Kitchener Waterloo Youth Collective
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Kitchener-Waterloo Youth Collective (KWYC) is a revolutionary left-wing political group that exists in Kitchener-Waterloo Ontario to fight for the rights of disabled, poor, minority, street and other youth. KWYC was made up initially of mostly members of the Kitchener-Waterloo Anti-Racist Action chapter but now included as number of street and gang youth.
In 2001 Downtown Kitchener began a revitalization plan called "Urban Evolution" in order to bring up property value and tourism in the city. In response to this gentrification an increasing amount of street youth, expelled from shelters with no place to go, were harassed on the streets by security and police. KWYC launched its own campaign called "Urban Revolution" in response.
KWYC rented a large commercial space in order to provide youth with a safe place to hang out, and organize for their rights. It was called "The Spot youth drop in centre". The Spot provided youth with books, computers, clothing, use of a telephone, and other services. All of the funding came from the organization's membership and supporters, and no business or government money was accepted. All decision about "The Spot" were made democratically, and every youth had equal opportunity to participate in the descion making process.
Meanwhile, On the streets, police would still harass youth. In 2003, KWYC started their own "cop watch" program inspired by the Black Panther Party. Armed with pens, paper, and a camera; the youth followed police around the city and monitored their activities. They informed people accosted by police of their rights, and sometimes intervened if they felt the person was being treated unjustly by police.
The group also made posters with pictures of police who allegedly assaulted and abused their powers in order to inform people in the community.
KWYC also took a number of "squats", occupying abandoned buildings and demanding that they be converted in to social housing and/or opened to the homeless. They also initiated a number of "tent cities", setting up tents and other shelters anywhere from parks, to the front of city hall, to the mayor's front lawn, in order to illustrate the homelessness and housing problems of the city.
They have also took actions to defend prisoners, people they felt had unjustly had their children taken by Children's Aid, people who faced eviction, people who have been denied social assistance, ODSP (disability) or Employment Insurance (EI); people who have work related incidents and problems, have fought against the presence of neo-Nazi, fascist and racist groups in the city; and many other issues.
KWYC has worked in the ways and been inspired by both the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and Anti-Racist Action, taking actions against poverty and racist organizing.
KWYC also has a May Day event every year, with a conference, workshops and actions. Organizations from all over the country have come to participate.
One of their members, Julian Ichim, is best known for throwing chocolate milk on the right-wing Canadian Alliance Party Leader Stockwell Day in 2000 during his grand entrance to make a speech at Conestoga College in Kitchener. Ichim also ran as an Independent Renewal candidate in the 2003 Provincial election for the Riding of Kitchener-Centre.
In 2003, Kitchener-Waterloo helped to form the now defunct Rebel Youth Network.
In the 2004 federal election, The spot ran one of their members, Mark Cobrier, as an Independent Candidate in the riding of Kitchener-Centre. One of his opponents was Thomas Ichim - the brother of Julian Ichim - for the newly formed Conservative Party of Canada, which was a merger of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada and the Canadian Alliance.
Ichim ran in the 2005-2006 election in the riding of Kitchener-Waterloo.[1]
In 2006, many of KWYC organizers settled a law suit with the local police for harassment. The settlement was in the thousands of dollars range.[citation needed]
Although the "The Spot" drop-in centre no longer exists, KWYC is still very active in Kitchener-Waterloo.
