What a bunch of great speakers Friday night at Massey Hall.
I found out later that it was simulcast on the net and is available in replay at the rabble link below but it was still great to witness it in person...................
http://www.rabble.ca/...
http://www.canadians.org/
A special standout was Pablo Solon of Bolivia who became their UN Ambassador.
Imagine the balls this guy and his friends had to go up against the USA/CIA and their corrupt corporate machine not to mention the then corrupt Bolivian government.
He talked about the 'privitization of water' and the fight they had to get it back about 10 years ago from Bechtel.
More on that fight below.............
Another surprise was John Hilary from England. Smart guy.
Amy Goodman and Naomi Klein were of corse very good.
I'm going to the big march today. I would love to get to Naomi sign my Disaster Capitalisim book...................
The Water War Begins
Just weeks after taking over the water, Bechtel’s company hit local families with rate increases of up to 200% and sometimes higher. Workers living on the local minimum wage of $60 per month were told to pay as much as $15 just to keep the water running out of their tap. Tanya Paredes, a mother of four who supports her family knitting baby clothes, saw her water bill increased from $5 per month to nearly $20, a rise equal to what it costs her to feed her family for a week and a half. "What we pay for water comes out of what we have to pay for food, clothes and the other things we need to buy for our children," she says.
http://redirectingat.com/...
The following is an e-mail Isent to friends......
But Then...........
I was watching a few minutes ago Judy Rebick on CHCH TV here and she was questioning the police allowing that car to burn (apparently it burnt for 2 hrs before the fire dept showed up) or for that matter to even allow protestors to get close enough to light it on fire. That is not the one I posted as I was at the other end near Yonge stareet at that time.
The one I think she is reffering to is the one on Queeen st west which was televised live as a couple of protestors jumped on it and kicked the windows out first. I couldn't believe what I was seeing both on Yonge Street and on TV on Queen. Actually I wondered where the cops where when I was watching.
As we were heading north to the subway I heard one of the parked motorcycle cops radio yapping about a fire and some other stuff. There was a reporter there and he asked the cop "what;s that about' and the cop turned his radio off and said 'no big deal'. All I will say to that and the turn of events is mmmmmmmmmmmmm???
My walk (anti-free trade) took us along Queen street past this very spot to Spadina On every side street running north and south about 100 ft back from Queen st there were riot geared cops probably 40 of them on each streeet standing shoulder to shoulder
I believe, along with others that these actions by some of the protestors were deliberate by a small rowdy contingent and was allowed to happen to justify to Canadians the cost of over a Billion dollars for this event.
Ultimately the misfortune of these G8 or 20 meeting is to undermine the United Nations and think Canadians should remember that Harper thought this event and the cost was justified. I think they should also remember that when Liberal Paul Martin was the finance minister for Canada that he along with Larry Sumners created the G8 concept.
Over a billion taxpayer dollars for security and they couldn't contain these people???.
G20 police let rioters run amok and then struck back hard at all activists
Evidently this group had started rioting on Queen Street over half an hour earlier -- where the police drove one of their cars into the middle of the group then abandoned it. It was soon set on fire -- making a great photo op.
There were reported to be 19,000 security people on duty, and a 7,000 police.
more
http://rabble.ca/...
Why big media ignored 25,000 peacefull marchers........
Police playing politics, justifying the expense and responding to the critiques building all week about excessive and arbitrary police powers. A politicized police force is unacceptable in a democratic society. There are serious questions that must be answered and they have not been satisfactory answered.
http://rabble.ca/...
above 2 bottom links repaired........