Occupy Editor, Author at Occupy Toronto

What is Occupy (and Handsignals)

A worldwide movement dedicated to achieving an equitable, accessible, and sustainable way of life. We are against the current oppressive global system: a pervasive way of thinking, acting, and being rooted in the prosperity of interest groups, and the individual as passive. The Occupy movement works through a horizontal decision making process, and a principle of self-organizing to empower and educate people towards meaningful change. We use physical occupations to collaborate, and to show the kind of loving society that is possible. We use the power of ourselves, individuals-as-citizens, to assert and actualize our dreams of a better world....

State of Corporate Power 2012

Exposing the Davos Class Who are the global 1%? What companies do they run? How do they escape accountability? Check out TNI’s powerful infographic displays that expose the social and environmental costs of global corporate power. The economic, social and ecological crises humanity face are no accident, but a result of policies pursued by a small corporate elite – best known as the Davos class – that has systematically hijacked political and economic policy throughout the world. TNI, as part of its new Corporate Power project, is producing a series of infographics over 2012 that expose the reality of corporate power, and our need to fundamentally change direction. Please download and share these infographics, and watch out for new ones over the coming months. Full article at www.tni.org...

Occupy Toronto and Steelworker Flash Mob

The United Steelworkers (USW) and Occupy Toronto join forces to highlight the Bank of Montreal’s role in prolonging one of the longest strikes in Toronto history. The flash mob of dozens of demonstrators, including more than 25 Occupy Toronto dancers and singers, showed up at the main Bank of Montreal branch at King and Bay to challenge BMO to help end the 27-month strike at Infinity Rubber. In a choreographed song and dance number set to the tune of “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5, the group urged onlookers inside the branch, and later on the street, to “Move from BMO” because of the bank’s role in funding an attack on workers....

Occupied Vancouver Sun

The February 1st, 2012 issue is available. Subscribe to the newspaper....

WISH LIST…PLEASE DISTRIBUTE

Currently there is a camp set up behind Osgoode Hall. There are MANY donations that would be greatly appreciated by the occupiers. Please see the list below and feel free to drop off the items at the camp at any time! WISH LIST: Water Tarps Blankets Tents Poles ropes/twines books Gloves Wheeled cart/Trolly Building Material Hammer & nails Recycled Bicycle Parts Cardboard Food Skids We are also looking for someone near by who has a dryer available to dry their clothing....

#solidaritysunday #J29

Occupiers everywhere! TODAY IS SOLIDARITY SUNDAY! In response to brutal police repression in Oakland this evening (including tear-gas, “flash” grenades, projectiles, mass arrests, and a pregnant woman hit in the belly by a policeman’s baton) direct action working groups from at least Occupy Wall St, Occupy Boston, and Occupy Philly, have stayed up late to craft a massive coordinated response. Continue Reading »...

Update on the Activist Assembly!

