Just got back from the Oshawa rally. I counted 5 people including myself who I know to be registered babblers. There were somewhere between 150 - 200 people there, and the participation was enthusiastic. I understand a lot of Oshawa-ites opted to attend next door at the Whitby rally, 'cause that's Flaherty's riding, and he's more evil.
(ETA: I also got a big and pleasant surprise there, but I'll be enigmatic about that for the nonce. 
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Iggy and Layton both gave good speeches, I think Iggy was just a tad better than Layton. Where is DuCeppe?
All the speeches were good. Imagine. They were, though. After the organizers spoke, they just invited people to take to the soapbox, and it really was wonderful to hear people young and old, retired industrial workers, one very impressive student of nuclear engineering, wee kids who are learning respect for Parliament ... the whole crowd stayed, and we all paid attention, most cheerful demo I can remember in decades.
Plus we had Sid Ryan. We win. 
(There: I just outed m'self, oldgoat. Great to see y'all. My toes are still frozen, but I really enjoyed that. We're small, but we're cute.)
I'm not sure if these protests will have much impact on what the average Canadian thinks.
The main priority for Canadians right now is the economy.
ocsi, I may or may not have seen you at the Waterloo rally (I say that because I don't know if we know each other in real life).
I agree with what Ken said about the NDP e-mail. There is nothing offensive about asking supporters to join the party (which is where the "join our movement" link leads) or to asking them to join you at one of a series of rallies. There is no attempt to take credit for anyone else's work.
For the first week of January, some people were criticizing the NDP for not being out front in the anti-prorogue movement. Now, some people (some of them the same people) are accusing them of trying to steal the spotlight. It seems they can't win no matter what they do.
What the NDP does deserve credit for is
a) Making a serious proposal to Harper that would have brought Parliament back on January 25 as originally scheduled and reversed the procedural impact of prorogation.
b) Making a serious proposal for legislative change that would ensure that a Prime Minister could never again prorogue against the wishes of the majority of MPs.
What the NDP does deserve credit for is
a) Making a serious proposal to Harper that would have brought Parliament back on January 25 as originally scheduled and reversed the procedural impact of prorogation.
b) Making a serious proposal for legislative change that would ensure that a Prime Minister could never again prorogue against the wishes of the majority of MPs.
Totally agree, Scott - those are both excellent proposals.
I agree with what Ken said about the NDP e-mail. There is nothing offensive about asking supporters to join the party (which is where the "join our movement" link leads) or to asking them to join you at one of a series of rallies. There is no attempt to take credit for anyone else's work.
Well, obviously some people took it that way. It was a hatchet job, whether deliberate or not. Contrast it with Jack's excellent speech of Jan. 20, which was obviously the original source ("new politics", etc.). Anyone with a few minutes to spare could have condensed that into an inspiring and appropriately modest email which would not have lent itself to charges of narrow partisanship. I think that working with this newly burgeoning movement, rather than trying to muscle one's way to the podium, is what will earn people's appreciation and political rewards.
ETA: The Montréal event wasn't hugely attended - maybe 6 or 700 - but I was pleasantly surprised, because federal politics doesn't assume the same importance here as elsewhere. Duceppe and Mulcair spoke, also that space cadet guy, and I saw Justin Trudeau. Participation was enthusiastic though:
"Harper, c'a suffit, on veut notre démocratie!" and "Harper, tu mens, on veux notre Parlement!"
Some of the folks interviewed on CBC said they will try to continue the momentum of the protests past today.
