"It's obviously something that the government of Canada will cover."
War Minister Art Eggleton, on the $32.4 million
(and rising steadily) it has cost to bomb
Yugoslavia, April 21, 1999
"(Federal minister responsible for homelessness) Bradshaw's spokesperson said yesterday there are no plans to put more money into affordable housing."
Toronto Star, April 28, 1999.
Whether at home or abroad, the Canadian government has shown itself utterly incapable of positive, concrete action to stop humanitarian disasters. Canada's role in NATO bombing has strengthened the hand of Milosevic and his brutal ethnic cleansing campaign, while the United Nations has again strongly criticized Ottawa's refusal to end the national disaster of homelessness.
Canada opens the purse strings for the dropping of 500-pound bombs, but where were those funds when the democratic opposition of the Balkans needed it most? Perhaps if our country were not so wrapped up in a war economy (on average, $10 billion annually for the military, over 400% more than we spend on housing), we could be allocating resources to nonviolent conflict mediation, aid programs which strengthen civil society (and prevent the conditions which lead to war), training for peace and the kinds of conflict resolution which would deprive the Milosevics of this world of their power without destroying whole countries and turning millions into refugees.
The Canadian military budget is the single largest use of Ottawa's discretionary funding.
Housing and other desperately needed social programs are obviously something the government of Canada will not cover. Unless, that is, we continue to keep up the pressure. Speak out against Canada's War Economy
"When I think of what states invest in military preparations-research and development, manufacture or purchase of arms, military training-it seems an absolute scandal that there is so little investment in non-military methods of war prevention. When you think of the cost per day of this disastrous NATO action, how much better it would have been to use some of that money during the eight years of nonviolent struggle in Kosovo to try something different." - Howard Clark, War Resisters International
WHEN: Friday, November 12, 7:40 am
WHERE: War Dept. (aka Department of National "Defence"), North entrance, Mackenzie Bridge (Slater Street), opposite Rideau Centre.
WHAT: A Civil Disobedience Action protesting poverty and Canadian militarism, demanding an immediate national affordable housing strategy (the 1% solution, see below) and a commitment not to take part in the U.S.-led Star Wars nuclear-war-fighting program. An occupation of the Mackenzie Bridge will occur featuring aspects of civil society (housing, daycare, education) which have deteriorated while Ottawa continues to make the military its largest use of discretionary funding. Citizens Inspectors will enter the War Dept. to bring the building in line with Canada's United Nations obligations to clothe, feed, and house all people in this country.
WHO: Homes not Bombs is a collection of anti-war, anti-poverty activists from across Ontario and Quebec
WHY: A year after the declaration of homelessness as a national disaster, not a penny has been spent on new affordable housing, while the bombing of the Balkans cost almost $482.5 million (the equivalent of 12,000 affordable housing units). We need a major change in this country's funding priorities.
At about 7:40 am, Friday, November 12, anti-war and anti-poverty activists from across Ontario and Quebec will take part in a unique act of "civil obedience" to transform the War Department (aka Dept. of National Defence) into the Housing Dept.
As Citizens Inspectors trained in nonviolence attempt to enter the massive complex to begin renovation plans, countless others will set up a civil society fair on the adjoining Mackenzie Bridge to highlight all those social programs which have suffered massive budget cuts while the War Dept., at an average $10 billion annually, remains the largest use of Ottawa's discretionary funds. Employees of the building are being urged to stay home given the mess the renovation is expected to create, while War Minister Art Eggleton has been invited to learn about his new portfolio as Housing Minister.
The demonstration is planned by a loose coalition of groups under the banner Homes not Bombs, and dozens of its participants will be risking arrest as part of their insistence that Canada become a peace economy. A house, a daycare, a community garden, and other civil society structures will be built as symbols of a real peacetime economy.
"Earlier this year, Minister of Homelessness Claudette Bradshaw repeatedly said there was no money for affordable housing, yet when funds were needed to bomb the people of the Balkans, there was upwards of half a billion dollars," says Brian Edgecombe of Ottawa. "Canada should build homes, not blow them up. With homelessness a national disaster, the real enemy is poverty and social and economic inequality."
Homes not Bombs is focusing on two specific short-term demands: immediate implementation of the 1% solution to homelessness (spending an additional 1% of Ottawa's overall budget on affordable housing and related support programs over the next 3-5 years, which would essentially eliminate the crisis of homelessness), and a commitment by the federal government not to participate in the newly revived U.S. nuclear first strike Star Wars program (Canada is considering a $635 million-plus investment in the madcap scheme).
"Canada continues failing to live up to its U.N. commitments to house, clothe, feed, and provide decent health care and accessible education to millions of its citizens," Edgecombe says. "We are focusing on the War Dept. for two reasons: its continued funding represents one of the biggest stumbling blocks to fulfilling these obligations, and its continued existence continues to promote the 'values' of armed confrontation and militarism instead of peaceful coexistence."
