Published in “Brisbane From Below” n°1 (Brisbane, 2011).
Justice, Dignity, Resistance: An Interview with John from Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP)
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and how you became involved with OCAP?
I was a worker at a factory in Ontario in the 1980s and, after being made unemployed, I helped form a union of the unemployed. In 1990, this organization helped out in the campaign that led to the formation of OCAP. [Read More]
It was a sweltering afternoon in late July 2002 when the armoured vehicles of the Toronto Police Emergency Task Force pulled up in front of our building. Quickly we started barricading the door with an old desk, if they were coming to kick us out we weren’t going to make it easy for them. We waited tensely as the cops approached the door with submachine guns drawn.
Our crime? We dared to take over an abandoned building in the middle of a housing crisis.
We all survived that early raid and were eventually allowed back into the building where we lived for the next three months — dubbing it the “Pope Squat” as we occupied it during the pontiff’s visit to Toronto.
[Read More]
“Woodsquat” – a special issue of West Coast Line (240 pages, $12) Info: 604.682.3269 ext. 7567 / 
/ http://www.woodsquat.net
Who popped Woodwards on September 14th 2002? Why? What happened on the inside? Who were The Woodwards 54? How did they defend a street encampment for 92 days & nights in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver? Who stayed? Who left? Who ended it? What happened afterwards? Will Vancouver ever be business-as-usual again? Which buildings are next?
Writing & interviews on daily life at the squat. Poems, speeches, statements & reports by residents, witnesses & supporters. Call-outs from affinity groups & support organizations. Police reports & the confidential city government memo planning the quiet final eviction. Reproductions of video stills, posters, flyers, graffiti, linocuts, photographs & an 11-page comic. Critical essays on squatting as a tool, gentrification & social housing, electoral politics, addiction & class war, media distortion, legal strategies, the use of demands, and the ongoing struggle.
** check end of report for details of election night action **
More information and Photos: http://www.ocap.ca/ocapnews/gatekeeper.html
OCAP takes ‘Gatekeeper’ Squat, MP vows conversion to social housing
On Saturday, November 8th in the heart of downtown Toronto’s east end, All Saint’s Church was packed with people who came to eat a hot meal and to rally for a demonstration called by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty. We had put out a call to take over an abandoned building in a community well aquainted with living in poverty. Over 500 people then took to the streets in a spirited march that made its way through a neighbourhood dense with homeless shelters, low income housing, and parks where people live and die with the reality of how serious the housing crisis in this city really is.
Note: The one other arrested person is a member of the Steelworkers. In total four people, all trade union members, were arrested yesterday.
Report on OCAP Squat Victory
40 members of CUPE 3903 were among the 500 people who participated in the victorious march and occupation of an abandoned building at 558 Gerrard St. E., securing its conversion into social housing. The action was a victory on two counts: in addition to transforming an empty building into social housing, demonstrators forced the state to respond politically by negotiating with the demonstrators instead of unleashing its uniformed goons. Unequal and inhumane distribution of housing is a political issue that politicians should address through negotiation and dialogue rather than through police violence on unarmed civilians, and this victory should be recognized as a breakthrough in that regard.
Corporate media:
OCAP Thunders Into Mayoral Campaign With March (City TV) * Video footage too* http://www.pulse24.com/News/Top_Story/20031108-007/page.asp
Mills puts career on line (Toronto Sun) http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/News/2003/11/09/251344.html
MP’s vow ends protest (Toronto Star) http://thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1068336306004&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154
MONTREAL, July 6, 2003 (2:57am) Riot police evicted hundreds of participants at Montreals Tent City inside Parc Lafontaine shortly after 12:30am this morning. At least 40 riot police were already placed inside the large park, and using floodlights in the dark, they proceeded to push back Tent City participants with shields and batons. Many people scrambled to gather their belongings, including their tents and tarps, while others maintained a line in front of the riot police, chanting defiant slogans in defence of the Tent City. At least four people were arrested inside the park. According to one legal team member, at least 12 people were arrested in total.
In one reported incident, two members of an activist video collective were arrested as they intervened as police attempted to arrest a mother sleeping in a car with her sleeping young child.
