The Ontario Federation of Labour will continue supporting the Occupy movement, park or no park.
More than 1,000 union members marched through downtown Toronto Thursday afternoon alongside about 100 Occupy protesters from Toronto, London, Kingston, Hamilton and Ottawa.
“We decided at the (federation) convention to fortify our relationship with Occupy,” said CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn.
On Thursday morning, a fleet of buses funded by the federation took protesters from cities across the province to Toronto for the rally.
Occupy signs and union flags in hand, union members and protesters gathered outside City Hall and marched through the financial district to the Toronto Stock Exchange, chanting “We are the 99 per cent!”
The rally comes a day after police and bylaw officers cleared St. James Park, the epicentre of Toronto’s Occupy movement since it began Oct. 15.
The daylong operation saw 11 protesters arrested, all tents and yurts dismantled and the park cleared of garbage. A majority of Torontonians agreed with Mayor Rob Ford’s handling of the eviction, according to a Forum poll released Thursday.
Despite their eviction, protesters have vowed to keep the movement alive — and labour unions want to help.
Ontario Federation of Labour president Sid Ryan said he hoped protesters and unions would work together to build a movement against corporate greed and economic inequality.
“For the first time in decades, they have focused attention worldwide on that one per cent,” he said, referring to the global Occupy movement.
Ryan added he hoped Ontario-based protesters would help form a “massive common front” of organizations to lobby for change.
“We’ve been singing from the same song book. We need to work as a team,” added Ben Lefebvre, president of the Timmins District Labour Council.
But Occupy Toronto — with its diverse environmental, economic, political and social demands — will not be absorbed by the labour movement any time soon, said protester Bryan Batty.
“Unions have been really supportive, but Occupy is more than just the labour movement,” he said. “We’re excited to evolve into Occupy Toronto 2.0.”
Origin
Source: Toronto Star
More than 1,000 union members marched through downtown Toronto Thursday afternoon alongside about 100 Occupy protesters from Toronto, London, Kingston, Hamilton and Ottawa.
“We decided at the (federation) convention to fortify our relationship with Occupy,” said CUPE Ontario president Fred Hahn.
On Thursday morning, a fleet of buses funded by the federation took protesters from cities across the province to Toronto for the rally.
Occupy signs and union flags in hand, union members and protesters gathered outside City Hall and marched through the financial district to the Toronto Stock Exchange, chanting “We are the 99 per cent!”
The rally comes a day after police and bylaw officers cleared St. James Park, the epicentre of Toronto’s Occupy movement since it began Oct. 15.
The daylong operation saw 11 protesters arrested, all tents and yurts dismantled and the park cleared of garbage. A majority of Torontonians agreed with Mayor Rob Ford’s handling of the eviction, according to a Forum poll released Thursday.
Despite their eviction, protesters have vowed to keep the movement alive — and labour unions want to help.
Ontario Federation of Labour president Sid Ryan said he hoped protesters and unions would work together to build a movement against corporate greed and economic inequality.
“For the first time in decades, they have focused attention worldwide on that one per cent,” he said, referring to the global Occupy movement.
Ryan added he hoped Ontario-based protesters would help form a “massive common front” of organizations to lobby for change.
“We’ve been singing from the same song book. We need to work as a team,” added Ben Lefebvre, president of the Timmins District Labour Council.
But Occupy Toronto — with its diverse environmental, economic, political and social demands — will not be absorbed by the labour movement any time soon, said protester Bryan Batty.
“Unions have been really supportive, but Occupy is more than just the labour movement,” he said. “We’re excited to evolve into Occupy Toronto 2.0.”
Origin
Source: Toronto Star
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