What may look from the outside like a traditional civil disobedience action is in fact a civil obedience action. "Canada continues to flout internationally recognized norms of law and society, and we are trying to bring Canada in line with the expectations of civilized rules, guidelines which Canada has sworn to uphold. Although prepared to risk arrest on this day, it is we who will be upholding the law."
The November 12 demonstration has been endorsed by a variety of groups and individuals, from two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee Philip Berrigan and Ploughshares activist Elizabeth McAlister to the Canadian Auto Workers, Community of St. Thomas, the Ontario Public Interest Research Group (Toronto, McMaster, Carleton and Guelph chapters), the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, St. Catharines and District Labour Council, Hamilton Action for Social Change, and Out of the Cold founder Sister Susan Moran. For local details call (613) 237-6278.
"The Committee [United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights] is gravely concerned that such a wealthy country as Canada has allowed the problem of homelessness and inadequate housing to grow to such proportions that the mayors of Canada's ten largest cities have now declared homelessness a national disaster...The Committee recommends that the federal, provincial and territorial governments address homelessness and inadequate housing as a national emergency by reinstating or increasing, as the case may be, social housing programmes for those in need...[and] to implement a national strategy for the reduction of homelessness and poverty."- United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, evaluating Canada's lack of progress, 1998.
"The Canadian Forces can hurl more raw firepower at a potential enemy today than they could during the Persian Gulf War...Since the gulf war, all three services have increased their 'combat capability' (the wherewithal to inflict heavy damage on the enemy), said Major-General Kenneth Pennie, director-general of strategic planning for the Canadian Forces. The equipment includes new frigates for the navy, armoured vehicles for the army and high-tech 'smart' bombs for the air force. Given the improved accuracy, Gen. Pennie said, 'we find that some conventional weapons can be more useful than nuclear weapons.'"- Globe and Mail, March 10, 1999
Homelessness in Canada has been declared a national disaster by city councils, big-city mayors, and thousands of individuals and organizations.
Canada is the only Western nation without a national housing policy. If Canada spent in one year on affordable housing and related support programs what it spends each year on war, homelessness could be virtually eliminated.
Instead of funding child care, adequate levels of income support, affordable housing, women's programs, education and health care, Ottawa consistently spends its largest block of "discretionary" funding on the War Department (about $10 billion annually, over a quarter of a trillion dollars since 1980).
Ottawa is actively seeking a role in the revived U.S.-led Star Wars Nuclear War Fighting Program, and is considering a $635 million commitment to the project. The Chretien government has rejected a debate about the issue, "saying they will publicly deal with the missile issue when the system is ready to be deployed." - Ottawa Citizen
Canada continues to support an arms industry which annually exports hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of weapons to human rights violators around the world.
Funding the bombing of Yugoslavia by Canadian fighter jets took precedence over new funding for housing. People are made homeless in Canada because money which could have been spent on affordable housing at home is used to drop bombs on civilians abroad, making them homeless too.
Canada's ongoing commitment to war training also destroys cultures here, as the Innu people of Nitassinan continue to struggle against NATO war testing over their homeland.
Enclosed are proposed nonviolence guidelines for the November 12 action, along with a proposed workback schedule and definition of the Homes not Bombs working structure. Comments, suggestions, additional ideas, concerns can be raised over the next two months. Ultimately, we want to consense around the guidelines so we know what to expect of one another November 12.
For an action which could be fairly large in terms of numbers and scope of activities, we must be able to accommodate a fairly elastic definition of what constitutes nonviolence. To create that "aceptable" level of nonviolence, we have submitted in advance of the action the following proposal, which can be studied and responded to over the fall. As long as we have a good sense of what people are expecting in terms of our own behaviour and responses to what awaits us November 12 at the War Dept. there will be few if any surprises.
Each affinity group will likely set the tone of their specific part of the action (entering the building to begin renovations, blocking the Mackenzie Bridge, holding a die-in to represent victims of war, dancing and singing as part of the alternative street festival.) Some parts of the action will be viewed as more confrontational than others (ie, those involving climbing over a barricade), but we ask that those who are uncomfortable with these parts of the action respect that everyone taking part in them has agreed to live up to the broad-based guidelines proposed herein.
We all come to nonviolent resistance from different places in our lives, places based on our own experience of violence, fear, power, and a myriad of emotions and experiences. Because of this broad background, we need to respect where we are all coming from, and share our plans openly and honestly with one another. If there are no surprises from our end, we are more preapred to deal with any surprises from the police.
