Evictions Only Make Occupy Movement Grow Stronger

  By Mark Taliano and Tori Crispo

 This past weekend’s  2,000 strong  ‘Evict Rob Ford March’ – a response to Mayor Ford’s efforts to evict the occupiers from St. James Park in Toronto, Ontario – emphasized the  strength of the Occupy movement. It also emphasized the weakness of current government policies as they relate to the 99 %. 

Photo courtest of Mark Taliano

 The corporate friendly City of Toronto is about to reduce subsidized housing for the poor, close youth hostels,  close libraries, and weaken social services at a time of need, when they should be doing the exact opposite.  If the “tent city” at St. James Park is forced to de-occupy, many ofToronto’s most fragile citizens will lose yet another support system, and they will be forced to rely on the cold political austerity of a city that is treating them as less than worthy people.

 The homeless aren’t the only ones facing political callousness; so too are the seniors who are facing inadequate health care and the prospects of out-sourced, poorly paid staff who will be charged with caring for them in Long  Term Care homes.

 Corporations, who now have more rights than regular citizens, are indifferent to the welfare of the 99, as they move manufacturing operations abroad and as far away as Communist China, to secure a feudal class workforce that demands little of them.  These government-enabled corporate behaviors are impacting not only people worldwide, but also the environment. And the impacts aren’t good.

 Former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, having recently visited Occupy Montreal, noted that the Occupy Movement has “sparked a debate that may help save the free-market system.”  Further, he supports “re-distribution programs” and the need to “invest in education, and better health care, and a better environment.”

 Voices such as Paul Martin’s are falling on deaf ears though, and this makes the Occupy Movement even more crucial to the health and welfare of our society and of our environment. 

 Early this Monday morning, Judge Brown will make a decision about the legality of the Occupiers’ continued stay at St. James Park.  From a logistical and political perspective, it would be better if they could stay and leave of their own accord, but either way, the movement is not likely to fade away.

 Canadaneeds to work with this movement towards a better world where the needs of all the people trump the insular greed of unbridled corporatism.  Jack Layton said it best in his last letter to Canadians: “My friends, love is better than anger.  Hope is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful, and optimistic.  And we’ll change the world.”

 Mark Taliano and Tori Crispo are Niagara residents and regular contributors to Niagara At Large.

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