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Bob Olsen, Toronto bobolsen@interlog.com
Toronto has applied for the 2008 Olympics. The International Olympic
Committee is expected to send a delegation to Toronto in March of 2001
to inspect the City.
Yesterday, Friday Oct 20, there was a most unusual meeting at the Salvation Army men's shelter on Sherbourne St. Senior Toronto police officials met with a wide range of social service agencies, apparently to discuss how the police could work together with the community and business to clean up downtown Toronto. Those with connections to Toronto social service agencies should try and find out what happened at that meeting.
Three blocks north of that Sally Ann shelter, is Allan Gardens, the site of the long fight against poverty and homelessness. OCAP, the Ontario Coalion Against Poverty, had a Safe Park for homeless people in Allan Gardens from August 7 to 10, 1999. The police finally came in at 5:45 am on August 10 and arrested everybody.
The next night, August 11, students at the University of Toronto held a meeting and decided to sleep in Allan Gardens every Friday night to keep the flame of the Safe Park alive. The U of T students have slept in Allan Gardens every Friday night since then, including Christmas Eve and New Year's eve, often on the coldest or wetest nights of the year, without a tent.
They draped a plastic tarpaulin over a tree branch. The city cut the branch off the tree. The students moved to another tree.
The police came frequently and hassled the students. The students were charged several times with sleeping in a public park and putting up a structure.
The students regularly video taped the comings and goings of the police. Particularly when charges were laid.
This morning, Saturday Oct 21, 8:18 am, the riot police came in their special vans. Elan Ohayon apparently sustained facial injuries when he was pinned down in his sleeping bag by 6 riot cops. His video camera was destroyed when the police ripped the tape out of the camera and threw it in a trash bin. He was apparently taken by the police to the hospital this afternoon. The police told me at 5:00 pm that he was back at 51 Division and will appear for a bail hearing tomorrow, Sunday, Oct 22, 9:00 am at Toronto Old City Hall, room 101.
Elan is a well-known student activist. He is a Phd student and is on the Governing Council of the University of Toronto.
What happened to Elan and his friends this morning happens every day on the streets and in the parks and ravines of Toronto. The homeless are beaten by the police, there belongings and ID confiscated or destroyed. The police are clearing out homeless encampments in various parts of the city. I expect that the police are preparing the City of Toronto for the visit of the IOC delegation in March.
Please come to Toronto Old City Hall at 9:00 am tomorrow, Sunday Oct 22. It's OK to arrive late as these bail hearings often take a few hours to complete.
We must protest the police harrassment of the homeless who need to take shelter in City parks. The City is not providing sufficient or adequate public shelters for the homeless. Neither the Provincial nor the Federal Governments are funding the construction of affordable housing. In fact, Prime Minister Jean Chretien said yesterday that "housing is not a priority."
See New URL: http://bacque.graeme.tripod.com ICQ #45617216
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted
to a
profoundly sick society." -- Krishnamurti
Send your comments and stories of police brutality to: ruitsdawtah@Hotmail.com
This page created October 25,2000