The structure of the action may seem fairly hierarchical, but again, we believe that having a structure in place to deal with crises and questions allows us the freedom to experiment more than if we aren't sure "who we should ask" about a particular part of the action. The structure is meant to be a facilitative expression of people's desires and goals for the day, not a police force which directs people this way and that. Nevertheless, a major responsibility of the structure in place is to ensure that our agreed-to guidelines are not violated in a gross manner by out and out displays of machismo, physical and verbal violence, etc.
In meetings throughout Ontario, the following thumbnail scenario has been developed. Early in the morning of November 12, demonstrators will head to the War Department, walking on the sidewalk onto the Mackenzie Bridge (War Dept. side, and, given our numbers, perhaps on the Rideau Centre side as well). Upon arrival, we will announce our intention for the day, and the affinity group responsible for going into the building to begin renovation plans will attempt to enter the War Dept. This will likely be the most confrontational part of the day, as police are likely going to be behind barricades attempting to prevent entry of any citizens inspectors. The inspectors may try to continually climb over the barricades with copies of UN covenants which are contravened by Canada's War Dept., or may simply try to block access to employees through a sit-down if they cannot enter.
Meanwhile, decoration of the surrounding area (banners, flyering, chalking) will take place, and when it is safest to do so, groups will move onto the bridge with their props to set up our civil society alternative street fair. So far, the following things have been proposed:
Building a model house, with garden and flowers (Ottawa taking the lead here)
A daycare centre, with lots of big stuffed animals (that one can get cheaply at second-hand shops)
A Soldier Solidarity booth. While the transformation of the War Dept. may not be complete with this action, we need to show solidarity with those in the Dept. who take the biggest risks (those who go overseas and are paid poverty-level, or below, wages while unable to obtain information about toxics and other dangers to which they have been exposed.). This booth could be like the GI-support centres which were set up to inform soldiers of their rights and responsibilities during Vietnam. This also allows us to point out the vast difference between the highly-paid and well-entrenched bureaucracy at the War Dept. and the working class folk for whom the army is the only viable economic career choice (at least until our economy is transformed)
Anti-Violence Initiatives area: A Place for discussion of nonviolence, placards of Ghandi, King, Dorothy Day, quotations, etc.
Animal Rights: An area to discuss the military's cruel use of animals to test weaponry.
Graveyard: Tombstones with the names of victims of the war economy (homeless who died for lack of shelter, women who died for lack of space at a women's shelter, people who die from lung cancer because there are no funds for environmental clean-up, etc.)
These civil society structures will be put up on the four lanes of the bridge in the rcosswalk areas. Each group should plan on bringing a banner or two which can be held up to "block off" a lane of traffic.
Members of each affinity group will have peacekeepers who will watch traffic which will be stopped, and perhaps talk to the drivers so they know what's causing them a delay. Some may even hold placards further on down on each side of the bridge to warn drivers of an upcoming delay, urging traffic to turn around or take another route. Given that ythis action will be publicily announced a good two months in advance of the action, the police (as well as traffic reporters) will have this information)
As police move in (if police move in), people who are prepared to risk arrest may sit amongst the civil society structures, while those not wishing to risk arrest will move to sidewalks on both sides of the bridge or to the boulevard in the middle of the bridge to continue singing, flyering, monitoring the situation. (Photos of the action area will be shown at training sessions in each community come October).
As we get closer to the day, we ask that local affinity groups decide what they want to do and begin gathering props and materials for placards and banners.
If everyone wants to do housing or daycare, then there's nothing to prevent them from doing this. We just need to have a sense in terms of putting out press releases and prop checklists.
The exact time of the action will be determined after our scouts take a look at the area to determine the highest volume of people (likely between 7:30 and 8 am). Following the initial stage of the action, those not arrested will go back to the church, get warm, and participate in discussions or debriefing, maybe get some rest! At lunch hour, a group will go back to the War Dept with a banner and flyers to let people know what happened earlier in the day. This should be repeated for afternoon rush hour as well.
A support team will work on liaising with the legal team, do shifts at the police station, and perhaps shifts on a support phone. Buses will likely leave Ottawa early Friday evening for the trip home, unless there is a large group of people not yet released. If this is the case, we will hold one bus back for Saturday and return people home on a milk-run bus. The church is booked for Friday night as well just in case.
All meals will be provided for while in Ottawa at the church. We encourage you to bring a bag lunch for the bus trip to Ottawa on November 11, and whatever extra food you feel you'd liuke to have along. We are approaching Food not Bombs as well as local Ottawa groups to provide breakfast, lunch, and two dinners for us (most of which will likely be vegetarian-based).
A number of lawyers in the Ottawa area have stepped forward to act with us on November 12 and in any court proceedings which may arise from the arrests. Those who are arrested can face a number of charges, from trespassing and disturbing the peace to mischief or obstruction. All these charges-and their potential consequences-will be discussed in the training sessions.
