|
OCAP
- Funding Appeal
PLEASE CIRCULATE
WIDELY
2002 placed
huge strains on OCAP's resources. We had to fight to defend dozens
of members and supporters in the courts in the face of intensified
(and unsuccessful) efforts to criminalize and destroy our organization.
It has never
been our intention, however, to let them divert us from the struggle
we are engaged in and, this last year saw our fight back taken to
new levels. Every day, we opposed evictions, challenged the denial
of social benefits, resisted deportations and fought back against
other abuses thrown at people in the war on the poor. We also took
the fight for housing to a new level with the month's long "Pope
Squat" that shook up the Tories and pointed the way forward for
the upcoming year.
As we go into
2003, we face some very major challenges. Three of our members,
Stefan Pilipa, John Clarke and Gaetan Heroux face a three
month Jury Trial that starts in January. They have been singled
out as 'leaders' of a 'planned riot' on June 15, 2000 at the Ontario
Legislature. Prison terms of up to five years are hanging over them.
(We know these OCAP members are not guilty because June 15 was a
police riot and the cops don't take their orders from us). We will
approach this trial not just as a legal battle but as a political
campaign and will mobilize to defeat this latest round in the criminalization
of resistance.
During this
next year, we intend to deepen our work in poor neighbourhoods and
to organize struggles for housing that will be on a much bigger
scale than that of the Pope Squat. Coast to coast housing takeovers
are being worked for with OCAP spearheading a major mobilization
in Toronto.
We are moving
forward with all these struggles with a bank account that is down
to next to nothing. Now, we know that we are going to have to carry
on our work with resources that are but a tiny fraction of what
the other side spends on trying to silence us but, if you could
help us keep the phone hooked up and the rent paid, that would be
nice. We urgently need a round of financial support to take us into
the New Year. Please rush any and all donations to:
OCAP,
517 College Street, unit 234,
Toronto, ON
M6G 4A2
If you would
like to receive an OCAP calendar (cost $12 with postage) please
let us know this when you write and be sure to include a return
address.
Thanks,
OCAP
Go To Top
Back
to DAWN Ontario homepage
This
page was created December 4, 2002
|
