,000 petition signatures.The bank turnaround incited outrage and disgust among the family?s supporters. The rally at the Cruz family home concluded a nationwide day of action in which 18 cities rallied to demand PNC negotiate with the family. “Hip-Hop Artist Brother Ali Arrested At Evicted Minneapolis Family’s Home” UpTakeVideo on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/UpTakeVideo Occupy Our Homes: http://occupyourhomes.org/...

Anti-austerity Casseroles spreading to Toronto neighbourhoods

Occupy Toronto 15 June 2012 by Michael Holloway Leslieville is an East end Toronto neighbourhood that was formerly a small village on the outskirts of Old Toronto. It is centred by Leslie Grove Park at Jones Avenue and Queen Street East – two blocks West of Leslie Street. Leslie Grove Park is the site of the former tree nurseries of Scottish horticulturalist entrepreneur, and village founder, George Leslie. ”Leslieville Pots and Pans: Solidarity With Quebec“ casseroles, started small on May 30th (30 people) and it has held it own over the weeks. Each week about 30 people participate (a core of about 20 plus about 10 ‘random’ (as the kids say) casserolers present each time). On week II (Wednesday, June 6th) the group ventured away from the Park and onto the neighbourhood streets. Week III (J13) this increasingly united and organized group handed out postcard-sized info fliers and about 100 Red Patches with safety pins to neighbours sitting on their front porches, or to people out for evening strolls. The casseroles walks have received a very warm response from almost everyone in the neighbourhood – (two people who live adjacent to the park complained about noise this week – and in a meeting afterwards we decided to spend much less time casseroling right on that corner – more walking casseroles – less rallying). Leslieville Pots and Pans – J13 (via classrageca) As posted earlier here in OccupyToronto (http://occupyto.org/2012/06/casseroles-night-in-toronto/), Casseroles evening walks are taking on the same neighbourhood quality that emerged spontaniously in Montreal’s neighbourhoods after the National Assembly of Quebec passed Bill 78 – the anti-civil-liberties law – on May 18th, 2012. Other neighbourhoods have started organizing on a hyper-local level. The Parkdale Feeder march to Dufferin Grove Casseroles – aka: “manif casserole toronto” – was amoungst the innovator events that is helping to spread this anti-repression, anti-austerity, progressive-economic-policy-movement into Toronto’s neighbourhoods — mirroring the Spanish Indignados tactics from spring 2011. The “manif casserole toronto” itself was an outcome of an OccupyToronto casseroles rally at Dundas Square on Friday May 25th 2012 [edit- 06/15/12] (OccupyToronto Market Exchange – posted May 25,2012 – http://www.facebook.com/OccupyToronto/posts/363075573755575?comment_id=3485563&offset=0&total_comments=6) .. after which participants decided to take the protest out of the core, and into the neighbourhoods. Toronto ‘casseroles’ in solidarity with Quebec – Pots & Pans protest (RAW) – May 30, 2012 (via Sophie Tread – who cycles while recording this – sweet.) Also one of the first neighbourhoods to organize was the “Harbord and Huron Poets“, which the next week became perhaps the best Event title yet, “Annex Casseroles II: Percussion With Repercussions” – which like Parkdale Feeder was a local neighbourhood gathering that fed into the ”manif casserole toronto“, the Dufferin Grove neighbourhood Casseroles gathering. Since the first week more neighbourhoods have joined the movement – here’s a list I put together as part of my Map Admin duties at Casseroles Night’s in Canada (#CNIC): Manif Casseroles Toronto – Dufferin Grove Parkhttps://www.facebook.com/events/391104920936260/ Annex Casseroles II: Percussion With Repercussions http://www.facebook.com/events/246342602138531/ Casserole Night in Christie Pits – for Kids & Adults http://www.facebook.com/events/361611753892660/ Leslieville Pots and Pans http://www.facebook.com/events/222955611155104/ Toronto East Downtown http://www.facebook.com/events/260307904077087/ Seaton Village http://www.facebook.com/events/425457310820641/ Casseroles Night at Withrow Park https://www.facebook.com/events/473497809334193/ Toronto Labor Lyceum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbYvJ92f0fE Check out the Casseroles Night’s in Canada Global Casseroles Map – (Toronto, Ontario, Canada – ALL open) – http://goo.gl/maps/ChU1 Next Friday, June 22, 2012 Quebec is organizing a Grand Manifestation – beginning at 2pm in front of the National Assembly of Quebec, Quebec City – https://www.facebook.com/events/228211827281364/. For those who cannot get to Quebec City, a Montreal event is also planned – http://www.facebook.com/events/100800863395179/ Canada-wide support rallies are being organized, there is something happening here in Toronto but as I publish this, I can’t find a link. Found it! Or one anyway – Courtesy of Peaceworks Canada who is postering around the casseroles movement on Facebook – ”Masquerade Solidarité: Ontario Students United Against Tuition Fees!” – via Ontario Students’ Mobilization Coalition (OSMC) Poster from left to right: Masquerade Solidarité (Toronto), Manifestation nationale le 22 juin à Québec(Quebec City), Global Resistance 06.24(Global). After a handfull of cities joined June 6th, today I note that the Casseroles Movement is continuing to expand in Europe and now South America is networking too. The call is out for next weekend: “June 24 : worldwide resistance day in solidarity with the Quebeckers” (poster on the right) – http://www.facebook.com/events/394006377312364/. This Casseroles tactic marks the first time that a global anti-austerity movement tactic has traveled back across the Atlantic to Europe since the “Indignados” movement migrated West to North America – a movement that became known as #OccupyWallStreet. 🙂 mh...