While for any two people the definition of nonviolence can vary greatly, we have developed some guidelines which we feel are worthy of considering:
There are those who feel that going "limp" in an arrest situation does violence to the police, forcing them to carry you. In fact, it makes it easier both on the police and on you because it is clear that you are refusing to put up a fight of any sort, and when your body is limp the risk of injury is reduced because you are more relaxed.
The choice between whether to walk with police upon arrest or go limp is a personal one; each is equally within the tradition of nonviolence.
Verbal violence is harder to monitor. When we see our friends being tossed about by the police, our first reaction is to yell out at the police, to cry shame, thugs, nazis, pigs, etc. But what if we were to take a page out of the civil rights movement and, as our friends are being arrested, speak to the police, talk them down, sit and sing songs of joy and resistance. Again, when it is clear that there are not two groups of mobs (police and demonstrators) but rather, an aggressor and a nonviolent resisters, this can calm down a tense situation. Chanting, while good to pump us up, can become very loud and disruptive for both sides. There is nothing wrong with a good silent stare or talking in normal tones. Our militance in not measured in the amount of noise we make so much as in the amount of disruption we cause. Indeed, civil disobedience actions which are carried out in silence or with soft singing or humming can be incredibly powerful (and disturbing to our opponents).
In the end, we hope to leave people with a sense of civil society, and if that does not involve chanting or yelling on a day to day basis, then perhaps it is something we can consider really toning down on this day. It will also be easier to handle whatever surprises police throw at us, such as use of horses or police dogs (both of which are easily agitated by loud noises).
Visual violence: It has been suggested that part of our civil society can be enlarged pictures of the horrifying damage (human and otherwise) caused by the bombing of the Balkans. These can be very graphic and upsetting reminders of the real work of the War Dept. Unsettling as these may be, it would not be against the tradition of nonviolence to silently hold them up as an example of what we are resisting.
Chalking sidewalks and the building itself with peace slogans
Redecorating the area with festive materials, attaching banners and placards to the barricades both on the bridge and at the front doors.
Loading up the bridge with our props
Ultimately, the Conversion of the War Department is a transformative nonviolent action. As such, for us to mimic in any way the bevahiour of counter demonstrators, police or War Dept. employees is to fail in our effort to provide an alternative.
Site coordinators: responsible for the overall facilitation of the day, these invididuals, hopefully one from every major affinity group, have been trained and participated in nonviolent direct actions before. If they are risking arrest, it is best that they hold back towards the end of the action.
Affinity group liaisons. These folks go beteween site coordinators and their affinity groups. If a sudden change is required in the action, they can poll their groups, and then return with a decision to the site coordinators. This way, smaller groups can make decisions based on the input of all those involved.
Media spokespeople Gender and language parity are essential in our media spokespeople. We also want someone who knows how to deal with media side issues "Were the police too rough, what did you think of the police, etc? This detracts from our message, Of course we knew the police would be there, we were trianed for that.) We can work together to come up with likely media questions (Are you saying Canada does not need a military? etc.)
Support peopleTake pictures, Help redecorate the War Dept., hold banners Hand out flyers, Be part of noon-hour vigil and 4:30 pm vigil at the War Dept., also leaflet of the Officers' Mess. Have someone be in touch with the driver of your bus to see whether or not the return trip is Friday night or Saturday morning Make follow-up press calls to inform them of status of arrestees Have each affinity group designate an on-site jail support person to identify folks as they are released from the police station, so we can check their names off when they get out. It would be helpful if this is the same person making note of who is arrested at the time of the action.
Bilingual spokespeople We will need media and liaison folks who are bilingual.
Vigil people (post civil disobedience) The idea is to maintain a presence at different times during the day at the War Dept. If possible, it would be great to have two groups of people (one for each side of the bridge) with banners and flyers explaining the day's events to onlookers. Especially at afternoon rush hour, when many people are going to the Rideau Centre, it is a good opportunity for outreach.
Ottawa Police Station A small group of people (and at least one vehicle) should be on standby at the Ottawa police station. As individuals are released, it's nice to see friendly faces to welcome them. Perhapos a shuttle can be set up to get those released back to the church. A support coordinator should be there checking off the names of people released so we can track people who have been processed. This person will maintain contact with the jail support phone and the legal team.
Jail support phone This phone needs to be staffed following the early morning action by someone (preferably bilingual) who can take any calls from prisoners and report the information to lawyers or the support coordinator (issues such as medication being witheld, poor treatment of a particular individual, placement of bizarre release conditions, etc.). This role can be done in shifts.
Support people at the church: This is a time for those not arrested to engage in discussion, watch videos, do a "de-brief," and prepare meals for everyone to share when we are all out of the joint.
Lawyers A team of lawyers will be on standby to ensure people are not being stonewalled.
