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Nova Scotia Federation of Labour Stands With Occupy Nova Scotia, Considers Mayor Kelly's Eviction Notice Uneccesary.
Conversation with Tony Tracy, Regional Representative of Canadian Labour Congress
Tony Tracy, Regional Representative of Canadian Labour Congress
Occupy Nova Scotia has a situation. The main issue now facing the occupiers is the fact that Grand Parade Square, where there are currently about 50 tents set up, is the site of the annual Remembrance Day ceremony. The ceremony, which takes place on November 11th, often sees Grand Parade Square packed to capacity with veterans and participants. It may prove difficult for the occupation, which currently only has its tents pitched on the grassy extremities of the Square, to share the area with the influx of people on November 11th.
To that effect, Mayor Peter Kelly and the HRM handed out a Notice of Relocation yesterday evening. The wording of the Notice, particularly the phrase: "...It is now time to return the Grand Parade to the public at large for its use in the many activities of its citizens.", suggests an attempt by the Mayor to separate the so-called "public at large" from the occupiers.
Here Kelly has sadly erred. If the sheer numbers of permanent occupiers at Parade Square imply that the movement is some kind of non-representative, fringe, group, the Mayor should be aware that they are merely the visible tip of a significantly larger iceberg.
Yesterday, four members of Occupy NS were given a series of standing ovations as they addressed the Nova Scotia Federation of Labour's meeting. At the meeting were representatives of over 78,000 workers in the province. Elected Labour leadership within the province stands in solidarity with Occupy NS. $5,000, as well as significant non-financial contributions, were raised to benefit the movement.
It would appear that the path towards sharing Parade Square, especially for a significant event such as Remembrance Day, lies in negotiation, and not in heavy-handed, top-down, Notices of Relocation.
Please enjoy the audio of a conversation with Tony Tracy, Regional Representative of the Canadian Labour Congress.
Topics: Direct Action
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Comments
Occupy Nova Scotia
Submitted by John Couture (not verified) on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 08:36.
I commend these individuals for providing an ongoing show of political unrest in the Halifax Regional Municipality and the country. It is important to understand this is a democratic right to make peaceful presentation and demonstration without breaking laws or causing a riot.
Mayor Kelly feels that it is in the best interest of citizens to disregard the rights of these individuals so that veterans can be allowed to remind the population of their struggles, battles, and strength of character...to protect these rights! Does this not sound like an oxymoron?
Perhaps it is time that Mayor Kelly stops listening to Morons and starts understanding that it is not proper to take the earth as an asset, that people are nothing more than skill sets, and the rich should be provided loopholes and taxbreaks on the back of the 99%!
I Support Occupy
Submitted by jdark (not verified) on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 06:23.
I believe that the Occupy movement has a broad base od support in Hova Scotia, In my rural community even my conservative aunt, in her 70's, said "I'm all for the 99%". The general consensus in Canada, if you leave the rich aside, is that the government is failing to address critical questions like unemployment, the environment, worker's rights, and inequality. And we don't like the rich corporation getting tax cuts and the banks getting 75 billion dollar bailouts, while health care and education sit on the back burner.
The Occupy protesters are performing a great service for us all: their presence makes government take notice and raises debate in society -- for that alone they have earned our respect. I don't see why the Remembrance Day ceremony couldn't be moved. It would be a lot easier to find parking somewhere outside the city center too.
http://www.petitiononlinecana
Submitted by Anonymous in Halifax (not verified) on Sat, 11/12/2011 - 10:06.
Please sign this petition and share the link. Help the voice of Nova Scotia be heard.
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