Empty Buildings in David Miller's 'Hood Squatted

VIDEOS!

• Video of the Night March on the Pope Squat

• Video from CITY TV
• Video of the Pope Squat Tour

Following the November 9 march on the Pope Squat (1510 King St. W.) hundreds of people boarded chartered buses to the ritzy neighborhood where Toronto Mayor David Miller hangs his hat.

Just northeast of High Park is a group of large houses which have been slated for demolition to make way for (you guessed it!) more condos. In an area of one entire city block there is only a single house which still has people living in it. Fifteen neighboring buildings are sitting empty! The cops made every effort to stall us, forcing us to crawl along well below the speed limit by driving their cars slowly just in front of the buses.

We hit the ground running when the drivers let us off in the north end of High Park, pouring onto Bloor St. at a fast march which turned to an all-out dash when we reached the side street where the houses were located. People scrambled onto the porch of one house and down the driveway leading around the back as the cops fought to clear the porch and front lawn. Three people emerged on the roof with a banner and megaphone as the crowd loudly berated the police.

The crowd circled the block several times over the next couple of hours, with some people finding their way to the rear of the buildings by way of a neighboring green space. When it was discovered that the cops had neglected to post guards at a second house, people poured onto the porch and quickly found their way inside. The cops clambered through the bushes and (in one case) even jumped from the neighboring porch in their haste to clear people from the house. As this was going on, at least ten people emerged from a second-storey window onto the porch roof!

From what we learned, these houses were in great shape and even still had some of the basic amenities such as furniture and dishes. Dozens of people could have been offered a place to live almost immediately. Instead, at the behest of greedy developers homeless people and supporters found themselves being brutalized by cops in the name of protecting 'private property' - never mind that the 'property' in question was not being used for anything.

Before leaving the area the group marched west through the side streets, stopping outside Mayor Miller's home (there was no one there) before dispersing into the subway. Despite the rough handling by the cops, everyone from inside the buildings exited safely and there were no arrests.

David Miller was elected three years ago on a promise (among other things) to build more social housing in Toronto. Not only has this not happened, but he has allowed this large cluster of houses to stand empty literally in his own backyard. One speaker at the earlier rally at Parkdale Activity & Recreation Centre had mentioned that memorials had just been held for five PARC members who had passed away prematurely within just the past few weeks - all as the direct result of poverty and/or homelessness. Miller and the rest of that useless lot at City Hall are directly complicit in these deaths.

Older Information:

--> NIGHT MARCH ON THE POPE SQUAT
Thursday November 9, 2006

--> DOWNLOAD POSTERS AND LEAFLETS

Every time an election rolls around the politicians promote their agenda and say what they think people want to hear. They make all kinds of claims about what they have done, what they are doing and what they will do if elected. But no matter who sits on City Council and no matter who sits in the Mayor's Chair the fact is that poverty in this city continues to grow as does the housing crisis. This Fall OCAP won’t be waiting to see what the politicians put forward- we will be on the streets in Parkdale- a community which has felt the full brunt of government policies and inaction- building a different Campaign, a movement of residents ready to fight for solutions.

One of the most glaring examples in this city of the failure of all levels of Government to address poverty is the empty building sitting at 1510 King Street West- The Pope Squat. The building has sat empty for 12 years in the heart of Parkdale except for four months when it was squatted by OCAP and made home by dozens of individuals. In the wake of the City expropriation of another privately owned abandoned property- the building at 1495 Queen- we will be holding a March to the Pope Squat on the eve of the municipal election to begin the process of addressing the needs of Parkdale.

We are demanding:

4. FUNDING FOR HOUSING AND SERVICES NOT EVICTIONS AND ENFORCEMENT

**READ more about our demands here.

We need people across the City to join in the campaign by endorsing our demands, getting involved, helping our door to door outreach campaign or confronting any and all Council candidates with these issues.

If you live in Parkdale fill out our online form to get a Remember the Pope Squat lawn sign delivered to your home.

**GET a lawn sign here.

If you support the struggle for justice and dignity come out to the following events:

NIGHT MARCH ON THE POPE SQUAT
Thursday November 9, 2006
6:00pm
1499 Queen St. W. (west of Lansdowne)
Dinner will be served.

**READ more about the night march here.

MEMORIAL FOR VASYL- FORMER POPE SQUAT RESIDENT
Tuesday October 24, 2006
7:00pm
at the Pope Squat- 1510 King Street West (corner of Wilson Park)

**READ more about the memorial here.

STILL READING??!?? Check out the OLD Pope Squat Page (from 2002)