This weekend is the Activist Assembly taking place at OISE. The weekend is packed-full of great speakers, talks and workshops. The revised schedule is below and more information is available at: https://www.facebook.com/events/270078499716966/ If you would like to assist the food committee by providing a kitchen to cook in, donations or prepared food please contact: [email protected] **Registration for this event is REQUIRED (it is free!). Please register by emailing: [email protected] We look forward to seeing you there! SCHEDULE of EVENTS: Friday: 7:00 – 10:00 -Opening Panel – Discussion of why Occupy was effective. Panelists all represent groups who were inspired by the Occupy Movement to fight harder then ever. Focus on the importance of outreach, protest, mass mobilisation, and of constant recruitment of new people. Strucure of the opening event will be speeches from the panelists followed by a facilitated, open discussion among atendees. Finally break out groups to get to know each other and answer the question “Why are we here?” Speakers: Carolyn Egan – is the president of the Steelworkers’ Toronto Area Council and United Steelworkers Local 8300. She is a long-time pro-choice, anti-war and social justice activist in Toronto and a leading member of the International Socialists. Judy Rebick – is a veteran activist, on feminist, democracy, anti-racist and international solidarity issues. She is also a writer, teacher and sometime journalist. She has a new e book coming out in March called Occupy This!. She is the founding publisher of rabble.ca and a regular on the Q media panel. Syed Hussan – is an organizer, activist and writer based in Toronto. Hussan has been involved with anti-colonial, migrant justice, feminist, anti-racist, environmental justice, anti-war and prison abolition movements and is active in No One Is Illegal – Toronto and Toronto Stop the Cuts Network. As part of his involvement in the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, Hussan was charged with Conspiracy. Though his charges were dropped after 18 months, 6 activist and community organizers have been jailed for the Anti-G20 protests. Saturday: 11:00 – 12:15 – Auditorium – Discussion of Committee / Decision-Making Structure – Michael Rosenburg, Octavian cadabeschi 12:30-1:30 lunch 1:30-2:45 – Auditorium – Discussion of non-Toronto experience – Roundtable discussion, many speakers 3:00-4:15 – Committees and Campaigns Room 1 – Occupy Gardens – Jacob Kearey Moreland Room 2 – Accessability Committee – Loretta Lime Room 3 – Occupy The Rainbow – Jordan BG Room 4 – Occupy UofT/Occupy Ryerson – Ryerson & UofT Rep. 4:30-5:45 – Discussion of issues Room 1 – Environmental Justice – Someone from Environmental Justice Toronto – Megan Kinch Room 2 – Canada’s occupation at home and abroad – Sid Lacombe Room 3 – Financial Bubble Collapse – David Mcnally Room 4 – Austerity – Neoliberalism – Nigel Barriffe and Victoria Barnett Room 5 – Colonisation, Militirisation and Attacks on Unions – Nadia Saad Room 6 – Indigenous – Randy Kapashesit 6:00-7:00 Dinner 7:30-9:30 General Assembly – OISE courtyard 10:00-2:00 Social – Duke of York – near OISE and St George station, in their Cellar space which hosts 150+ people. 19+ $0-$99 reccommended donation ($0 perfectly acceptable) – To help cover space rental costs for weekend. Sunday: 11:00-12:45 – Classroom part 1 Room 1 – Speaking to the Media – Dan Speerin, Adam Slinn, Syed Hussan Room 2 – Facilitation Training – Peter Bromley Room 3 – 10 steps to effective campaigning – Steve Stallhorn Room 4 – Direct Action Training – Aspa + Dave Vasey + Eryn Wheatle Room 5 – Marshal Training – Martin Sneath, Anna Sneath Room 6 – Medic Training – Trish Mills, Kristina McGuire, Ed Lutz LUNCH 1:45 – 3:30 Classroom part 2 Room 1 – Speaking to the Media – Dan Speerin, Adam Slinn, Syed Hussan Room 2 – Facilitation Training – Lee McKenna Room 3 – 10 steps to effective campeigning – Steve Stallhorn Room 4 – Direct Action Training – Aspa + Dave Vasey + Eryn Wheatle Room 5 – Marshal Training – Martin Sneath, Anna Sneath Room 6 – Medic Training – Trish Mills, Kristina McGuire, Ed Lutz 3:45 – 5:15 Committee Discussions Room 1 – Outreach Shanger/Sean Robinson, Katie Berger/ Room 2 – Action – Dave Vessey, Lana Brite Room 2 – Room 3 – Mischa Saunders Room 4 – Finance – Lex Room 5 – Marshal – Trey Winney 5:30-6:00 Closing Ceremony – Main Room...

