Eleven People Arrested at OCAP Rally Released on Bail; Fight Against Cut to the Special Diet Continues...

On Wednesday, July 21st, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP)
demonstrated against the devastating cut to the Special Diet benefit and to demand that the Liberal Government raise welfare rates by at least 55% - the minimum amount required to restore rates to where they were before the cut by Harris in 1995.

During the rally, over 300 people took to the streets, while a smaller group of people went in to the Liberal Party headquarters, to deliver an invoice to the Liberal Party “demanding full re-payment of benefits taken from people living on social assistance.The delegation of people who entered the vProvincial Liberals HQ went to deliver a message about the impact of the cuts on poor people. Rather than receive this message, the powers that be chose to enforce their austerity measures with police action. Shortly after the group entered, Toronto Police arrested all 11 people, OCAP members, allies, and labour activists. Two people were released, while the other 9 were held overnight at 52 division and appeared for bail hearings in College Park Court Thursday.

~~~~~~~~~~There was a large presence of supporters from many organizations across Toronto in defense of the detainees. Represented by Movement Defense lawyer, Mike Leitold, all 9 were eventually released Thursday July 22 with sureties, and on conditions including to not be within 50 metres of the Liberal Party Headquarters.

Anne Abbot, DAMN and OCAP member, was one of the people arrested inside the Liberal Party Headquarters, but unlike the others who were held overnight on trumped up charges, Anne was released on location with a trespass summons.
She has this to say: "I went to the demonstration to demand the the special diet not be cut and that welfare and ODSP rates be raised 55% for those of us on social assistance. Instead, I was arrested and the police called me "a pawn" because I am disabled. I am not a pawn. Disabled people fight against governments that make and keeps us poor everyday, and we will fight until we win enough money to eat healthy food and pay our rents."

This latest arrest and detention of activists comes only a few weeks after the mass arrest of over 1000 anti-G20 protesters. The police response to the OCAP action makes clear that the G20 crackdown is a sign of what they have in store for us. People were given no opportunity to leave the Liberal office and, once they had been handcuffed, were hit not only with Provincial Offences tickets, but with the criminal charges of mischief and forcible entry. The cops and courts are to be used to try and intimidate and silence opposition to the cutbacks that governments will try to impose on us. "The G20 leaders met in Toronto to call for austerity measures just like the cuts to welfare in Ontario" said OCAP organizer Liisa Schofield. Nobody should be surprised when the police are once again called in to crush public outcry against these kinds of policies.

Thank you to all of the supporters who came out Thursday to court and all those who have sent messages of solidarity! We will work to defend those arrested in court and will send updates soon about what next steps should be taken to support their legal battle. In the meantime, donations to Special Diet Action Legal Fund can be sent to: 'Ontario Coalition Against Poverty', 10 Britain St, Toronto, Ontario M5A 1R6.

The fight against the Special Diet cut and the struggle to raise the rates is not going to be prevented by this kind of intimidation. The McGuinty Liberals are going to face the anger of poor communities and they won't have enough cops and prosecutors to hide behind. We will not go without decent food and proper housing to pay for their crisis. We're going to mobilize for our right to these things until we win.

Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
10 Britain St. Toronto, ON M5A 1R6
416-925-6939 ocap@tao.ca www.ocap.ca