Black Lives Matter TO's Tent City: “Those in power that don’t serve the people - you are on notice!”

S.L.

The colonialist-imperialist Canadian state has murdered, impoverished, and sentenced to abject misery countless people worldwide in the name of corporate greed, most often targeting non-white nations, namely in Africa. The Canadian government also offers support to the racist apartheid state of Israel and plays a role in the colonial occupation of Palestine, and has been involved in illegal coups worldwide, such as in Honduras and Haiti. This oppression is not solely exported - the same brutal occupation tactics that Canada supports and uses around the world are exercised over the racialized population within Canadian borders.

Black Lives Matter TO’s Tent City: a look back at the first week

Special to Rebel Youth

As Black Lives Matter–Toronto’s Tent City outside Police Headquarters in downtown Toronto enters its 2nd week, participation and solidarity have continued to grow.

Here Rebel Youth is republishing statements, videos and media releases from the past week, which talk about why this action is taking place, the demands of Toronto’s Black communities, and provide an overview of the brief but important history of this ongoing struggle.

Saturday, March 19th

(The day before the “BlackOUT for Justice” rally and the beginning of BLM TO’s Tent City)

BLM TO statement on Facebook:
"This week, Toronto’s Black community was inundated with anti-Black violence from the state at every turn. From the erasure of another Black community festival in Toronto, to the slaying of two Black community members to the SIU decision not to charge the police officers responsible for murdering Andrew Loku. The Black communities of Toronto have waited over six months for a decision that confirms what we have always known: the system is set up to protect an anti-Black police system that continues to target, brutalize and destroy Black communities, Black dignity and Black life.

UofT’s strike in retrospective: How students and labor pushed for unity

Zach Morgenstern

From February 27 to March 26 of 2015 UofT’s CUPE 3902 Unit 1, a union which represents UofT student-course-instructors (most prominently teaching assistants (TAs)) went on strike. The Union, which bargained with a strike-vote mandate it had held since November, ultimately settled for arbitration. Arbitrator William Kaplan has since ruled in UofT’s favor, allowing for a deal the union had previously voted down, which does not guarantee funding increases for individual graduate students, to be implemented.  Despite this being a far from perfect result for the month long campaign, it has to be said that CUPE 3902’s approach to the strike was commendable, at least when it came to student-TA relations.

The Union-Pearson Express: Public Transit For The Rich?

David G.

Metrolinx, the Ontario provincial transit agency, has recently unveiled the new Union-Pearson Express (UPE) train which will run from Pearson International Airport to Union Station in Toronto starting in May. This will start a month before the Toronto 2015 Pan-Am Games open which have already caused some controversy for its outlandish overspending problems, fast-tracked development projects leading to gentrification, and the lack of proper infrastructure. The Pan-Am games will cause traffic jams across Toronto which will affect the city's ageing infrastructure. Recently, the capitalist CEOs in charge of the Toronto 2015 Pan-Am games have been caught overspending their budgets, which consists of public money from taxpayers. Money went to paying for expensive limousine rides and purchasing luxuries such as designer shirts. This is one of many controversies that the TO2015 committee has got itself into in recent months.

Ontario’s Austerity Hurts Students With Disabilities

By Sarah Jama

We all know what it feels like to sit in class with an uncontrollable urge to pee. Most of us would raise a hand, get granted a hall pass, and go relieve ourselves in the nearest bathroom or tree. For others, the process is more complicated. Picture wearing a catheter, or needing help to transfer from a wheelchair to a toilet. Not so simple in a school setting.

Educational assistants (EAs) are individuals who help students with disabilities gain access to the accommodations required in order for them to benefit from receiving an education. Simply put, EAs are meant to assist students with disabilities in closing the gap between able-bodied individuals and themselves, or to ‘even the playing field’. They scribe notes for students who can’t move their fingers, or assist in monitoring students with severe anxiety in testing situations. Yes, they even help students in the bathroom.

Communists call for mobilizations to stop Ford AND his corporate agenda

The following statement was distributed by the Young Communist League Toronto at the "Save Toronto" rally on November 13th, 2013.

It's More Than Just the Crack…

We should not forget that in addition to the scandals of alcohol, drugs, lies, and embarrassment Rob Ford actively pursued a political agenda. This agenda, which Rob Ford and his lackeys masked as an attack on “the gravy train”, turned out to be nothing more than a total assault on working class Torontonians.

With this in mind let’s take a quick glance at the record of a Mayor that promised “No cuts to social services” has over these three years pushed through:

• Cuts to Social Housing
• Cuts to Childcare Subsidies
• Cuts to Libraries
• Cuts to Fire Services

Along with other anti-working class measures such as:

• An Increase on User Fees for Community Centre Programs
• The Privatization of Garbage Services
• Anti-Strike Legislation for TTC Workers

Ford’s former allies and other big business lackeys want us to focus on the crack and ignore the deeper issues, and they are planning continue his policies of austerity under a “cleaner” image. We must reject these representatives of Bay Street whether they come dressed like Rob Ford, Karen Stintz, John Tory or anyone else.