OCCUPY THE BUDGET

On January 17th Occupy Toronto will Occupy the Budget and stage a three day over-night occupation outside of City hall. Our three-day occupation requires all committees to reactivate! Specifically, we need more volunteers for food, info and logistics! If you were previously a member of these committees or if you would like to join these (or any) committee now, please contact [email protected] and come down on January 17th! Join us! Occupy the Budget! Occupy City Hall! – For more info on Ford’s cuts, and on the Rally at City Hall at 5:30 on the 17th, check out:www.torontostopthecuts.com – Even if you can’t stay overnight or have to work, your support during the day would be highly appreciated! Bring blankets and tents. Bring baked potatoes and hot chocolate. Bring a hot meal to the kitchen. Hang around for an hour or two serving food or helping with logistics. It all helps! Spread the Word!...

All out for a three day outdoor occupation of City Hall during the city budget meetings!

Tuesday the 17th, Wednesday the 18th, and Thursday the 19th of January 2012! Bring your tent, stay the night! Show Rob Ford and his corporate backers that our city isn’t theirs to dismantle! On the 17th of January, Rob Ford and his cronies are going to try to pass a budget full of service cuts, attacks on workers and ordinary people as part of his austerity agenda. Ford – a millionaire business owner himself – doesn’t care about ordinary people (neither 905 OR downtown,) he only cares about filling the pockets of his corporate buddies. Like other politicians around the world, he’s cutting services, firing workers, downloading costs to other people and telling people to “tighten their belts” while banks and corporations make record profits! Occupy Toronto is drawing a line in the sand and saying no more! We are supporting Stop The Cuts and their 5:30 rally at City Hall, and we are sticking around for 3 days after to keep saying No More! Join us! Occupy the Budget! Occupy City Hall! – For more info on Ford’s cuts, and on the Rally at City Hall at 5:30 on the 17th, check out:www.torontostopthecuts.com – Even if you can’t stay overnight or have to work, your support during the day would be highly appreciated! Bring blankets and tents. Bring baked potatoes and hot chocolate. Bring a hot meal to the kitchen. Hang around for an hour or two serving food or helping with logistics. It all helps!...

Analysis of Occupy movement (three articles)

Three very good articles – two specifically about Occupy and an old article from the women’s movement: A Movement Without Demands? by Marco Deseriis and Jodi Dean “The question of demands infused the initial weeks and months of Occupy Wall Street with the endless opening of desire. Nearly unbearable, the absence of demands concentrated interest, fear, expectation, and hope in the movement. What did they want? What could they want? Commentators have been nearly hysterical in their demand for demands.” Three Complaints About OWS by Charles Lenchner “We can’t accuse ourselves of being well organized. And this lack of organization, championed by so many as a key ingredient of Occupy Wall Street’s success, continues to trip us up.” The Tyranny of Structurelessness by Jo Freeman “During the years in which the women’s liberation movement has been taking shape, a great emphasis has been placed on what are called leaderless, structureless groups as the main — if not sole — organizational form of the movement. The source of this idea was a natural reaction against the over-structured society in which most of us found ourselves, and the inevitable control this gave others over our lives, and the continual elitism of the Left and similar groups among those who were supposedly fighting this overstructuredness.”...

BuddyPress layout is Up… & What’s YOUR Vision for this website going forward?

