Safe Park to be City Social Cleansing Target Toronto Mayor Lastman Threatens to Kill Shelters and Initiatives for the Poor - Aug 8/99
Mayor Mel Lastman is threatening to tell homeless people to go to hell and not to house them anymore. Though the people camping in Allan Gardens (corner of Sherbourne and Gerrard) as a stand against Target Policing and brutality against the poor are not harming anyone, Lastman, city staff and the police plan to use brutal force to sweep the campers out later today. Big Media outlets in Toronto acting as a propaganda arm for poor bashers have emboldened the City and police. Paul Ronan, director of the city's parks department is doing a countdown on an as yet unannounced time for the police sweep. The strange thing here being that the Safe Park initiative against the Community Action Policing plan and social cleansing is expected to be itself a victim of social cleansing.
People who can possibly get down to Allan Gardens to boost the number of witnesses should do so as it now seems clear a violent end is approaching.
Information requests and messages of support should be directed to:
The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty Phone (416) 925-6939 Fax (416)
966-8759
E-mail ocap@tao.ca
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