The Class Question

was raised 8 months ago when citizens marched on to the Financial District and assembled in St. James Park to Occupy Toronto. Discuss…...

Book review: Occupy This

Review of Judy Rebick, Occupy This! (Penguin, 2012). By Donya Ziaee Reading long-time activist Judy Rebick’s new e-book Occupy This! re-awakened memories of my experience at the Occupy Toronto encampment in its very early days. The optimism, excitement and hope with which Rebick pens her latest book is quite reminiscent of the sentiments that drew me, and perhaps many others, to the camp in the initial period. Yet, while Rebick’s contribution captures quite well the initial sense of optimism and reinvigoration that the Occupy movement had seemed to unleash, it says much less about the complex practical, organizational and strategic questions that grew in significance as the occupation wore on. Occupy This! traces the origins and characteristics of the Occupy movement to earlier social justice movements based around the principles of non-hierarchy and participatory democracy, and celebrates the strengths and successes of this new politics in providing an alternative to the current neoliberal order. Rebick argues that, within the US, this politics originally emerged with the anti-globalization movement of the 1990s and the heralding of a bottom-up, collective, and compassionate approach to social change. Comparisons are subsequently drawn between the democratic forms emerging from the Occupy movement and earlier experiments with participatory democracy, such as the participatory budget in Porto Alegre, the horizontalidad movement of worker takeovers of closed-down factories in Argentina and the Movement for Socialism led by Evo Morales in Bolivia. full article: http://newsocialist.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=631...

#mai22 Solidarity with Quebec Students

All Canadian eyes should be on Quebec now, as the Quebec student movement marks its 100th day of contiuous striking. Initially the movement was prepared to oppose incremental university tuition rates, but as the four months progressed, it took hold as a civil liberties and human rights movement; and through their endurance, and popular support, the world now recognizes Quebec as a leading example of what civil resistance and direct democracy is capable of, as did the Occupy Wall Street and Tahrir Square movements, only a few months prior. Media statement by Occupy Toronto As hundreds of thousands gathered in the streets of Montreal for a general strike in support of Montreal’s student movement, Occupy Toronto led a march of hundreds to show their support for the students and against the repressive Charest government’s moves to criminalize protest. Occupy Toronto is answering the call from Quebec to bring the spirit of the student strike to the rest of Canada, and stands with the rallying cry for free education. “Education, the youth: these are investments, not expenses. And if we aren’t investing in our children, then what is the point of money?” said Roxy Cohen, an organizer with the Occupy Toronto Free Skule. The Toronto march, which started at the University of Toronto’s Hart House today at 2pm, held a general assembly to discuss the march’s route, deciding on a route that ended at Ryerson University. Montreal student activist Laura Dolan addressed the assembly. This isn’t just a solidarity action, Dolan explained. Tuition is already too high across Canada considering places like Mexico can afford free education at the university level without sentencing students into a lifetime of debt. full article: http://wearechangetoronto.org/2012/05/23/4660...