Occupy Toronto 04 January 2012 by Michael Holloway I think we want to create something I don’t think I’ve seen anywhere else — essentially we want a Blog, a Forum and a Wiki — all in one place. At the last web development meeting on January 3, 2012, we agreed to fire up the new BuddyPress software that will enable many of the functionalities I talked about in my last post on this (29/Dec/11- http://occupyto.org/2011/12/whats-up-at-the-web-development-team/). By the weekend (07/Jan/12) Committee ‘Group Pages’ should be up for the General Assembly and 16 active Committees the WebDEV team is aware of. Each Group page in the new BuddyPress layout has it’s own Forum and Blog space. The front page of the OccupyTO website will be a listing of most recent posts and comments from all 17 group pages. We’ve decided, as a starting place, to mirror the www.nycga.net site – but soon, many features not on the the New York City General Assembly site will be rolled out here – stay tuned… We’ve also decided that instead of playing god developer – we would ask YOU, the users what YOU want out of the new site! Bev Leroux has some ideas… ( Comment from Bev Leroux, 16 December 2011 on the occupyto.org post “Welcome Back! Please Excuse the mess…” http://occupyto.org/2011/12/hello-world/#comment-5 ) “I really hope this site is going to be interactive and user friendly. Where one can comment on posts and post ideas, opinions and announcements. “I hope it will gather all of the various committees and working groups, activities and future plans, announcements and requests for assistance–all under one big umbrella. “Please let it be the go-to place for all Occupy Toronto needs and activities. “Right now, most of the communication takes place on Facebook and I have heard a lot of people say they don’t even follow Occupy on Facebook. So what does that mean for communication? It means there’s a huge information gap and a great deal of mis- and dis-information floating around. “Let’s get a central virtual online hub for all activity. That’s doable even if we are failing, so far, to find a long-term physical home. “Let me know if there is any way I can help to make this happen. “Love you all… in solidarity Bev “PS: From my own experience, the chat portion of Livestream is a very sad place and definitely unqualified as a communication tool.” ——————— Thanks Bev. Nicely said. “Mari” said, ‘Love the new site so far! I wish I could make technology work instead or just posting things on it! lol…Keep up the good work.’ Thanks Mari. Bang-on in my opinion. The www is a 2 way conversation, an interactive collaboration space, and an old school broadcast portal. Please leave more feed back in comments … and please remember, this is Day 1 of the New BuddyPress layout — we’re just learning all the in’s and out’s too! :] mh...

CCPA report – the 0.01%

There’s no contest when it comes to CEO compensation The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives’ annual look at CEO compensation looks at 2010 compensation levels for Canada’s highest paid 100 CEOs and finds they pocketed an average of an average $8.38 million in 2010 – a 27% increase over the average $6.6 million they took in 2009. Even in these turbulent economic times, the average of Canada’s CEO Elite 100 make 189 times more than Canadians earning the average wage. The full report, Canada’s CEO Elite 100: The 0.01% is available here. Source – CCPA website...