Medical standby (Water bottles, with squirters or sprayers, with fresh water, in the event of pepper spray)
We need a time to decide whether it makes sense to have dinner and stay overnight or go home that evening. This will largelky be the decision of each city. If we are all out, say, by 4 pm, it would be nice to have a quick dinner together as a group before heading home (almost an 8 hour trip for the Hamilton/Guelph/Kitchener folks)
Church clean-up and maintenance We will need teams of folks to maintain cleanliness at the church (especially in the kitchen and in the bathrooms, which have limited space). If someone can bring a plunger, that would be great.
Trial preparation Trial strategies will be discussed at training sessions. Each affinity group should have a sense of how they wish to proceed (group trial, smaller trials, legal trial, legal/moral trial, etc.)
At this time, lawyers have agreed to be opart of a trial which would raise both legal and political issues, allowing for a broad range of topics to be discussed in the court.
Sept. 15: Press release goes out to all media in Ontario, and national media in Ottawa. The release can be adapted locally. Toronto has a fax modem so faxes can be sent in a batch without standing by the machine. If your city would like their local releases sent this way (with your local changes), we can accommodate this).
SEPT. 10: Distribution of Pledge of Resistance cards to all participating cities. These cards allow you to determine where you will fit in on November 12, and, upon their return to organizers, will help us make plans for the day.
Flyers need to be distributed to the usual places. Letters seeking financial and political support to local churches, peace groups, labour unions and others should go out throughout September.
Speaking in university classes: In all cities, it wouldbe great to approach professors to see if we can discuss the issues briefly in some of their classes (as a means of promoting nonviolence trainings).
Letter writing to Eggleton, Bradshaw, Martin, Chretien about the two main goals of the day should be ongoing. These goals are implementation of the 1% solution to homelessness and rejection of Star Wars.
September 16, 1999 (original to follow by mail)
Art Eggleton
Minister of War
NDHQ
101 Colonel-By Drive
Ottawa, ON
Dear Art Eggleton,
We are writing to inform you of renovations which will be taking place on Friday, November 12 at the War Dept., 101 Colonel By Drive, in Ottawa (for clarification's sake, you generally refer to this building as the Dept. of National Defence, though its activities-bombing, armed enforcement of punitive sanctions, participation in assaults on other sovereign nations from Nitassinan to Yugoslavia-are, we feel, more appropriately described by the term war.
We would ask that you and all employees of the building stay home that day, as building inspectors and architectural teams trained in nonviolence will be fanning out through the edifice to begin plans for the building's transformation to the Dept. of Housing.
We hope by the end of the day to have the building completely transformed to the Ministry of Housing. We invite those employees loathe to take the day off to join our alternative street fair which will occupy the Mackenzie Bridge on November 12. There, employees will learn about day cares, affordable home construction, health care, education, and other aspects of civil society that are currently starved because the Dept. of War sucks up the largest amount of discretionary funding in Ottawa's annual budget, some $10 billion. We also plan to offer support to soldiers who have been exposed to toxic poisons while on duty and who are seeking some form of compensation and justice.
The reasons for the renovation are simple. As things currently stand, your building does not fall within the United Nations building codes which stipulate that all governments must make every effort to continuously improve the social, economic and environmental lot of their citizens. Any department, program, institution or building which prevents this from occurring, such as yours, is in contravention of Canada's commitments to uphold these obligations, and must therefore be changed.
Furthermore, we are concerned that while people die on the streets and in the hospital hallways of this nation for want of accessible and affordable housing and health care, the fruits of your work result in the deaths of people abroad, as we continue to see in the former Yugoslavia and Iraq.
You have said on more than one occasion that Canada wants peace, but a nation which prepares for war as strenuously as ours will only find itself continually participating in wars. Indeed, from war training over the Innu homelands of Nitassinan to allowing the U.S. nuclear navy to test its missiles at Nanoose Bay, Canada is first and foremost an aider and abettor of wars (placing us in violation of the Nuremberg Principles, which state that crimes against peace include "planning, preparation, initiation, or waging of a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements, or assurances.")
Canada's CF-18s now drop "smart" bombs and carry 20-mm cannons capable of firing 6,000 rounds a minute, hardly the stuff which makes for peace and social justice. Our ongoing arms trade and huge subsidies to war industries are a blot on our nation, equally as unjust as the conditions which have led the UN to condemn our lack of progress on housing, day care, and income inequality.
Ottawa is cold in November, and the last thing we want is to be shivering outside all day conducting our renovation work. We hope you will cooperate with this matter and discuss with us our plan to convert the building. Given the fact that we do not want to replace any of the jobs currently in operation, we are happy to consider you for the post of Minister of Housing, a position far more beneficial to humanity at home and abroad than the moniker you wear now.
As a gesture of good faith, we hope you will take two immediate steps to begin this transformation. The first is to endorse and support the implementation of the 1% Solution and a National Housing Strategy. Ottawa currently spends about 1% of its total budget on housing. A mere increase of 1% of the total budget for new construction of affordable housing, renovation of existing units, support programs, and subsidies for people on low incomes would go far towards ending homelessness in 3-5 years. MP Libby Davies' Motion M-604 will be discussed by the House this fall; your support of the motion is crucial.
