THE YONGE STREET UPRISING AND ANTI-BLACK RACISM TODAY
By Daniel Tseghay
“No justice, no peace,” yelled the demonstrators conducting a 45-minute sit-in at the corner of Toronto’s Yonge and Bloor. It was shortly after 4pm and they’d just marched from the U.S.Consulate on University. Now they headed to City Hall as the crowd grew to over a thousand. Once they had arrived and given their speeches, the organizers, the Black Action Defense Committee (BADC), considered the demonstration a wrap. But it was 9pm by then and some in the sizeable crowd decided to smash windows, light fires, and throw various objects at the police with around 75 people charged with offences in the end. Read more!
At its best, the recent 28th Constitutional Convention of the Canadian Labour Congress demonstrated how far unions have come on Indigenous rights, Palestinian rights (more on that later), racism, queer or trans rights, mental health, and environmental justice. Delegates made passionate appeals to support these and other important struggles. Read more!
The upcoming provincial election has thrust into the spotlight various debates about how to best address poverty in Nova Scotia: wage increases, social programs, tax-based incentives, or a job. Recently, the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party announced that, if elected, it would raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2020. In May of 2016, I wrote a blog about this proposal. Read more!
By Kimball Cariou
The Trade Justice Network reported on May 2 that high level negotiators from 11 countries were meeting at an undisclosed location behind closed doors in Toronto in an attempt to resuscitate the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).
The proposed corporate mega-trade deal appeared to be dead after public pressure prompted the U.S. to withdraw from the pact following the presidential election. Read more!
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