Occupy Toronto Activist Assembly Jan 20-22

Occupy Toronto Activist Assembly Friday, January 20-Sunday, January 22, 2012 OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education) at St George and Bloor. This is an invitation to Occupy Toronto’s first Activist Assembly on the weekend of January 20, 21, 22. This will be a conference style event, focused on developing Occupy Toronto’s activist capacity. Join the FaceBook Event:www.facebook.com/events/270078499716966 SCHEDULE: Friday: 7:00 – 10:00 -Opening Panel – Discussion of why Occupy is effective. The focus of this session will be on the importance of outreach, protest, mass mobilization, and of constant recruitment of new people. The panel will be facilitated by an Occupy Toronto facilitator, followed by an open discussion with the attendees and break out groups to address the question “Why are we here?” Speakers: Carolyn Egan – is the president of the Steelworkers’ Toronto Area Council and United Steelworkers Local 8300. She is a long-time pro- choice, anti-war and social justice activist in Toronto and a leading member of the International Socialists. Judy Rebick – is a veteran activist, on feminist, democracy, anti- racist and international solidarity issues. She is also a writer, teacher and sometime journalist. She has a new e book coming out in March called Occupy This!. She is the founding publisher of rabble.ca and a regular on the Q media panel. Syed Hussan – is an organizer, activist and writer based in Toronto. Hussan has been involved with anti-colonial, migrant justice, feminist, anti-racist, environmental justice, anti-war and prison abolition movements and is active in No One Is Illegal – Toronto and Toronto Stop the Cuts Network. As part of his involvement in the Toronto Community Mobilization Network, Hussan was charged with Conspiracy. Though his charges were dropped after 18 months, 6 activist and community organizers have been jailed for the Anti-G20 protests. Saturday: 11:00am -12:15 -History Session (select one) Room 1 – Egypt and the Arab Spring Room 2 – Greece, Spain and the European fight back Room 3 – The Struggle in Wisconsin Room 4 – Paris 68 – a near revolution in France. Room 5 – Students for a Democratic Society – The American student movement of the 60s Room 6 – Indigenous Resistance 12:30-1:30 lunch 1:30-2:45 – Discussion with Occupier’s from across Ontario (select 1 room) The Southern-Ontario Occupies will also be involved in this assembly. We are inviting people from various camps to talk about their unique experiences in other cities. Room 1 – Ottawa/ Montreal Room 2 – Kitchener / Guelph / Niagara / Room 3 – Kingston /Windsor /London/ Room 4 – Pickering/Hamilton/Brampton/Orillia Room 5 – Sault Saint Marie / Sudbury / Barrie 3:00-4:15 – Issues discussions (select one) Room 1 – Environmental Justice Room 2 – Militarization, Colonialization and Occupation Room 3 – Financial Collapse Room 4 – Austerity and Neoliberalism Room 5 – Economic Alternatives Room 6 – Building fortress North America 4:30-5:45 Discussion of OccupyTO’s Committee structure Sunday: 11:00-12:45 Classroom style teach-in (select first option) Room 1 – Speaking to the Media Room 2 – Facilitation Training Room 3 – 10 steps to effective campaigning Room 4 – Direct Action Training Room 5 – Marshal Training Room 6 – Anti-Oppression/Anti Racism Training 1:45- 3:30 Classroom (second choice) Room 1 – Speaking to the Media Room 2 – Facilitation Training Room 3 – 10 steps to effective campaigning Room 4 – Direct Action Training Room 5 – Marshal Training Room 6 – Anti-Oppression/Anti Racism Training 3:45 – 5:15 Committee Discussions Room 1 – Outreach / Action Room 2 – Media Room 3 – Facilitation / Marshals Room 4 – Finance Room 5 – Women’s / Accessibility Committees Room 6 – Marshals 5:30-6:00 Closing Ceremony – Main Room REGISTRATION: ****Please note: Everyone who plans on attending this event must register to attend Registration is Free and MANDATORY!*** You can register online by sending your full name in an email entitled “registration” to [email protected] Or by signing up on the signup sheet that we will be bringing to almost every Toronto General Assembly from now on. Those who have not registered for this event, will not be allowed into the rooms. BUSES: For those people out of town, we are working on organizing buses to pick a few people up from all across southern Ontario (and Quebec.) This is STILL NOT CONFIRMED. If we find the funding for it, we will have one bus leaving Montreal, one bus leaving Windsor, and one bus leaving Sault Saint Marie to stop off at various towns and cities and pick people up on the way to Toronto. (and also drop people off on Sunday evening.) Everyone who wants to get on those buses must sign up for a seat with a liaison from your town. If you don’t know of a liaison to speak to from your town, e-mail [email protected] and we will either send you contact info for your town’s liaison, or ask you to BE your town’s liaison....

What’s up at the Web Development Team?

