Occupy Toronto faces eviction TONIGHT
Note: Please come down to our 6:00 p.m. General Assembly or to our 11:00 p.m. dance party. Legal support number: 416.833.6137 or TTY at 416.619.0422.
I’ll be in the streets covering the events for rabble.ca, follow me @krystalline_k
Tonight’s schedule at Occupy Toronto so far:
General Assembly at 6:00 pm
Legal workshop at 7:00 pm
Dance Party at 11:00 pm
One month and three days after Occupy Toronto began, activists on site were handed eviction letters from the city demanding they take down their tents and vacate the park by the deadline of between 12:01 am and 5:30 am on Wednesday, November 16, 2011, even though the official eviction notice warns activists to dismantle tents and related infrastructure (food tent, media tent, the three yurts) immediately.
The eviction cites charges under the City of Toronto Act and the Trespass to Property Act, with fines up to $2,000. Concerns from the city are around damage to the park grass and interference with the city’s winter maintenance to the park. The Trespass to Property Act lists the bylaws the city feels were violated by Occupy Toronto.
Ford had hinted last week that Occupy Toronto would be eviction, “soon.” “It’s been a peaceful protest. I’m sure they’ll leave peacefully,” he said.
Bylaw officers, escorted by police officers (the city stated the police were escorting the bylaw officers for their own protection), started distributing the official eviction letters just after 11:00 a.m. this morning. The mood at the park was tense as the large police presence triggered fears that the eviction was imminent.
Also, 30 demonstrators had just returned to the park from a protest inside Brookfield Place here in Toronto at 181 Bay Street in solidarity with last night’s Occupy Wall Street which was raided. Three people were reported arrested by the Movement Defense Committee during the early morning action.
Occupy Toronto joined the October 15, 2011, Occupy Canada call-out. After a 2,000-person march on that Saturday through the financial district, activists then settled at St. James Park at King Street and James Street and pitched their tents. The park stands in the shadow of St. James Cathedral which has given occupiers sanctuary on their portion of the park’s land.
St. James Park contains rough 250 tents, three yurts (one medical, one library and one meeting space), and related infrastructure such as a logistics tent and a media tent. Discussion and consultations with elders are underway regarding the protection of the Sacred Fire burning on site.
Toronto City Councillor Gord Perks commented, “If no one is in danger, I think we should let the protest continue.” Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL), Sid Ryan, has also pledged labour support to defend Occupy Toronto in case of eviction.
The irony is that today is also the start of the Toronto Police Service’s participation in anti-bullying week.
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You can’t evict an idea.
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Nick Seebruch, editor
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