Homeless Community Take Back their Space

The occupation was organized by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty where they planned to create a safe place in the park and sleep there overnight.  Over the past years, shelter beds are being closed, social assistance rates are so extremely low that people cannot house or feed themselves any more, affordable decent housing is disappearing, as well as job security for many working poor; this alongside the incredible wealth of business and governments .  As per the usual of capitalism the extreme wealth of the system does not even pervade to the lower extremities of the very poor and the working poor. 

The event began with the gathering of a few hundred people the majority being local homeless and poor people directly affected by the recent shelter closures, the slashing of social assistance rates, and the overall capitalist system which depends not only on the wage-labouring working poor but on the desperation of those who fall through its cracks.  The crowd at Allan Gardens was met by dozens of police officers, some on foot, and some in cruisers, some on bikes and several on horseback.  The infinite wealth of this system is exemplified by this show of force.  The police are capital's security to self-maintenance.  The capitalist system must with no exceptions never allow any pushback be it road blockades, work stoppages, or occupations of houses or parks.  The police came in aggressively and tore down the tarps which had been erected to shelter the people from the imminent rain storm that night.  Despite their aggression and intimidation tactics, the people remained.  They relaxed on their mats, chatted, played soccer and were overall in good spirits.  A fine meal was also prepared and doled out for everyone in attendance.  The meal was not only yummy but practical and healthy (spinach salad, pasta and tuna salad, pasta salad with vegetables, fruit, juice, and water) for the many people who rely on drop-in kitchens and food banks.  Everyone felt safe and supported by those around them; it was a community that temporarily felt out of harm's way in a neighbourhood where they are accustomed to being ticketed for panhandling, and being thrown in jail for being homeless.  The so-called Safe Streets Act in Toronto makes it illegal to be homeless and under-housed for the sake of the tourists and the wealthy local business associations. 

Whether government officials are conservative or in the current case of the municipal government of Toronto, Social Democrats, the result is the same and no illusions must be made about this.  The goal of the capitalist system is to generate capital, profits, all on the backs of the lower strata of society, the working class.  Within the working class are the working poor, the unemployed, the homeless, all who by their very nature are anti-capitalist and resist according to their levels of consciousness.  The crowd on this Saturday evening was militant in their demands for housing and food for themselves.  There were no compromises made to the police or their bosses the city of Toronto.     

Against Wage-Labour

June 22, 2008