Occupy Toronto 29 December 2011 by Michael Holloway As the Web Development Committee continues to rebuild our ‘hacked-to-death’ website, we’re trying to better understand what Occupy Toronto looks like – so we can build a web site that reflects it well. One of the ways we’re doing this is to create a ‘schematic’ of OccupyToronto: An Image of “Building a Schematic of Occupy Toronto” See it Live: http://bit.ly/SchematicOccupyTO The Doc was made with Google’s new, ‘Presentation’ application – it’s a live schematic of Occupy Toronto that’s updating daily as we get new info. All links are in blue and underlined – have a look. If you have any new info to contribute, please comment in this Google Groups thread: “Building a Schematic of Occupy Toronto” – http://groups.google.com/group/occupy-toronto-web-development/browse_frm/thread/600b0ae71c2f6092?hl=en A brief synopsis of 5 WebDEV meetings The Committee met face to face on December 13, 2011 at The Imperial Pub (minutes) – and then online on December 15th (minutes), and December 19 (minutes). We tried to meet on December 27 online (notes), but we didn’t have a quorum. Tonight – December 29,2011 – we held another meeting in Google Hangout (minutes). The next meeting is on January 3, 2012 – 9pm in Google+ “Hangout” (see below to register and attend). What’s Coming Up? The new site will have pages for all the Committees and sub-committees – with links to them through ‘Tabs’ just under the site’s Header. Forums, like Facebook, will be up for General Conversation – and also perhaps on individual Committee Pages – where anyone can comment just by signing up with an email. To make the forums as democratic as possible, a ‘Rotten Tomatoes’, ‘Digg’ or ‘Reddit’ style ‘Vote up’ / ‘Vote down’ system is being investigated. To make the communication portals useful as well as interesting, you’ll be able to switch your ‘View’ in any of the forums: see ‘Everything‘, or only ‘Official‘ Occupy Toronto posts (Blogs and Event postings from Committees, Sub-committees, and Action Groups). The holidays have interrupted our progress a little bit – but I think Committee Pages will be up soon – including one for the General Assembly. At tonight’s meeting we decided, as a stop-gap, to add an RSS feed option to the front page that will link to the General Assembly Minutes. Currently they are being posted at a Google Group – this is the feed address the new RSS Button will link to – https://groups.google.com/group/occupytorontogaminutes/feeds ). Soon we will have the software installed to create all the Committee Pages. Inside those pages will be spaces for Meeting Minutes – and much more. Also, you may have noticed that the “Living Schedule” (a live spreadsheet) is now a Live Google Calendar that updates daily. All Occupy Toronto Meetings, Announcements and Events can be found there – many with links to outside web pages. Access it through the “Calendar” link, just under the Header on the front page. Happy New Year! Michael Holloway WebDEV Committee OccupyToronto Author ———— Want to attend the next WebDEV meeting? (10/01/12 Google+ Hangout – 9pm) Leave a comment at this link: https://groups.google.com/group/occupy-toronto-web-development/browse_frm/thread/bb0a4451178f73ae?hl=en I will build a email list and when the Google+ “Hangout” is created, I’ll send out a call. (People who wish to attend should set up a Google+ account prior to the meeting – if you have a gmail account, you’re already on Google+ … while in gmail, just click on the furthest left tab labeled, “Google+“.)...

Occupy Toronto – Regrouping Weekend

“Retreat, Regroup, Reoccupy!” A weekend of reflection, coordination, structuring and regrouping for activists involved in Occupy Toronto committees. Where: Steelworker’s Hall – 25 Cecil Street, When: The weekend of the 6, 7, and 8th of January. Facebook event This weekend conference will give the committees a chance to communicate and coordinate with each other, and restructure if necessary. It is primarily intended for the members of the Occupy Toronto Committees but totally open to the public and all are welcome. Members of the 99% who feel like they are more on the periphery, who would like to learn more about the occupy movement and who want to get more involved then they have been so far should consider coming to the Activist Assembly two weeks later: www.facebook.com/events/270078499716966/ Schedule: Friday 7:00-10:00 – Facilitated Debriefing Session. A facilitated group activity session that will encourage individuals to identify group strengths and weaknesses, and develop interpersonal relationships. Saturday 12:00-4:00 Committees each take a turn debriefing. Every committee interested in participating must come up with a short (10-15 minute) presentation, and a 15 minute open discussion will follow each committee’s debrief Sunday 12:00 – 2:45 Open, facilitated discussion on our decision making process. Various decision making alternatives will be presented followed by a group discussion. 3:00 – 6:00 Visioning Session using the Open Space method of facilitation. “Open Space Technology is a workshop design tool to use when situations include a diverse group of people who must deal with complex, and potentially conflicting material in innovative and productive ways. It is a facilitation method in which people can identify specific issues on a given topic, self-select into discussion groups, and work with the issue with people also concerned with that issue.” http://www.freechild.org/Firestarter/OpenSpace.htm...

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