Protests grow against imperialist intervention in Syria

Drew Garvie,
Rebel Youth Magazine

Despite pro-war propaganda from the Harper government and a subservient corporate media, protests took place across Canada for the second weekend in a row with more than 10 cities participating on Sept 7th.

These photos are from Toronto where hundreds gathered despite bad weather.  The crowd met outside the US Consulate under the banner "Don't Attack Syria".

YCL Toronto against the US intervention

Although the Obama administration's propaganda seems to be running into credibility issues, continued actions are necessary to beat back the drums of war.  Now is the time to pick up some bristol board, call some friends, make a facebook event and hit the local MPs office or just a high traffic corner!

Also keep your eyes peeled for actions already organized in your area.  For example, if the bombing starts, Toronto plans on having a protest at 5pm outside the US Consulate, no matter which day.

We at Rebel Youth are always happy to post actions you are organizing!

The solution is less force and community control of police

Premier Wynne Must Rescind the Taser Roll-Out, Implement Coroners’ Inquest Recommendations and Save Lives, CPC says. Put Police Under Public, Civilian Control!

The Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) is calling on the provincial government to rescind its decision to permit all Ontario police officers to carry and use lethal Tasers. Instead, police should be trained to de-escalate crises situations, and save lives. The CPC (O) also demands that police should be put under strict public, civilian control, and that the province should give these civilian boards the powers they need to make police accountable.

The government’s decision was clearly made in response to the mass public outcry to the police killing of Sammy Yatim, who died after police fired 9 bullets and then tasered the dying teen.

Premier Wynne and Community Safety Minister Meilleur hope their decision will absolve the government of any responsibility for the increasing number of police shootings in Ontario, as well as the government’s inaction implementing the recommendations of a dozen Coroners Inquests on police shootings of people in mental and emotional crisis.

But Tasers are also lethal weapons, and by arming police officers across the province with these lethal weapons, the provincial government has just escalated the danger of even more police killings in Ontario – exactly what the public is angry about.

Now we know that a day after the Minister’s announcement, Peel Police tasered an 80 year woman in Mississauga, breaking her hip and hospitalizing her with other injuries. She is lucky to be alive following the police attack.

The solution is not more force, but less force by police, and more education and training to effectively de-escalate crises situations. These are the recommendations of dozens of Coroner’s Inquests into police killings of individuals in crisis situations – recommendations that have been consistently ignored by Liberal and Tory governments.

Further, Police Services and Senior Staff must be held accountable to ensure that de-escalating crises situations is the first response and that police guns are holstered. This accountability can only be ensured with public civilian control of police. The provincial government must give civilian boards the powers they need to make police accountable to the communities they police.

At a cost of $1,500 each, the Taser purchase will be a big bite in city budgets which the province will not pay for. What exactly will be cut to offset the Taser purchases? Will it be cuts to municipal services? Children’s services? Public health? This is a cost that the province is downloading onto municipalities which are already over-burdened.

The escalation of police shootings of individuals in crisis parallels the increased police violence against legal strikes, protests and demonstrations such as occurred at the G20 in 2010. In addition to putting police under public civilian control, the provincial government should act now to repeal the Public Works Protection Act, which enabled martial law and the largest mass arrest in Canadian history.

Stop the Killings! Legislate Police to De-escalate Conflict – Put Police Under Strict Civilian Control

August 13, 2013
The killing of young Sammy Yatim with 9 police bullets followed by a Taser, is the latest in at least 20 police killings in Toronto where the first and only response was shoot to kill.

Numerous coroners’ inquests since 1994 have unanimously recommended that police be trained in, and apply de-escalation in situations such as the confrontation with Sammy Yatim on July 27th.

This could be done at the Ontario Police College, operated by the Ontario government.

But police services and governments at all levels have ignored these inquest recommendations, and as a result 20 people have died – many of them young, most suffering from mental health issues, a majority from racialized communities.

Now that the Ontario Ombudsman has announced a systemic investigation into the direction provided to police by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services for de-escalating conflict, police have reacted with open hostility, and in at least one case, threats. A Durham police officer was caught comparing the Ombudsman to Al-Qaeda on twitter, while Toronto Police Association President Mike McCormack (son of a former Toronto Police Chief) has led the way with public attacks on both the Ombudsman and the Ontario Federation of Labour which supports the investigation.

Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair meantime has tried to by-pass both the Toronto Police Service Board – a civilian agency, and the Provincial Ombudsman’s investigation, by proposing retired Justice Dennis O’Connor to review use of force practices in the Toronto Police Service. But the Police Chief has no authority to jump over the civilian board, or the Ombudsman, and surely no authority to pick his own investigator.

