As police clamped down on anti-Wall Street protesters over the weekend, Toronto activists said they are planning similar demonstrations against corporate greed later this month.
Organizers from a group called Occupy Toronto plan to descend on the city’s financial district on Oct. 15 at 10 a.m. The event is inspired by Occupy Wall Street, a group of demonstrators which has camped out near New York’s Financial District for two weeks.
Similar protests are being planned that day for Calgary, Montreal, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Ottawa, Vancouver and Victoria, according to the website Occupy Together, which bills itself as an unofficial hub for similar demonstrations worldwide.
Occupy Toronto had its first meeting on Sept. 29, according to its website. As of Sunday afternoon, more than 3,000 people had “liked” their Facebook group and more than 800 people had confirmed attendance at the Oct. 15 occupation.
Like Occupy Wall Street, the group has yet to spell out a clear objective. Protesters in New York have spoken out against corporate greed, social inequality, global climate change and other concerns.
“We have a lot of critics and skeptics about the fact that currently, there are no goals,” spokesperson Bryan Batty said. “But it comes down to corporate greed. That’s the one thing that everyone is unified on right now,” he said, adding that the group’s democratic process will elicit more specific goals.
Anti-Wall Street protesters have spent most of their time in Zuccotti Park, a private plaza off Broadway. On the past two Saturdays, though, they marched to other parts of the city, which led to tense standoffs with police. On Sept. 24, about 100 people were arrested and the group put out video which showed some women being hit with pepper spray by a police official. On Oct. 1, more than 700 people were arrested as the group attempted to cross the Brooklyn Bridge.
Some of the protesters said they were lured onto the roadway by police, or they didn’t hear the calls from authorities to head to the pedestrian walkway. Police said no one was tricked into being arrested, and that those in the back of the group who couldn’t hear were allowed to leave.
The arrests appeared to do little to dampen enthusiasm Sunday. The group is growing in numbers, getting more organized and shows no sign of quitting.
City officials “thought we were going to leave and we haven’t left,” 19-year-old protester Kira Moyer-Sims said. “We’re going to stay as long as we can.”
Hundreds of demonstrators in Boston and Los Angeles launched similar protests in support over the weekend.
Occupy Toronto has yet to determine where it will set up its home base — it is looking for a place similar to Zuccotti Park near Toronto’s financial district where protesters can lawfully gather. But it plans to conduct marches through the financial district and beyond, inspired by Occupy Wall Street demonstrators, Batty said.
“We also have focus on the Canadian issues,” he said. “Our banks didn’t get bailed out, but there are a lot of things that our banks do that harm the environment, culture and society of the Canadian people.”
Protesters in Victoria plan to gather in Centennial Square at noon local time, according to a Facebook event. In Vancouver, organizers say they plan to group outside the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Protests are also planned for Tokyo, five Australian cities, about 10 European countries and most U.S. states, according to Occupy Together.
It’s unclear how long the protests could last — Occupy Toronto’s Facebook event lists an end date of Dec. 31.
“The point of this is to never stop, to never let up the pressure,” Batty said. “So in an ideal sense, we will go until our demands are met.”
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