History of May Day, and “The Corporate Tax Dodgers” #OWS musical protest theatre

Occupy Toronto 27 April 2012 by Michael Holloway “The Tax Dodgers” are a musical and political street theatre group made up of Occupy Wall Street members – the non-violent, civil disobedience protest movement. They produced and preform this unique version of “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” – titled “Take Me Out to the Tax Game”. Lyrics Take me out to the tax game. Bail me out with the banks. Buy me a bonus and tax rebates. Never pay nuthin’ not fed’ral or state. So it’s shoot, shoot, shoot for the loopholes. It’s law, so you can’t complain. For its one, two, three-trillion you’re out, Since we rigged the game! Take me out to the tax game. Flip the bird to the crowd. Losers pay taxes, we take rebates. ‘cuz we make the rules for the corporate state. And it’s wham, bam, slam through the loopholes. We always win, what a game! We’re the one, yes, the one percent, And we have no shame! The video above was edited from a report posted at The Real News Network, April 19 2012, “Spring Revival: Occupy Wall Street Seeks to Rejuvenate Movement“. The edit is the last minute and a half of the original news item –http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3… The Real News Network’s “Occupy” label –http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=846 “Spring Awakening at Central Park” – an ‘Activist Training Weekend’ held on April 14th 2012 in Central Park in Manhattan. The New York, NY area General Assemblies came together for an extrodinary General Assembly to plan towards a day of political theatre, civil disobedience and protest against an economic system rigged in favour of International Business Elites, and for a fair economic deal for the 99%. May Day 2012, or “#M1″ is a call for everyone to take the day off work, all work, even unpaid work (like house work) and come out with your family and make your voice heard – now at any one of over 150 cities across the Canada, Mexico and the United States that are planning #M1 events. The Rallying call is: #OWS – May 1, 2012 – A Global General Strike – No Work — No School — No Housework — No Shopping – #M1 OccupyToronto (#may1to) – http://occupyto.org/2012/04/may-1st-day-of-action-join-us/ Occupy Wall Street (#M1) A City-by-City Link List –http://occupywallst.org/article/may-day/ AdBusters Occupy Blog – http://www.adbusters.org/blogs/adbusters-blog/may-2012-insurrection.html The History of “May Day” – the original Labour Day May 1, “May Day” is the original ‘Labour Day’. Back in the 1880′s the movement for the 8 hour work day and other worker’s rights, was high lighted by a strike in Chicago during 1886/87 – a long strike of the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. The strike was broken when the State used Agent Provocateures to set off a bomb in amongst a crowd of demonstators and police during an out door meeting of strikers – a day after company poice – or “Pinkerton’s” – opened fire on the workers picket line at the plant with live rounds. The events at the out door meeting became known as “The Haymarket Massacre” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_affair). The device killed seven police officers and at least four demonstrators. Four union organizers, that some believe were just ‘patsies’, were hung by the neck until dead for the crime, on November 11, 1887. The events set back the movement for workers rights for about 10 years, but eventually the ‘Haymarket Affair’ became the catalist that united a nation wide general strike that ensconced bargaining rights through federal legislation that guaranteed the right to collective bargaining for all who chose to join a union – and by osmosis changed working conditions for the better for all people, as working conditions began to parallel those bargained for in the unionized sector. This workers rights movement was one of the key the foundation stones of the economic agreement between labour and owners that later (after the Second World War) lead to what became known as The Affluent Society – also known as the Middle Class – or in our times, the Consumer Driven Economy [more accurately, the Savings driven economy] (see: “The Affluent Society” 1958 – by J.K. Galbraith –http://books.google.ca/books/about/The_affluent_society.html?id=iLtdAAAAIAAJ) Related Video: “OWS Spring Awakening with the Tax Dodgers!” –http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPslGojm7Q4 mh...

