Friday Night Masquerade Solidarité: Students and Allies Unite Against Tuition Fees

Where: St. George Subway Station


When: Starting 7pm


What: A Masquerade party in the streets; march and afterparty. Bring a mask (there will be some provide for those who don't have time or money for one), an noise-maker, and a good spirit! 


Why: Charivari, a form of political protest dating back to the 16th century, is a peaceful method of bringing attention to socially unacceptable behaviour, especially that of government. Quebec has again brought the charivari back to life through casseroles and masquerades; and, on June 22nd, we bring this protest in the form of masquerade to the streets of Toronto. Our targets are the federal and provincial governments, our reason: the continued exploitation of students and perversion of the education system through privatization, cuts to funding, and mounting debt.


The streets of Toronto: filled with the most beautiful masks and costumes – a party. A party with a purpose: to heckle our governments for their dehumanizing policies, and their unwillingness to respect, protect, and fulfill those most fundamental rights which they already agreed to decades ago. Demand your right to education be upheld, and tuition fees eradicated.June 22nd will be the 5-month anniversary of when Quebec students first stood in the streets with these same demands. When called upon to fulfill its responsibility on education, the Quebec government responded by violating more human rights through Bill-78, the bylaw prohibiting masks or bandanas at protests, and have since engaged in extreme political profiling – based only on the colour of your square. With Harper’s Bill C-309 set to do the same nationwide, it is more important than ever that Canadians band together to protest these egregious violations of our rights.


Our governments are violating national, and international law. If you are fed up with having your right to expression trampled, if you are looking to make noise, if you just want to have a good time: put on a beautiful mask, grab your pots, pans, and drums, and come celebrate!



Who: this event is being hosted by the Ontario Student Mobilisation Coalition osmc.ca


facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/399285933447185/

Respect to Our Friends in Quebec Trying To Break Through Ignorance and Apathy

* taken from l'activiste facebook page

Week's Schedule and Reminders

Tomorrow (June 5th): 6pm Student Union Meeting at Philosopher's Walk, right in the middle. By 6:45 our meeting will turn mobile, as we walk to join the student protest.

Agenda:

1. Sunday Details

2. Course Report Backs

3. New Courses and Student Strike

4. OUTREACH!!!!!!!!!

8pm Students and Workers' Unite! OSMC hosts a march to spread the student strike starting at George Brown College (George St. and King St. E.)

Wednesday, June 6th: 8pm Casseroles Night Starting at Dufferin Grove - bring your pots and pans in support of the students!

Sunday June 10th: remember, classes have moved to Alexandra Park! Classes will still be held all day from 1pm through to midnight.

Homework:
Human Rights  - research human rights treaties signed by Canada: the class has chosen to focus on creating a document which explains the student struggle for free and equitable education from a human rights perspective. This is the research faze.

Democracy -  read excerpt from chapter 2 of Real Democracy at circleofdemocracy.org

Equity - we will be taking the next class to discuss self-care and support networks in activism work. Think on which of the following you would like to focus on for the week of the 17th: non-violence, or Canadian immigration

Direct Action - which actions would you like to carry out as a class? What issue do you want to focus on? Research a storyline to your proposed action, and past actions of the same ilk.

We Are Not Robots, and We Demand A Free Education That Treats Us Like Individuals

Thousands of students and community members fill the streets of Quebec, as the government passes by-laws to criminalize them through bill c-78: no masks allowed; a group of ten or more must give the police notice before engaging in any protest-related activity in public space; protesters cannot be within 50 meters of post-secondary education institutions. for more:

http://rabble.ca/news/2012/05/quebec-students-say-charests-authoritarian-special-law-will-fail

The government is violating our basic human right to assemble.

The free skule stands with the rallying cry for free education - at all levels, for all! Post-secondary education continues to be vehemently standardized and privatized....we get less and less, and are forced to pay more and more. Fix into boxes and shipped off for a jobless future. No more!

Will Ontario follow the Quebecois youth?

We certainly hope so, and we're here to help create the alternative!
May 22nd join us and hundreds of students at 2pm in from of Hart House as we march the streets to tell toronto that education is a right.

http://www.facebook.com/events/385753454796348/

Education, the youth: these are investments, not expenses. And if we aren't investing in our children...then what's the point of money?