Comrade Marcel
25th July 2003, 05:55
On Monday July 21, OCAP's campaign to dog the Tories as they crank up their election machine took a step forward.
Scores of wealthy Tory backers showed up for a $1000 a head golf game with the Premier at the Lionhead Golf and Country Club in Brampton to find a strong OCAP picket line waiting for them. They soon discovered that their 'right' to buy privileged access to top Government figures cut very little ice with the picketers.
Peel Police and the OPP contingent on hand seemed ill prepared to deal with a challenge to the golf tournament. Close to fifty determined picketers from OCAP, UNITE, the New Socialists and the KW Youth Collective (http://kwyc.rebelyouth.ca) (members from Toronto Native youth (http://tny.rebelyouth.ca) & Young Left (http://gta.rebelyouth.ca[/url) were also there - MR*) were able to back up carloads of aspiring Tory golfers way down Mississauga Road until hastily assembled police reinforcements were able to open a path into the plush property. Even then, the grand entry of the indignant and disgruntled members of the Eves fan club continued to be delayed by the picket line. In the end, the event got underway over an hour later than the official starting time. Only one picket member was arrested and was released shortly afterwards with a minor mischief charge.
It seems others found ways to express their anger at the poverty agenda of the Tories and their sick golf extravaganza. The Toronto Star reported that "Just before dawn, unidentified vandals destroyed the putting greens at three holes of Lionhead's elite Masters' Course. Using gasoline to kill the grass, they emblazoned slogans reading: 'Eves Out', and 'Justice'. They also dug large holes that took four groundskeepers seven hours to repair".
Eves has yet to even make his reluctant election call and already we are mobilizing hard hitting challenges to his public events. As they move closer to 'E Day', the momentum of our campaign will increase. Poverty and the resistance of the poor will be an election issue they won't welcome but will be unable to avoid.
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In a shabby attempt to deflect attention from the issues OCAP confronts them with, the Tories responded to our picket line by suggesting it was linked to the opposition Liberal Party. A horrified Liberal spokesperson told the Star that it "is patently untrue that Dalton McGuinty has any involvement with OCAP". Mr. McGuinty is well advised to stress that he is no friend of ours or we of his. If he makes it into the Premier's chair, we will be able to demonstrate this very clearly and quite rapidly.
*Marcell Rodden
Scores of wealthy Tory backers showed up for a $1000 a head golf game with the Premier at the Lionhead Golf and Country Club in Brampton to find a strong OCAP picket line waiting for them. They soon discovered that their 'right' to buy privileged access to top Government figures cut very little ice with the picketers.
Peel Police and the OPP contingent on hand seemed ill prepared to deal with a challenge to the golf tournament. Close to fifty determined picketers from OCAP, UNITE, the New Socialists and the KW Youth Collective (http://kwyc.rebelyouth.ca) (members from Toronto Native youth (http://tny.rebelyouth.ca) & Young Left (http://gta.rebelyouth.ca[/url) were also there - MR*) were able to back up carloads of aspiring Tory golfers way down Mississauga Road until hastily assembled police reinforcements were able to open a path into the plush property. Even then, the grand entry of the indignant and disgruntled members of the Eves fan club continued to be delayed by the picket line. In the end, the event got underway over an hour later than the official starting time. Only one picket member was arrested and was released shortly afterwards with a minor mischief charge.
It seems others found ways to express their anger at the poverty agenda of the Tories and their sick golf extravaganza. The Toronto Star reported that "Just before dawn, unidentified vandals destroyed the putting greens at three holes of Lionhead's elite Masters' Course. Using gasoline to kill the grass, they emblazoned slogans reading: 'Eves Out', and 'Justice'. They also dug large holes that took four groundskeepers seven hours to repair".
Eves has yet to even make his reluctant election call and already we are mobilizing hard hitting challenges to his public events. As they move closer to 'E Day', the momentum of our campaign will increase. Poverty and the resistance of the poor will be an election issue they won't welcome but will be unable to avoid.
******************
In a shabby attempt to deflect attention from the issues OCAP confronts them with, the Tories responded to our picket line by suggesting it was linked to the opposition Liberal Party. A horrified Liberal spokesperson told the Star that it "is patently untrue that Dalton McGuinty has any involvement with OCAP". Mr. McGuinty is well advised to stress that he is no friend of ours or we of his. If he makes it into the Premier's chair, we will be able to demonstrate this very clearly and quite rapidly.
*Marcell Rodden