and pretended to fish in the pond, but by the following day the drains cleared and the ‘lake’ disap- peared. Swampy areas were covered in straw donated by rural residents, in with the . “I couldn’t really get a proper sleep Issue #4. October 27, 2011 because it was so cold”, said Sunny, who is living at the camp. Nonethe- Rain Soaks Camp less, she thinks that camping out is worth Toronto, October 22, 2011. Photos: Mike Barber But Can’t Quench it. “I’m here because I want to be actively Hopes learning the things I need to live commu- Megan Kinch nally. Normally I live in a single room in The OccupyTO camp Kensington [Market], but here I at King and Church faced its am living in a community which first major test last week, as a is something that reflects my rainstorm descended during values.” the night. Residents spent an Ana looked damp but entire afternoon preparing for enthusiastic. “There is lots of the onslaught of wind and rain, taking care of each other. We pegging down tents, covering got soaked last night, so one of the info booth and library in the girls got some dry blankets. tarps and tightening tent lines. I think I just accept that I live Throughout the night the wind here now; I pretty much only raged, and the campers awoke leave to go to work.” to find much of the area flood- The weather is not the ed, but the preparations paid biggest concern to many on the provided by generators, and a off. site. “I’d rather face rainstorms mini-society has emerged with “We did excellent last than police batons” joked one its own medics, a safe space for Get videos, podcasts, night” said Bruce, who helped protester, referring to the po- women, and a free school for stories and more (or organize a contingent from lice repression experienced by workshops. The people’s library, upload your own!) on the Oshawa. “The people were many of the ‘occupy’ in which started out as a few # across prepared. If we survived this other cities. stacks of books on a blanket, Canada at mediacoop.ca/ storm last night we’ll survive The encampment is gain- has its own comfy tent and a occupy. anything.” ing an air of permanence, and well-organized collection, which A large puddle had people are starting to winterize includes not only radical litera- formed near the centre of the their tents with donated tarps ture but also plenty of fiction. site; someone jokingly made a provided by logistics. The food There are now over 250 A Message from the sign which read “Lake Occupy” and media teams have power tents in the park. Food Team:

“We are serving over Briefs 1000 meals a day for this is one of a onstrators arrested in Cesar an open letter of solidarity to movement, we cook off- number of U.S. cities to face in- Chavez Park and charged with the Occupy movements taking site in commercial kitch- tense repression. After Tuesday ‘unlawful assembly’ will not be place in North America and Eu- ens and bring it in via the evening, one man is in critical prosecuted under state law. rope. The statement, published condition after being shot with The District Attorney refused to on the Occupy California web- food fleet. We need more a projectile police when police prosecute the charges, siding site, drew direct links between commercial kitchens! If used tear gas, rubber bullets with demonstrators who re- the current occupations, the you can help, write occu- and concussion grenades to cently announced a civil rights Arab Spring and the anti-capi- [email protected]” disperse protestors. lawsuit against city council. talist uprisings that have taken place since the financial crisis. Occupy Edmonton demonstra- Occupy is the latest tors remain in place after a group to call for a long-overdue Clergy at St. Paul’s Cathedral Sunday night eviction deadline treaty between the Common- remain uncertain over the Oc- passed without incident. The wealth of Australia and the na- cupy London camped 99 is a project of Toronto group has been in written con- tion’s Indigenous Peoples. The outside, with reports that at Media Co-Op which op- tact with Melcor, a real-estate proposal was passed at the 8th least one church official may erations as an independent development company which General Assembly of Occupy resign if the city authorizes outlet for grassroots jour- technically owns the park being Melbourne. the use of force against it. The nalism, radical media and occupied. Cathedral has closed its doors non-corporate coverage of Participants in the Tahrir Square in response to the camp, for the the move- dem- uprising earlier this year drafted first time in almost 70 years. ment and related global struggles 99 is a project of toronto.mediacoop.ca dispatches from Occupy Toronto, a project of toronto.mediacoop.ca, Issue#4, Oct 27, 2011

Commentary – The Undocumented 99% Gurdit Singh

One in twenty-six Cana- Over 300,000 of them these members of the 99% poor next time someone speaks dian residents, fully 1,290,000 are temporary migrant workers. and without rights: citizenship about citizen’s rights, speak of people, do not have full citizen- Migrant workers do jobs that no status. people’s rights. When someone ship status. Look around you: one else wants, for wages that Another 500,000 have calls immigrants illegals, say one in every twenty-six people no one else will take, in condi- no immigration papers at all. that a person, a human being, here might be a non-citizen. tions that are absolutely horrify- These people are the undocu- cannot be illegal. When you This movement, the Occupy ing. Every few months, a mi- mented. Undocumented people hear someone say ‘they should movement, is about everyone grant worker dies or is seriously pay sales tax, property tax, and go where they came from’, who lives here. injured working, growing and often income tax, yet receive no remind that person that - other These residents pay packing food that we eat, work- social services. These people, than Indigenous people - none taxes, live and work here, cre- ing in the back of a restaurant who have first been refused of us are ‘from here’. ate art, and have friends...but or a coffee shop, or taking care citizenship, are then forced to And if ever immigration they cannot vote. Many of them of children and the elderly. live in fear of deportation. Imag- enforcement or police come to are people of colour. They are Migrant workers pay full ine living your entire life in fear, arrest people simply because poorer than the average Cana- taxes, but can’t get full health not being able to open a bank they have no immigration pa- dian citizen, and get paid less care, go to school, or get the account, get a driver’s license, pers, tell them: We are the for doing the same job. Banks pensions that are cut from their go to a food bank, or a hospital 99%. Our movement includes charge them higher interest paycheques each month. The emergency room. Thesy too, everyone, whether they have rates on loans. They are har- simple truth is that this is not are the 99%. immigration status or not. assed more by the police, and fair. To create a fair economic The Occupy movement are denied many rights. They system, we have to get to the is about unity, solidarity, and are part of the 99%. root of what it is that keeps the 99%. Let’s act like it. The

Occupy TO - Happenings

Saturday, October 22: Around in Trinity Bellwoods park. The of the community who live and Publisher: 2,000 protesters marched from police liaison assured occupi- work in the area. The over- Toronto Media Coop Occupy Toronto to Nathan ers that horses were related to whelming response from the Phillips square to protest local another protest and no eviction members of the community to Editors: austerity figure Rob Ford’s at- is planned. the Cathedral’s position on this Justin Saunders tack on city services. Members issue has been positive. They Megan Kinch of the First Nations community, A curfew on drumming, passed share, as do we, the protesters’ OCAP, Tenants for social hous- at an earlier General Assembly, message of justice and equal- Contributors: ing, and others spoke at the went into effect after 11 PM, in ity.” Megan Kinch rally. order to promote good relations Gurdit Singh with neighbors. Monday: 150 people from Oc- Later, Toronto’s Zombie march cupy Toronto went to Novotel Photos: included some zombie protest- The Freeschool tent began reg- hotel to support workers organ- Mike Barber ers, who chanted: ular courses on practical skills, izing with Unite Here. “What do we want BRAAINS.. privilege, and political theory. Layout: When do we want them? At 2pm, a march went to City Alex Hundert NOW!” St. James Cathedral issued the Hall to protest Ford’s privatiza- following press release: tion of garbage collection. Sunday: Rumours surfaced in “We have asked that the pro- camp of police horses training testers respect the members