In tents evening at Occupy Toronto

The tension was palpable. Helicopters over the village of tents outside St. James Cathedral, media trucks parked along the street, cameras and microphones at the ready.  I stepped into the library tent at the Occupy Toronto site. Some children were listening to a story read by a woman and others gathered around. I introduced myself to four of the folk and asked them directions to the information tent.  We talked about the anticipated eviction and was invited to the general assembly meeting starting in 15 minutes.  I made a brief foray to the information tent and dropped off a couple of flyers for a conflict transformation workshop facilitated by Lee McKenna. I found out that song writer Gordon Lightfoot had been there earlier to check on his daughter who was occupying. I spoke to an older couple with greying hair who were on their way to the general assembly.

The assembly was a circle of about 300 or so and the meeting began with a mic check, the human microphone where one person's speech was repeated by many others so the entire group could hear. Rules of order, a few announcements including one about a workshop on knowing your rights and then some information about what the legal team was doing in court at that very moment.  An announcement was expected at any moment about whether the city would proceed with the eviction.  Since I had to be at work later in the evening, I peeled away from the meeting. On the way out of the village, I went by the medical tent and saw some of the artwork in production laid out on the bank.

It was clear that the occupiers are a mix of people of all ages and socio-economic backgrounds. A few were homeless folk who would have been sleeping in the park with or without the Occupy crowd, so it was good they had a group of supportive people around them.

On the way home I heard on the radio the eviction would not proceed.  There were fourteen (and counting) of the 44 city councillors who had signed a letter asking the city to hold off. St. James Anglican Church officials have asked the city to continue allow the occupiers to stay. The church is half owner of the park. Occupy has a court date Friday with a final decision expected on Saturday.

What these folk are doing is worthwhile. We have only begun to see the fruits of their labour and I am grateful.

Leaderless, homeless, perhaps? Hopeful? Surely.

The list is long, but what Occupy wants is very clear.  The "demands"  all stem from how the economic system that once had some measure of stability and gave most people an opportunity to achieve the basic foundation of what some call the "American dream".  The financial system has been hijacked, people defrauded of their homes, livelihoods and pensions and control now rests with a very small number of people. This is antithetical to the American ideal of freedom.  Occupy wants to restore freedom to the people who no longer serve their country but are enslaved in it.  What Occupy is doing is quite libertarian socialist in certain aspects.  Government cannot be trusted since it is in the pockets of corporations.  So, it works outside of government and corporate structures and connects people with one another as well as taking care of one another.  In that it has been spectacularly successful.

If you find it is like trying to nail jelly to a wall and grasp at straws trying to find  spokesperson(s), perhaps it is like that.  Life is messy and resists being packaged and marketed.  People need to know they do not need to operate alone in struggle with the system that demands more work, offers diminishing rewards and charges increasing prices for goods and services and hangs people in hopeless debt.

People are tired of worshipping the "golden calf" of Wall Street, Bay Street and all the other financial streets around the world and getting nothing in return.  When Occupy offers intangibles of soul restoration, sustenance and hope, it is easy to see why it has taken hold.  People will turn to one another as neighbours and society can be rebuilt.