Just as important, you and your government need to reject participation in the Star Wars Nuclear First Strike Program (aka the Anti-Ballistic Missile "defence"), a program which already has China, Russia, and other world powers intensely nervous. It is described by one of its former designers as "the missing link to a [nuclear] first strike." The Ottawa Citizen reports Canada's commitment to Star Wars could total at least $635 million, funds which would be better spent on desperately needed social programs.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the renovations, you can feel free to contact us at any of the above numbers.
Looking forward to your cooperation in this important statement on transforming Canada to a peace economy.
Peace.
mandy hiscocks, Guelph
Randy Kay, Dundas
Beatrice Ekwa Ekoko, Dundas
Andrea Towler, Hamilton
Susan Breeze, Windsor
Sheila Howlett, Peterborough
Janis Dahl, Ottawa
Matthew Behrens, Toronto
Shelley Porteous, Hamilton
Floyd Howlett, Peterborough
Scott Neigh, Hamilton
Kevin Shimmin, Toronto
Murray Lumley. Ancaster
Laurel Smith, Toronto
Linda Lumley, Ancaster
Dr. Robert Kent, Windsor
Andrew Loucks, Hamilton
William Taylor, Toronto
For most of 1999, Homes not Bombs organized throughout the province of Ontario to draw the links between poverty and militarism in Canada. The group worked to expose the myths of Canada as peacemaker and Canada as the "best place to live in the world," a status that doesn't make a lot of sense to the over 5 million Canadians forced to live in poverty while the War Dept. sucks up the largest discretionary use of Ottawa's national budget at some $10 billion annually.
After organizing meetings throughout the spring and summer, local coalitions formed to organize folks onto buses and on to Ottawa. The month of October was spent holding nonviolence training sessions in London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph, Hamilton, Peterborough, and Ottawa, along with numerous public events around the issues of militarism and poverty.
Hundreds arrived in Ottawa the afternoon of November 11, Remembrance Day, and after settling in for dinner and a scenario meeting, activists worked on props that would be used in the civil society part of the next morning's action, and then headed out at 9 pm for a candlelight procession to the War Dept.
About 100 people attended this moving candlelight vigil and memorial service for victims of Canada's war economy under the overhang at the entrance to the War Dept. They read out over 150 names of the names of the homeless who had died because our economy spends more on war than housing, more on war than women's shelters and anti-male-violence initiatives, more on subsidizing the arms trade than on real community-building.
Candles reflecting in the windows of the Rideau Centre across the street and in the surveillance ball (like a disco ball) under the overhang of the War Dept. created a surreal experience as name after name was read out, victims of a war economy that builds bombs, not homes. Homeless people, women for whom there was no room at the battered women's shelters, people who had been killed by our military arms and personnel in Yugoslavia, Iraq, East Timor, Sri Lanka, and elsewhere.
Following a night's sleep on a church floor, about 200 folks gathered at 6:30 am and prepared to head out for a nonviolent civil resistance action in front of the War Department which would, in the end, close down for three hours a significant area of downtown Ottawa.
Fifty-four nonviolent resisters were arrested and hauled off by Ottawa riot police, fifty of them charged with mischief and obstruction of police for attempting to call for a massive affordable housing strategy and an end to the spending of untold billions on the military. The action occurred almost a year after homelessness had been declared a national disaster, a year in which the federal government failed to commit a single dime to construction of new affordable housing. The graffiti which read "Tired of writing letter to politicians" seemed to sum up the tone of the day.
The action had two aims: to convert the War Dept. to the Housing Dept., thereby bringing it in line with international law and Canada's United Nations obligations, and to construct a civil society on the adjoining Mackenzie Bridge representing all those parts of our communities which have been devastated by budget cuts while the War Dept. continues to receive almost $10 billion annually. The group demanded a 1% solution (increasing overall budget spending by an additional 1% on construction of affordable housing) and a commitment from Canada not to take part in the newly revived U.S.-led Star Wars nuclear war first strike program.
It was not like a traditional demonstration, as there were no speeches, no chanting, no fist waving and chest pounding. Rather, it was a gathering marked by a wondrous calm as people set up: a home replete with couches, easy chairs, a fridge and stove, a TV console, lamps, and other fixtures to represent the crucial need for affordable housing in Canada; a greed-free daycare with cribs, stuffed animals, games, and chalk for redecorating; a rainbow web made of various materials, including ties, which ran from the various light poles through the bridge railing and across the street to other light poles; a community organic garden, complete with farm animals and gardening tools; a free school for discussion and thought about what constitutes a civil society; a Food not Bombs free serving of warm and nutritious food; and a renovation crew which prepared to convert the War Dept. to the Housing Dept.
