Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
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The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) is a federation of activists in Ontario, Canada, who promote the interests of the poor and homeless. The group enjoys a particular notoriety, especially in Toronto, due to its effective use of publicity-generating techniques such as direct action.
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[edit] Composition
The coalition was founded in 1989 by John Clarke, a British ex-pat and unemployed auto-worker. The coalition was created to promote concern and action about poverty, homelessness, and gentrification in downtown Toronto. The group is headquartered in Toronto, and that remains the centre of most of their activities, but they have engaged in actions in most major Ontario centres. The movement is composed primarily of activists, social workers, and the poor. It was particularly prominent during the period of 1995–2002 as one of the voices of opposition to the Progressive Conservative government of Mike Harris. OCAP focuses primarily on day-to-day legal casework around poverty, disability, immigration and status issues, but has become known for its public campaigns and demonstrations.
[edit] Queen's Park riot and aftermath
On June 15, 2000, OCAP staged a large demonstration on the lawn at Queen's Park, Toronto, during which violent altercations took place between the demonstrators and security officials, police officers, and police horses. In the aftermath, upwards of 40 people were arrested and charged, including three high profile OCAP members — John Clarke, Gaetan Heroux and Stefan Pilipa. The eventual trial of these three was declared by the presiding judge to be a mistrial due to a hung jury. The Crown dropped the charges against Heroux and Pilipa but elected to procede again against Clarke. All charges against Clarke were eventually dropped when a judge threw them out owing to the Crown's failure to disclose evidence expeditiously.
Charges against most other defendants had mixed results; most were either acquitted or had their charges dropped. In all, however, the crown attorney in conjunction with the Toronto police spent over two years on these cases.
[edit] Mock eviction of the Finance Minister
A small controversy was created when a group of OCAP activists walked into Ontario Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's office and staged a mock eviction, moving his furniture out onto the curb.
[edit] Attempted disruption of Stratford opening night gala
In May 2006, OCAP declared they were planning a demonstration outside of the opening night gala for the Stratford Festival of Canada. Their website described the event as "an annual play pen for the rich", and saw the festivities as an opportunity to voice their disapproval with Ontario's welfare rates and minimum wage.[1] The group promised an entourage of 400 supporters and hinted it would attempt to disrupt or shut down the evening's events.
On May 29, 2006, OCAP followed through with their Stratford plans, although the number of participants fell dramatically short of their original projection (reports estimate anywhere between 40 and 80 activists were present). While unacknowledged by OCAP themselves, many suspect the day's coinciding Toronto Transit Commission wildcat strike to be the reason behind the low turnout. Organizers of the Stratford Festival later claimed to have lost $30,000 preparing for the protest.[2]
[edit] Funding
OCAP is funded through private donations and support from labour unions. At one time up to a third of their operating funds coming the Canadian Auto Workers, but the CAW cut most of its funding after the Flaherty action and OCAP has since had to engage in raising funds from individuals in order to pay its organizers. Shortly after the CAW discontinued funding OCAP, Canadian Union of Public Employees local 3903, representing York University Teaching Assistants and contract faculty passed a motion to pay the monthly rent for the organization's office space. Strong connections between [CUPE 3903] and OCAP were developed when 3903 members took part in a 78 day strike in the winter of 2000/2001. The strike was in defense of tuition indexation to wages and job security that had come under aggressive attack province-wide by the Tory government. During this period 3903 members became increasingly active in solidarity initiatives with other threatened workers as well as with anti-poverty, global justice and anti-war activists re-invigorating politics of direct action. The attempt has been to draw connections between these movements in an anti-racist form of social movement unionism.
[edit] Strategy and tactics
The organization has blockaded major streets, broken into abandoned buildings to apply pressure to have them be turned into housing, staged counter-demonstrations at celebrations, conducted confrontational marches through wealthy neighbourhoods, and crashed political events and meetings.
The group has battled many organizations, keeping a close eye on the behaviour of the police and making enemies of all major political parties. The group is especially confrontational towards neighbourhood associations that tend to work to close homeless shelters and evict the poor from neighbourhoods.
[edit] Publicity and results
OCAP's tactics have been very controversial, and the leading members have been arrested a number of times.
Their confrontational tactics have earned OCAP much publicity and notice from the public and from politicians.
OCAP argues they have produced measurable results in increasing the supply of affordable housing.
[edit] Backlash
More recently, OCAP and its tactics have frequently alienated themselves from trade unions and other progressive organizations. The Canadian Union of Public Employees cut its funding and recent actions by OCAP attacking the major hotel employees union in Toronto (UNITE HERE) has caused other traditional supporters to denounce OCAP and disassociate themselves from the group's activities.
[edit] External links
- The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty's website
- Ontario Tenants Rights An OCAP assisted and affiliated website
- Metropolitan Hotel Workers' website (OCAP-supported campaign critical of both management and the union at the Metropolitan Hotel Toronto)