LONG LIVE THE ROBBIE GUEST SQUAT
y KW Youth Collective
On Wednesday July 2nd, the KW Youth Collective announced at the City Council meeting that they liberated the Robbie Guest Squat. The squat, an abandoned building on the corner of Cortland and Benton was held for approximately one hour before youth were kicked out. Named after Robbie Guest who died in the custody of Family and Children Services this latest action serves to show that we will not give up our struggle for housing, shelter and against gentrification even under severe repression from the state. The action started at 7pm with Youth Collective members Mark Corbiere and Romeo Montague announcing that youth have occupied the Arrow Factory stating:
Given that housing is a right, given that people are sleeping on the street while many buildings are abandoned – we are taking it upon ourselves to solve the housing problem.. At this time we have taken a squat at the Arrow Factory. This building has been abandoned for over a year and is an eyesore. We will fix it this building – We are tired of these buildings being torn down and not used for affordable housing – we hope the city will support us in our task to solve the housing crisis and serve the interests of all people as opposed to corporate and business interests – We are going to continue taking squats, if you don’t give them you better guard them.
LONG LIVE THE ROBBIE GUEST SQUAT
by KW Youth Collective
On Wednesday July 2nd, the KW Youth Collective announced at the City Council meeting that they liberated the Robbie Guest Squat. The squat, an abandoned building on the corner of Cortland and Benton was held for approximately one hour before youth were kicked out. Named after Robbie Guest who died in the custody of Family and Children Services this latest action serves to show that we will not give up our struggle for housing, shelter and against gentrification even under severe repression from the state. The action started at 7pm with Youth Collective members Mark Corbiere and Romeo Montague announcing that youth have occupied the Arrow Factory stating:
“Given that housing is a right, given that people are sleeping on the street while many buildings are abandoned – we are taking it upon ourselves to solve the housing problem.. At this time we have taken a squat at the Arrow Factory. This building has been abandoned for over a year and is an eyesore. We will fix it this building – We are tired of these buildings being torn down and not used for affordable housing – we hope the city will support us in our task to solve the housing crisis and serve the interests of all people as opposed to corporate and business interests – We are going to continue taking squats, if you don’t give them you better guard them.”
Sunday June 15, 2003
(Peterborough) – On Sunday June 15, 2003 community members took over an empty building as part of the Peterborough Coalition Against Poverty’s second action in its “Give it or Guard it” Housing Campaign and Squatting tour. The summer-long campaign tours unused buildings in the city that could be used for affordable housing.
The squatted house is located at 1130 Water St. and is officially owned by the City of Peterborough. As far as PCAP knows, the house has been sitting empty and unused for approximately a year. One city worker told a PCAP member that the City is attempting to buy up all the houses along the river with the intent relocating or demolishing the buildings in an effort to create a green space. However, the same city worker told PCAP that this could take “forever.”
On Sunday June 15, 2003 anti-poverty activists and community members took over an empty building owned by the city of Peterborough. Approximately 30 squatters are currently staying in the house – located at 1130 Water Street – and demands to the city have been released.
Anti-Poverty Activists Squat City Building in Peterborough, Ontario
Sunday June 15, 2003
(Peterborough) – On Sunday June 15, 2003 community members took over an empty building as part of the Peterborough Coalition Against Poverty’s second action in its “Give it or Guard it” Housing Campaign and Squatting tour. The summer-long campaign tours unused buildings in the city that could be used for affordable housing.
AN APPEAL FOR SOLIDARITY ACTION IN SUPPORT OF OCAP MEMBERS FACING SECOND TRIAL ON ‘RIOT’ CHARGES.
On May 11, the trial of Stefan Pilipa, Gaetan Heroux and John Clarke of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, on charges that they organized a ‘planned riot’ by homeless people at the Ontario Legislature on June 15, 2000, came to an abrupt end. A deadlocked jury led to a mistrial being declared.
On June 18, the three men go back to Superior Court to learn whether or not the Crown (prosecution) will be demanding a second trial. If that happens, OCAP and its many supporters will meet the challenge but, at the same time, we want to do all we can to get the charges dropped. The three have already spent three years with this matter hanging over their heads. To this day, the must live with serious bail conditions that limit their movements and massively restrict their civil liberties. The last trial lasted for four months and we would like to avoid another huge outlay of time and resources. We would also like to end the possibility of prison sentences of up to five years that would result from convictions.