Participants ranged in age from young children to seniors, from high school students and university students to bank employees and market research office managers, retired school teachers, and numerous priests and ministers.
From the beginning, Ottawa police were not pleased by the demonstrators' refusal to follow a set route. (Police had arrived at the church asking that we follow a route that would lead us away from our intended focus; after we asked them to leave the church, because their guns violated action guidelines against possession of weapons, we explained that we would travel the route that we had chosen.)
Startled officers did not know what to do when our group split in two, as planned, and approached the War Dept. from both sides of the Mackenzie Bridge. Officers attempted to keep demonstrators as far away from the War Dept. as possible, but when the group split in two their strategy was in pieces.
Demonstrators immediately set up shop on both sides of the bridge in front of the War Dept., and officers said they would allow the demonstration to continue for a while, but then would move in and charge those who refused to move. Passersby had perhaps not recently seen a demo in which fridges, couches and cribs were major props, and were taken aback at what they saw.
Having occupied the bridge at around 7:30 am, the demonstrators continued to work in their various areas, periodically making announcements such as "Discussion on the need for a national daycare program, meet in the daycare area," "Meeting of the home renovators in the house, food over here," etc. The Raging Grannies were the first to walk up directly to the line of riot police, who were "guarding" the entrance to the War Dept., and began singing to them.
An hour into the action, citizen's inspectors prepared to move toward the War Dept. entrance with inspection certificates outlining Canada's (and specifically the War Dept.'s) violations of international laws, principles and agreements which Canada has said it adheres to (covenants on the rights of women, the child, to a safe environment, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Universal Declaration on Human Rights, Nuremberg Principles).
Before doing so, an announcement was read out over the bullhorn in English and French explaining to the officers our intentions, and asking them to comply with international law and allow us into the building.
The officers did not move, and as the citizens' inspectors moved forward in small, calm groupings, they were met by a solid wall of baton-wielding riot police. The "citizens' inspectors" explained their intention to enter and the rationale behind it, pointing out the crisis in homelessness in Canada, the use of the Canadian military to murder people overseas, etc.
Following football-like chants of MOVE MOVE from the police, the citizens inspectors were poked hard in the chest by the police batons. After the group retreated, it came forward and tried again, calmly stating their case and emphasizing both their nonviolence and the fact that the police should not be afraid.
This time, one of the officers in riot gear, who seemed to intently listen to the resisters' pleas to get in and stop the crimes being committed by the War Dept., broke down in tears, while another started moving rhythmically to the singing on the bridge (catching himself a little too late). Other officers smiled in appreciation at the nonviolence of the demonstrators, with one commenting that he "liked the scene."
Other police were not so open to the message of nonviolence and tended to behave in a more brutal fashion, especially as arrests began to occur.
In response to officers' plans to make arrests, there were no chants of "shame" or "pig," but instead the singing of civil rights and anti-war songs, with a new ditty sung to the tune of Frere Jacques:
Homes not Bombs, Homes not Bombs,
Build Homes Now, Build Homes Now,
Housing is a Human Right, Housing is a Human Right,
Homes not Bombs
We Shall Overcome, Down by the Riverside and other tunes were repeatedly sung in a joyous spirit of resistance to the impending violence.
About 90 minutes into the action, employees of the massive War Dept. were still glued to their windows, observing the scene below. Many smiled and returned the peace signs which were sent their way. (For three days before the action, employees had been leafletted to let them know the demonstration proved no threat to them or their jobs, and that Homes not Bombs would be offering them some job retraining on the bridge for when their employer changed to the Ministry of Housing. Despite repeated letters to War Minister Art Eggleton requesting discussion on this vital issue, no response was received).
Shortly after 9 am, a police wagon showed up, and police dogs were brought out of vans to threaten the demonstrators. The screeching and barking of two German Shepherds, visibly nervous, resonated with many in the action who had watched scenes of police dogs used against civil rights demonstrators in Birmingham on videos on the bus ride up, and who had been trained to deal with dogs in nonviolence trainings throughout the month of October). One poor dog was abused by his handler; the creature obviously needed to go to the bathroom, and every time he raised his leg, it was slapped down again by the handler. Demonstrators will be reporting this abuse to the OSPCA.
Meanwhile, homeless people who lived under the Mackenzie Bridge came up to join the action, glad to see people calling for housing,. One of them joined the circle sitting on the bridge, explaining it was no big deal to him to risk arrest, as it happened to him constantly as a homeless man, the only difference here being that he would at least go to jail with supportive friends. "Where else am I gonna go on a cold day and get three square meals but jail?" he asked.
