OCAP March Builds Solidarity Against Austerity: Report back from March 16th Demonstration

On March 16, OCAP and many allies took to the streets to challenge the
Provincial Government and the 2012 budget that we knew would intensify
the agenda of poverty (See OCAP's statement on the budget
here:http://www.ocap.ca/node/994). It was also our collective
grassroots contribution to the building of a common front against the
austerity that our communities are facing.

Five hundred people gathered outside the offices of the Ministry of
Housing at Bay and College to listen to a range of union and social
movement speakers and to enjoy a fine meal provided by the Ontario
Nurses Association. We began at a location operated by the Provincial
Government but we set our sights on the real architects of austerity
in the corporate towers on Bay Street. To drive this home, our March
set out in the direction of the TD Bank at Bay and King, the long time
home of economist Don Drummond whose regressive report shaped the
attacks that the Liberal Government followed through with in the 2012
Provincial budget.

Along the route of our March, a range of allies had set up displays
and actions to drive home some of the key targets of the austerity
agenda. These were focused on the themes of education, health care,
migrant and injured workers rights, and the municipal cuts of the Ford
Regime in Toronto. Popular theatre at College and University, Health
providers lined up with banners in front of hospital row, balloons
signifying the deaths of workers tied to the Ministry of Labour as we
heard powerful speeches, and a banner dropped by Stop the Cuts as we
passed Toronto City Hall. At King and Bay, members of Occupy Toronto
and OCAP occupied the lobby of the TD bank at the same time as the
crowd filled the intersection.

The March ended with a pledge to deepen and intensify the fight
against the social cutbacks and union busting that are at the heart of
the austerity measures every level of government is implementing.

OCAP thanks all of those who came out on March 16th, and especially to
all endorsing organizations and our allies that organized creative
actions along the route and helped to make the day happen! As we
prepare our movements against austerity from all three levels of
government, we can take strength in knowing that grassroots alliances
are being formed and a fightback has begun.

March 16th was endorsed by: Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, Aids
Action Now, Barrio Nuevo, BASICS Community News, Bread & Bricks
Davenport West Social Justice Group, Coalition Against Psychiatric
Assault, CUPE Ontario, CUPE Local 1281, CUPE 4308, CUPE 4600, CUPE
Toronto District Council, Disability Action Movement Now, Educators
for Peace and Justice, Greater Toronto Worker’s Assembly, Health
Providers Against Poverty, Health for All, Jane-Finch Action Against
Poverty, Kingston Coalition Against Poverty, K-WAAP
(Kitchener-Waterloo Alliance Against Poverty), Law Union of Ontario,
Medical Reform Group, No One Is Illegal Toronto, Ontario Association
of Interval and Transitional Houses, OCCUPY Toronto, Ontario Council
of Hospital Unions, Ontario Network of Injured Workers, Ontario Nurses
Association, Ontario University Workers Coordinating Committee (CUPE
Ontario), OPSEU Local 525, Poverty Makes Us Sick (KW), Rhythms of
Resistance, Sistering, Students for Medicare, Toronto Stop the Cuts,
Under Pressure Ottawa, Women United Against Imperialism, Workers
Action Centre

__________________________________________________________________________
Articles & Photos to follow:

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/johnbon/2012/03/drummond-report-recommen...