[HPN] OCAP All Saints' Protest Action for Housing - Pre-Budget Meal & Rally FWD Rally FWD

[Tom Boland]

FWD - TORONTO - Sat, 26 Feb 2000 14:31:57 -0600
From: Gary Morton <command@interlog.com>
Reply-To: command@interlog.com
Organization: http://CitizensontheWeb.com

ALL SAINTS' PROTEST ACTION FOR HOUSING
(report on the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty's
Pre-Budget Meal & Rally)
Sat.Feb.26.00

Part 1
   The All Saints' Church Open Door Drop-In at Dundas & Sherbourne is a
place where you see some of Toronto's poorer people. A burned out
rooming house across the road exists as an omen of the fate you may meet
when you are in that condition - but that's only if you're lucky enough
to get off street.

   This Saturday homeless people and OCAP members had a pre-budget meal
inside the church. Later buses took the people to a rally. The message
being  "We will not let our brothers and sisters die while the rich live
high on the hog."

   The Federal Budget is coming out loaded with tax cuts for the well
off while a number of homeless people have already died on the street in
the new millennium. Real relief is needed to fight the rising tide of
homelessness and misery. But that won't happen when two thirds of a 46
billion dollar tax-cut will only benefit families making more than
$65,000 a year.

Part 2
   Yorkville is a place where you see some of Toronto's richer people.
Opulent boutiques exist as an omen of the lifestyle you will live when
you are in that condition.

   OCAP members and homeless folks arrived there after the buses took a
circuitous route from All Saints' Church. Out on the sunny street the
OCAP banner was raised and marchers beat drums and chanted as they began
a walk through the wealthy neighbourhood.

   At the Four Seasons Hotel the crowd suddenly entered and went up the
escalators to an expensive restaurant. The chanting and pounding drums
continued as marchers filled up the place. At that time plates of
shellfish and oysters were being served to the wealthy for breakfast and
staff made an effort to protect these valuables while many of the
customers walked out. Security scuffled with a few people, but gave up
as protesters delivered a vocal message against tax cuts.

   People started a new beat with silverware on the tables and Pops, a
homeless man leading the march, shouted through a megaphone, "I'm dying
of cancer and have one year to live, yet this F---ing government is
forcing me to live on the streets!"

   Later we marched out and continued through Yorkville back to the
buses. I handed out some polished shells I collected in the restaurant.
One I gave to John Clarke, thinking that it was the best symbol of what
the tax cuts are doing - giving the rich billions more to spend on minor
luxury items.

   The feds have cast our money upon the waters of the wealthy, where it
will sink to the bottom. While the homeless and the poor continue to
suffer on the streets.

   Ontario Coalition Against Poverty is at Dundas & Sherbourne, office:
416 925-6939, Parkdale Office: 416 530-1550, Email <ocap@tao.ca>
---------
This report on the web at
http://www.interlog.com/~command/action6.htm#2

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