TORONTO - No matter how many tents remain, the occupation of St. James Park is over.
Not because police have gone in to take it back -- or soon will.
It happened because the funding and support from the labour unions was pulled -- leaving the real and ardent occupiers with yet another group to have a grievance about.
“They loved us yesterday,” teased one occupier.
But yesterday has passed.
And with tensions mounting and the city bracing itself for an imminent and anticipated police enforcement of a court order, word came down from union brass to pack up and get out of there.
First came down the dining tents and it wasn’t lost on anybody it meant the end of the hot and balanced meals. Then came down some expensive yurts. Many took down their pup tents and decided to go peacefully -- including the aboriginal protesters who even doused their “sacred” fire.
“At least they didn’t take the porta potties,” said the camper.
In fact the stench permeating the park yesterday was coming from the service truck which came into pump out the waste.
But stay tuned because they will be gone soon too.
One item that remained as of deadline Tuesday was the library yurt. It, however, has been transformed into a bunker, complete with a fortified front gate and occupiers ready for all comers. It looks like something out of a Mad Max movie. If police do come in to remove this structure, they should have fire fighters in tow since all it would take is one idiot with a match and the place could be torched.
The union movement may not get this yurt back.
“We support the Occupy protestors as they expose growing economic inequality and corporate corruption. We will add our strength to this peoples’ movement for as long as it takes,” wrote Ontario Public Service Employees Union President Warren (Smokey) Thomas on its web site last month. “We have joined forces with six other unions including ONA, SEIU, CEP, Steelworkers District 6, ETFO and SEP to assist the activists who stand for all of us as they continue to maintain the Occupy sites. The unified strength of these unions has allowed us to make substantial donations. These include portable toilets, generators, and most recently three traditional Mongolian tents called yurts. Plans are also underway to provide a portable kitchen. OPSEU will continue to support this courageous movement as it shapes the changes that lie ahead. We are there for the Occupy activists for as long as it takes.”
There were also members from the CAW involved in this protest and from CUPE too. What do you think of the fact that the well paid union workers sanctioned fronting this occupy movement?
It was a slick move, and a sweet irony, since there is an argument to be made that inflexible highly paid public and private sector unions have had their negative influence on today’s financial and employment crisis. Joining it, or even leading it, is a good way to keep the herd from turning on them.
They obviously effectively used the occupiers as their front line soldiers in the War on Ford and other efforts to stifle capitalism and democracy as we know it. Perhaps they will be there with bail money and legal counsel too? Clearing out before the police response was not mentioned as something they would do in Smokey Thomas’s original letter but at least those crazy enough to be prepared to clash with police will know better for next time.
Certainly these unions should be held accountable for all that ends up going wrong with the eventual shutdown of the occupation. There is little question, without the funding and equipment from the unions none of this would lasted for almost a month and a half. My favourite indicator of union arrogance was found in the middle of the park when someone drove a white van with OPSEU painted on the door right on the grass and parked for several hours while disassembling a camp.
It was as classless as it was revealing.
And no. The OPSEU van parked in the middle of the destroyed park was not accosted by the zero-tolerance Toronto parking assassins, even though all of the other media trucks and vans on the outside the park were.
If I were Mayor Ford I know where I would be sending the park clean-up and damage bill.
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