All of this begs the question: Are police above the law? Who are police accountable to? And who should hold them to account?

July also marked the 3rd anniversary of the largest mass arrest in Canadian history, with the arrest, detention, kettling and ‘caging’ of 1,100 demonstrators at the G20 protests in Toronto, during 3 days of martial law in the city.

The common thread is that police appear to be above the law – or outside of it; while the provincial government stands by, willfully oblivious. This is a threat to our civil and democratic rights, and to the well-being of each and all of us.

The Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) extends its sympathy to the family of Sammy Yatim, whose young life was tragically cut so short by lethal police action, and government inaction.

We call on all those concerned about police killings and violence to demand that governments and civilian boards must hold police accountable, individually and collectively, for their actions; and must regulate police services to uniformly and consistently de-escalate conflict situations

We demand the Toronto Police Services Board:

• hold police to account for the killing of Sammy Yatim by demanding that Constable James Forcillo be charged in his death
• demand implementation of the recommendations of the “Saving Lives: Alternatives to the Use of Lethal Force by Police” report published in 2000 by the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, which Toronto Police Services declared it would implement more than 10 years ago.
• oppose Chief Blair’s attempt to by-pass the Toronto Police Services Board by appointing a retired judge to review police practices in Toronto

We further demand the Provincial Government:

• introduce a consistent and standardized set of regulations governing police forces across the province, to de-escalate conflict situations using the recommendations of the “Saving Lives: Alternatives to the Use of Lethal Force by Police” Report
• enact legislation to put police under public civilian control in every Ontario jurisdiction, and provide these bodies with the teeth to enforce real civilian controls in Ontario

Ontario Executive
Communist Party of Canada (Ontario)

Communists welcome end of the gravy train for Mayor Rob Ford, but far right still threatens

The Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) welcomes the Ontario Superior Court's order for Rob Ford to vacate the mayoralty of Toronto because of his contempt for the residents in not excusing himself on conflict-of-interest grounds from a council debate, itself triggered by his abuse of office to benefit a charity named after himself.   The Party supports a by-election to replace Ford and calls for the movement fighting the right-wing policies and forces behind Rob Ford to keep mobilizing, otherwise his agenda could continue under a different face.

Party Leader Liz Rowley explained that “Rob Ford had campaigned on ending 'the gravy train', but when he took office Torontonians saw that in reality this meant lay-offs, contracting out, cutting services, and charging steep fees for services the public needs and wants.    It's the corporations who backed Ford who are on a 'gravy train' of enjoying record profits, record low taxes, and municipal services at the expense of ratepayers and tenants who are paying more and more, and getting less and less.  They’re also salivating at the prospects of more privatization of city services and assets under the right-wing majority at City Hall.

Rob Ford's own exploitation of his office for his family’s benefit and his personal causes, as well as his contempt for democracy, for the public and the public interest, and for the high office of Mayor of the sixth largest government in the country, by being absent during Council meetings to coach football games amongst many other transgressions, shows Rob Ford was making a new Gravy Train all by himself and has no respect for the people of Toronto.

Congratulations are in order to the Stop Cuts Coalition and others who have had success in stopping his agenda, such as the “lifeboat” motion to moderate some of the cuts in January, but we need to keep up the mobilization because the right-wing majority on Council and the corporate interests who bankrolled Ford’s election won't rest.  They could find someone else to do their bidding, with more grace and less Gravy.”

Liz Rowley had characterized the Rob Ford administration as one where “the public is not welcome” when she was removed from City Hall for merely suggesting budget committee hearings be extended by one day to allow for all 348 registered deputants to have their democratic say.  Liz Rowley said “Rob Ford and the right-wing agenda he represents were going after our libraries, recreation centres, seniors' homes, HIV/AIDS programs, school nutrition programs, three of our child care centres, three of our homeless centres, theatres, and zoos, but his removal does not mean they are stopping.  We need to show we reject this agenda now, under any face new or old.”

“The only real guarantee that the Fords and co. will be side-lined is through the election of a progressive majority in the 2014 civic election, and through the building of a strong and progressive civic reform movement in 2013 that can unite all those forces now fighting the right-wing agenda at City Hall, to develop a progressive municipal platform and put forward a slate of progressive candidates who will fight for it in the next election.

