I first heard about Kevin Annett when he was coming to Occupy Vancouver. There was a debate going on already, about someone’s proposal to ‘occupy the churches’ in the name of justice for Canadian indigenous residential schools. The plan was to invade and occupy a Catholic and a United church in downtown Vancouver.
Tag: Toronto
Apr 10
Occupy Toronto Has A Black Bloc Problem…
When I arrived at Occupy Toronto I was told that “there are no Black Bloc at OT.” Being someone who gives the benefit of doubt, I accepted this- that said, it didn’t take long before I saw this was not true…
Apr 09
Has OPSEU’s Large Yurt (formerly of Occupy Toronto) Been Torched By an Arsonist?
I remember reading about Occupy Toronto’s yurts back when they were “donated” last year. One part of me was envious- where were Occupy Vancouver’s yurts! That said, it made sense to donate them to Occupy Toronto, as they definitely needed it for the city’s colder weather!
Apr 04
It’s Time to LeadNow(.ca) and MoveOn(.org) from the Robocall Rhetoric
There were a couple of things that truly shocked me at the initial Robocall Rally in Toronto. First, was the inclusion of Sherif Azir, a man who was supposedly an organizer of the “Arab Spring” in Egypt (but who doesn’t appear to be very Egyptian to me). The second shock was when Mathew Carroll of Leadnow.ca introduced …
Apr 02
Are The Robocall Rallies Calling To Destroy Canadian Democracy?
When I first heard about the Robocall Scandal I was immediately compelled to join the movement to call for an inquiry. If the allegations are true, we have a very serious problem in our country- and, justice must be served. However, as I’ve shared with you before, I was quickly disillusioned my the direction of the Robocall …
Apr 01
Occupy Toronto Occupies The 52 Division To Demonstrate Against Police Violence!
It all began on Friday afternoon when officers from the Toronto Police Department came to Occupy Toronto’s new occupation at Osgoode Hall. They told the occupiers that they must leave their space, despite the fact we had explicit permission from the property manager to stay there. In the aftermath, four occupiers were arrested- two of …
Apr 01
Officer Roadkill: “Do us all a favour and run them over!”
Today was a challenging day- both for Occupiers, and for the police. Fortunately, the majority of police acted in an entirely professional manner. And, yes, that was expected- after yesterday’s brutal violence, it was doubtful many cops would want to escalate further.
Mar 31
Toronto Police Lie About Altercation with Occupiers!
I am still deeply disturbed with what happened yesterday at Osgoode Hall. Yes. the Occupiers could have handled the situation better. However, the level of violence was uncalled for, and the police should have been better trained how to de-escalate the situation. Instead, they got violent and created a major incident.
Mar 30
Police Violence At Occupy Toronto’s New Occupation…
You know me, I’m the guy who stood-up at the planning meeting for Occupy Vancouver and stuck-out like a sore thumb after saying “Aren’t the police members of the 99%?” I meant that then, as I mean it now- that said, the police who came to our encampment at Occupy Toronto today have shown that …