Banner Drop. #May1TO

Breaking News. Banner Drop. #May1TO: A good day to call-in sick Toronto — As the Austerity budget in Ontario goes to vote, activists from No One Is Illegal – Toronto and Occupy Toronto issued a call for a mass protest and day of action on May Day (May 1), 2012. A 30 feet x 7 feet banner was dropped off a highway crossing early Tuesday morning, cheekily telling early morning motorists to call-in sick on May Day, when immigrant and worker rights groups and Occupy movements across North America will be marching together against the attacks of the 1%. More photos coming. Though capitalism and corporate greed have infected much of Toronto since the late 19th century, its most virulent form, “Austerity” has only recently turned in to a a pan-damn-emic. “Most Torontonians are sick and could use a day off” explained Lana Goldberg of Occupy Toronto. “People are suffering with Harperitis and have serious headaches from Fordotrophy, which makes it really hard to work and make a living. They should call in sick on May 1st and come to the rally and march. A nice day in the sun will help.” full article: http://toronto.mediacoop.ca/newsrelease/10624...

Our call for a Toronto wide “sick day” picked up by the press!

Call in sick this May Day (May 1st) and join Occupy Toronto’s May 1st Day of Action! * http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/04/24/may-day-countrywide-sick-day-urged.html http://www.globaltoronto.com/occupy+toronto+calls+for+protests+on+may+1st/6442627629/story.html...

Schedules for May Day – Day of Action!

This year On May 1st, Occupy Toronto is partnering with our allies No One is Illegal Toronto and the May First Movement to organize a massive Day of Action for May Day. Inspired by 126 years of workers’ struggles, the Arab Spring, the Indignados of Spain, the global fights against austerity, and the international Occupy movement, we take to the streets again! On International Workers Day, join us and our allies for a day of action to respect Indigenous sovereignty, insist that no one is illegal, for international workers solidarity, to defend and expand public services, to stop prison expansion and corporate handouts, to end imperialist wars and aggression, to build peoples’ power, and to move beyond capitalism. We are the 99% and we are under attack! They are few, we are many. Join us and fight back! This May Day, we are asking all workers to call in sick as an act of solidarity. The media has picked up our call: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2012/04/24/may-day-countrywide-sick-day-urged.html Then, we are planning a series of actions throughout the day. including a large rally and march starting at Nathan Phillips Square at 4:00pm and finally a 24 hour reoccupation starting at 9:00pm at Alexandra Park, and moving to the secret reoccupation site. We ask that you join us for as many of these actions as you can participate in! Schedule for the Day: All Morning: Sick Day, Autonomous, non violent, Direct Actions across the city (or just go to the park and enjoy the day.) 2:00pm – Occupy Gardens Guerrilla Gardening and Potluck, Queen’s Park (south side.) 4:00pm – Rally at Nathan Phillips Square, then March to Alexandra Park. 6:00pm – Cultural Festival at Alexandra Park. Music, Food, etc… 9:00pm – Gather at Alexandra Park and march to secret reoccupation site! Rally and March: Occupy Toronto, the May 1st Movement and No One is Illegal Toronto, as well as dozens of community organizations are combining for a single large Toronto-wide May Day March. We ask all allied groups and organizations to mobilize your membership and to attend this march! We gather at Nathan Phillips Square for 4:00pm for a rally and then march to Alexandra Park for a Cultural Festival at the park. Festival includes musical performances by various groups, and is primarily organized by OPIRG. Reoccupation: The Occupy Toronto Cloud Gardens General Assembly has organized a 24 hour reoccupation following the cultural festival at Alexandra park. Our goal is to keep the occupation short, strategic, and highly political rather then just camping through the season. This is only the first of a series of occupations planned to take place this spring and summer. Please gather at Alexandra Park at 9:00pm and be ready to march to the secret occupation site. Once again, we ask all allied groups and organizations to support this action. Encourage your membership to come occupy with us, donate food, blankets, tents, and other supplies to our logistics team (e-mail [email protected]) and please be ready to mobilize everyone you know to come to the site and support us if you hear that we are being attacked. We cannot do this without your support. We are all the 99%. Reoccupation Schedule: MAY 1st: 11pm – Sunrise: Film Screenings (with separate area for sleeping) MAY 2nd: 6:30am – 7:00pm Meditation 7:00am – 7:00pm Yoga 8:00am – 10:00am: Breakfast, Art build, Free School Workshops 10:00am – 1:00pm: Protest the Barrick Gold Annual General Meeting @ Metro Toronto Convention Centre (255 Front street) 1:00pm – 5:00pm: Free School Workshops 5:00pm – 7:00pm: General Assembly 7:00pm – 9:00pm: Clean up...

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