The Communist Party of Canada (Ontario) calls on the provincial and federal governments to end the chronic financial crisis in Toronto and other municipalities by providing cities with a new financial deal, including:

• provide adequate funding through statutory transfers to Toronto and all municipalities, enabling cities to provide the array of municipal services necessary in the 21st century
• stop the firesale of municipal land and assets, including public housing, schools, and parks; and reverse user fees
• upload the Harris download and rescind balanced budget legislation
• fund the capital and operating costs of the TTC and municipal transit systems; reduce fares and increase ridership
• transfer 50% of gas and road user to municipalities
• collect unpaid and deferred corporate taxes, and introduce progressive tax policies based on ability to pay
• remove education from the property tax, cut property taxes in half, and fund education through provincial general revenues
• develop a provincial and federal affordable housing plan and enact rent controls
• introduce a provincial system of universally accessible affordable quality public child care
• give cities status in the Constitution; and protect local autonomy and democracy

The Party's 10-point prescription for a People's Recovery, its alternative to the austerity policies advocated by Rob Ford, as well as Tim Hudak and Dalton McGuinty in the provincial Legislature, is available online at http://www.ontariocpc.ca/10-point-prescription-for-a-peoples-recovery.

Ford suffers first big set back

Protests against right-wing Mayor
Rob Ford are making gains

By Liz Rowley

     The hard‑right administration of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was dealt a big setback on January 17. After months of protests by community groups and labour, the city's 2012 austerity budget was amended to add $19 million to rescue three homeless shelters, three child care centres, school nutrition programs, HIV/AIDS programs, city-owned homes for the aged, swimming and wading pools, recreation centres, libraries, and other essential services slated for closure, contracting out, or deep reductions and big new user fees.

     Dubbed by some as a war on children's services, Ford's budget attacked everything from housing to transit to health and social services, from the arts and libraries to public assets like theatres and zoos, affecting almost everyone in this city of 2.7 million. The public rose up in horror, from the trade unions to wealthy arts patrons and supporters of the library system.

     Committees were formed, including the "Stop the Cuts Coalition", with its 27 neighbourhood affiliates, the "One Toronto" coalition of arts and cultural communities, and the individuals and organizations which came together to save libraries, swimming pools, school breakfast and nutrition programs, the children's zoo, social housing, and child care centres (Toronto has a waiting list of over 20,000 for subsidized child care spaces). There was wide opposition to cuts to snow clearing, especially in the suburbs and in higher income areas.

Real communists consider complaint against Mammoliti

This ridiculously funny graphic is from
the right-wing Globe and Mail Paper

The Communist Party of Canada is thinking about filing a human rights complaint against Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti, the party’s Ontario leader said Sunday.

Mammoliti, a prominent ally of Mayor Rob Ford with a long history of provocative remarks, has gleefully escalated his red-baiting rhetoric over the last week. On Tuesday, he said he would ban “communists,” whom he creatively defined as citizens who spoke against budget cuts at City Hall, from his new Facebook group. By Friday, he had progressed to alleging, without any evidence, that six or seven sitting councillors are communists who want the municipal government to seize all private property and control the minds of Toronto residents.

“We are considering putting in a complaint about your behaviour and your attacks,” Elizabeth Rowley said on the NewsTalk 1010 radio show hosted by Councillor Josh Matlow.

It is not clear what provision of the Ontario Human Rights Code Rowley believes Mammoliti has violated. Political affiliation is not one of the grounds on which the code prohibits discrimination. Further, the code covers discrimination in employment, housing, union membership, and the provision of goods and services; Mammoliti discriminated, or attempted to, only on his Facebook group.

“If anyone should complain, it's me,” he responded. “Because it's them who attacked my Facebook, with their comments and with their logos and with their ‘comrade’ suggestions.”

Rowley compared Mammoliti's statements to those of former U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, who alleged in the 1940s and 1950s that communists had infiltrated the American government. “McCarthyism is not appropriate,” she said, “and pretty ugly.”

Mammoliti was unrepentant. In language mirroring that of the McCarthy-era House Un-American Activities Committee, which infamously asked Hollywood screenwriters and directors whether they were or had ever been members of the Communist Party, he asked Matlow: “How many of those councillors at City Hall does she have a relationship with — a speaking relationship, an email relationship, a relationship of communication in one form or another?”

When Rowley said the last email she had sent to councillors was to oppose the closure of libraries, he said: “So you have no ongoing relationship, you don't write to any particular councillor, you haven't ever spoken, had dinner with, had lunches with, any of those councillors that I'm suggesting that you have?”

Rowley said, “You're asking me if I ‘am or ever have had lunch with’ — no, I haven't.”

Councillor Paula Fletcher led the Communist Party in Manitoba in the 1980s before becoming a supporter of the NDP. Mammoliti has not demonstrated that any other councillor has ties to the party.

Said Rowley: “What is really egregious here is that anybody who objects apparently to the proposals that are coming from the Ford administration is being attacked as a communist by prominent members of that administration.”

Rowley said “some” of the 166 people who spoke against cuts at a marathon executive committee meeting in July were party members. But she also said, “We certainly don't have as many members as would be implied by Councillor Mammoliti.”