Once the police wagon had pulled up, ready to be filled, riot police in front of the War Dept. pushed and shoved the nonviolent citizens inspectors up against concrete barricades, at which point all of them sat down and patiently waited for an opportunity to enter the War Dept. That opportunity never came because police obstructed justice, and instead picked up the resisters one by one, wound tight plastic handcuffs around their wrists, and bundled them off to the awaiting police wagons. Many were targeted for rough treatment, including painful compliance holds, with one demonstrator reportedly punched twice in the stomach, dropped three times on the concrete, and smashed against the outside of the wagon, all because he pointed out there was no need to be rough. He suffered bruises and lacerations on his back.
Despite the intimidating posture of riot police, police dogs, and ongoing threats, resisters held their ground, singing, clapping, and never showing enmity towards the police. It became obvious that the Ottawa authorities would prefer to keep the War Dept. operating than to allow the symbols of civil society-housing, education, food, free schools, daycares- to remain on the bridge.
After the first group were bundled off to jail, a second RCMP vehicle drove up, but as soon as it hit the curb, it popped a tire, and could not take people to jail with a flat, so an embarrassed driver got back in and drove away.
Once it became clear that the police were more interested in arresting nonviolent resisters than in complying with international law, a group of 30-35 people sat down on the bridge to protect the civil society they had built that morning. They were surrounded by other participants observing ongoing arrests, singing, and providing updates about news coverage. The last person was arrested at about 10 am
An immediate order to clear both sides of the bridge was issued on pain of arrest. Police moved quickly, going over the metal railings and walking menacingly toward Raging Grannies and others who remained unarrested at this time.
By 10:30 the police were finally able to open the bridge again to traffic, and 54 people who thought Canada should build homes, not blow them up, sat in the Ottawa jail, some not to be released until Saturday around noon with criminal charges and a trial to come in the year 2000.
After a walk back to the church for the non-arrestees, a food crew was set up to bring chili and pita bread out to the homeless people we had met earlier in the day. Jail support systems were set up, and the long process of waiting for our friends to be released commenced. Police stonewalled all attempts of resisters to make a phone call, and the first were not released until after midnight. About half of those released missed out on their constitutional right to see a justice of the peace for a bail hearing within 24 hours of arrest.
Treatment of resisters in the cells was standoffish at best, with many denigrating comments aimed at the women prisoners and vegetarians, many of whom could not eat for hours while in custody because of dietary restrictions not accommodated by the police.
Singing continued and spirits remained high, though, as resisters refused to allow the violence of the jail system to wear them down.
Those in the cells saw the daily violence of the injustice system; one homeless man who was brought in was stripped naked because he had tried to sneak in a cigarette; he was left naked in a cell, refused his clothes.
Meanwhile, a group of drunken lawyers who'd been picked up from being drunk and disorderly made vicious, sexist remarks to the women prisoners.
A group of exhausted jail support team members spent the night in the police lobby, checking off names as folks got out of the cells and prepared for the next step: finger printing, and a set date on December 6.
Reaction among participants was very positive; we felt that we had developed in a short time a cohesive community that looked after one another, fed and housed each other, and watched out for one another under often trying conditions.
One resister, a high school student, wrote shortly afterwards:
"Even still what I experienced in 27 hours pales in comparison to what is experienced by human beings living (and dying) every day and every night on the streets of this "the best country in the world in which to live". One decade ago Canada had the distinction of being the most peaceful and environmentally friendly country in the world. Today we continue to step backwards, communities no longer exist in most cases and money is valued over all save for immediate family.
"I felt great joy and a feeling of family with the 150 other people who came from all over Ontario and Quebec. And I, a middle class suburbanite still attending high school (having only heard of this gathering of peace by chance), will pray, wish and hope that Canada will once again truly take a leading role in peace. And begin disarming itself and concentrating on bringing the communities together in peace throughout the country and world. Yes I would with great pride go through what I went through again if it meant that even one other human being could feel what I felt this Remembrance Day weekend."
Media coverage of the event was extensive, and the federal government, after a year of stonewalling, was finally forced to come up with some figures that it claimed would go toward alleviating the crisis of homelessness. Even Prime Minister Jean Chretien was questioned about the action while on tour in Africa. It was clear the positive media generated by the action sent the government into a maelstrom of media-spinning to deflect attention from the arrests of 54 people protesting war and homelessness. Both Homelessness minister Claudette Bradshaw and War Minister Art Eggleton were questioned about the action too.
Despite a high number of first time arrestees, many of those released commented that their experience was nothing compared to the daily violence faced by the homeless, by those without a supportive community, and that their exposure to this violence only made them more determined to engage in nonviolent resistance to the institutions and policies which perpetuate war and poverty.
Trial for the arrestees will occur sometime in 2000. In the meantime, the energy generated by the largest anti-war civil disobedience action in almost a decade in Canada has been considerable, and is leading towards some exciting local initiatives in participating cities. More on that in future Long Arc editions!