"Occupy Toronto", Part I: Day 17
“Occupy Toronto” is growing by the day. I have been part of this movement before we even settled-down in St. James Park, near the financial district, here in Toronto. There were general assemblies and training for specific duties all through-out the week before we began our occupation. I do think our persistence and perseverance has a lot to do with the fact that despite the circumstances, we are highly organized.
Visitors coming to St. James Park would quickly learn that we have medics, lawyers and security on site all through-out the day and night. There is a food tent, which serves roughly a thousand meals a day to anyone who is hungry, free of any cost – we only ask that the dishes are washed after use. We are indeed lucky to have St. James Anglican Cathedral on the west side of our occupation zone. The Dean, Mr. Douglas A. Stoute has written a letter which states that we (the occupiers) can remain on the private property of the church. Thus, it will not be easy for the Police Department or the Major to try to remove our camp.
Most people, like the Dean understand the reason why hundreds and hundreds of cities are occupied all over the world. To put it in the Dean’s words: “Their movement is part of a worldwide response to increasing economic disparity. Protests are taking place all over the globe”. And if one was to ask me, I’d simply say that: “enough is enough”.
No more corporate greed, no more corruption, bail-outs, lobbyists and crooks running societies … The time of making profit at any and all costs is over. More and more people are less inclined to believe in manufactured wars (such as the Iraq war for example), which only help the Military Industrial Complex and the bankers who fund them. As one of our slogans goes, “The people united will never be defeated!” We have begun to unite.
We are just in our third week, here at “Occupy Toronto” but we are doing fairly well. This past week-end, we just received three “walk-in” Mongolian Yurts, all paid by Unions. It is getting a little on the freezing side here and these structures will help through-out the winter. We are certainly not going anywhere – we’re just beginning to get comfortable; I know I am. My tent will probably turn into an igloo, if we get enough snow. It should be interesting.
The entire “Occupy Everywhere” movement is an on-going story. Many people would like to see an end to it, I know. We are not going to satisfy those people though. That is a reason why we have not chosen leaders or made specific points – we need to remain flexible, creative and persistent. Otherwise, we can end-up as yet another fourth or fifth, useless political party.
Since, my first blog about “Occupy Toronto” was taken-down by Hub-pages because I posted the full copy of the letter from the Dean of Toronto and Rector of St. James Cathedral, this is now my Part I. I will post a few photos to go along from the park and some marches which took place in the last couple of weeks but I do not see this blog as being structured in any way. There are specific issues which I will want to talk about regarding the “Occupy Toronto” movement but I will try to address them perhaps one at a time throughout my up-coming blogs. I also need to develop more of my rolls of film/photographs. I only have a few with me for now.
As a general rule, I am happy to answer any concerns, comments and/or questions about what is going on, since I am one of the occupiers and I have been living in my tent, down-town for about two weeks now. I am not always able to reply as fast as I used to, since I have no lap-top but I will do my best to check my email, as often as possible.
Cheers and all the best!
