I know I'm going to make no new friends and probably anger some people, but we all need to talk about this Tamil protest and protests in general!I'm putting it out there first and foremost, I've never marched. I'll sign petitions, I'll write letters, I'll boycott, but I don't march. There, I've said it.
Am I against marches? Nope! Am I against inconveniencing people...hell's yah!
The Gardiner protest ran on Mother's Day starting in the early evenings and into the night. Many families were inconvenienced. Emergency services were delayed. I don't believe lives were lost, but it could be possible.
The protests are continuing and right now I'm watching them make a loop in the downtown core. The news reporting that 250 officers are following behind them. Today, I found out that to hire an off duty police officer will set you back between $50-$60/hour. These are officers being paid and probably many over time. Are the Tamils going to pay for this?
Let's take a look at this from an ecological perspective (from my point of view), all this money has to come from somewhere. Toronto police is paid by the city of Toronto which means that there's going to be a shortfall. I doubt that they've budgeted for this kind of stuff. Which means that it'll go back to the taxpayer. The taxpayer who maybe can't afford an increase. So there's an increase next year or maybe they cut services to make up for the shortfall in other areas. So they cut a recreation program or social services, cuz we know those are the first to go.
Plus, think of everybody trying to get to and from work each day. They're barely holding it together as it is, now they're late for their second part time job. Boss could care less, so they lose their job or have added stress. There's no way for us to predict what's going on, nor is it being heavily reported.
Essentially, here's my point. I don't care what you do, just don't fuck with other ppl's lives. March on Queen's Park, make your point, and trust, if you've got 7000 people, the media is going to cover it. You will get exposure, hopefully the governments will pay attention. What is happening in Sri Lanka is not in the least bit acceptable and people should be aware of it.
The thing is that regular folks could care less and in fact, care even less when you mess with their lives. I would suggest using their massive numbers to send letters, e-mails, to set out to Ottawa and stand on Parliament. Get the word out, get Canadians on your side, don't alienate people.
Them my thoughts...what are yours?
1 comment:
Marching in demonstrations can sometimes be dangerous because of the police but in a well-organized protest march, one can get a great feeling of empowerment. There is the group energy and the feeling that you are speaking out and being heard. Try it, sometime. It can be wonderful.
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