The People’s Assembly invites all our participants to join us in the annual Santa Claus parade this Saturday, Nov. 26th, starting at the Legislature at 5:30 pm and walking up Government St. to Chatham, with signs like “All I Want For Christmas Is …..” and “Occupy Christmas, Buy Local” etc. We’re also painting a new banner.
If you want to help make signs and more, and get excited about this next action, please join us from 6:30PM – 9 pm this Tuesday, Nov. 22nd, at the First Metropolitan Church at Quadra and Balmoral, enter at 932 Balmoral Rd.
Bring sign making materials if you can (cardboard, markers, paints, tarp, brushes, pieces of wood for handles etc).
Also, please check out our FACEBOOK EVENTS PAGE for this event and come interact/share ideas with the other attendees.
20 Responses to “Preparing for the Santa Claus parade”
Is’t 5:30 a little late? It’ll be dark by the time you’re finished.
I agree, people won’t be able to read the signs from a distance. What time does the sun go down, isn’t it around 4 or so?
I wanted to take my children to walk through the Centennial Square awhile ago so they could enjoy a day with me in our beautiful land mark but I could not because it was occupied by people who were ordered out by the court. I also did not want to risk them coming into contact with any human feces left by inconsiderate demonstrators. Its all good……I left you guys alone…….., But now I want to take them to enjoy the Santa Parade. I dont want to subject them to any politics I just want to treat them to a nice festive Santa Clause Parade that is unadulterated by political, social unrest! But I cannot because you people are planning on ruining their chance to have a 100% non political Santa Parade to suit your own needs! Here is a suggestion, fight fairly, get inside of politics and try and change things for the greater good from the inside, It will involve a lot more hard work from your end going to school and getting into politics where you can influence the passing of laws but your dedicated to your cause right? Or is it just easier for you all to take out your frustrations on the rest of the community? Why do we have to endure you folks occupying our PUBLIC parks. You never called for a community vote to see if the general population wants you mucking up our public places for weeks on end! With that being said…..Do you really care about the other 99% or do you just look out for your own needs? Maybe you should actually look into how much of your 99% actually agrees with what you are doing, and how you are doing it!
To whomever came up with this idea,
I understand the frustration you all have with the government and corporate greed. I also think that protesting is a good way to get your point across. However, this protest is about corporate greed. Protest somewhere else then the Santa Claus parade. The parade is supposed to be a fun event for children to see. Is it really necessary to show up and ruin it?
*Admin NOTE: This user message was approved, but over-the-top condescending remarks removed. Please don’t resort to hateful commentary; instead, please attempt to improve your arguments.
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Are you people seriously that [SNIP] that you will protest a Christmas parade which lots of family’s and children go to? Honestly what the hell do you hope to do other than ruin alot of peoples day, they don’t care about your movement, they just want to have a nice day out with their kids. Find a better venue to try and make a point at where people might actually listen to what you have to say. Rather than get pissed off at how you’ve decided to be [SNIP] and ruin what should be a nice day out, just because you’ve decided to be hypocrites and protest consumerism. How are you spreading your message? Your using your iPhones, blackberries, androids, computers, and all your little arts and crafts materials, provided by companies and consumed by you. I’ll also guarantee that the majority of you are going to be giving and receiving presents to and from your families, arnt you? Well maybe you won’t be giving because your all unemployed [SNIP][SNIP][SNIP][SNIP] who don’t want to work or try for the better things in life and think it should all just be provided for you by the government but you hate taxes! WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU!
1. Various PAOV members have already raised a similar concern to limit the “protesting” aspect during the parade. You can see the commentary in our facebook page that was linked to the article.
2. Please don’t generalize. We are the 99%. So we each have our own opinions, causes and ideas about root causes to many problems. Not everyone is against “consumerism” or capitalism for that matter. If we haven’t made that clear yet, then obviously more protesting is required
3. The vast majority of us ARE actually employed or are students that will in the near future be employed. The ones that are unemployed are the least fortunate, and some of those individuals can not get a job primarily due to complications in their lives (mental issues, drug addictions and other disabilities) that one should first investigate before judging.
4. I don’t hate taxes, but I dislike wasteful use of taxpayer money, which I think the vast majority of people would agree with. I will gladly have my taxes increased by a few percent if it means that Victoria can find a home and adequate care for the couple of hundred souls in our city that are out on the streets for a myriad of reasons.
You said you dislike the use of taxpayer money. The occupy victoria protest has cost roughly 140,000 dollars of tax payer money. How’s that for a waste?
The Canadian bank bailout was in the order of 70 BILLION dollars, excluding bailouts of the Ontario auto industry ultimately owned by American corps. Let’s compare the two, shall we?
$140,000 – Cost of dealing with Victoria protesters against corporate greed and about 50 other issues.
$70,000,000,000 – Cost of corporate greed and politicians who bail out their buddies.
In case all the zeros are confusing, let me put it another way…. Bailout out the crooks cost 500 THOUSAND TIMES MORE! Be careful of which team you are rooting for.
I know what team Im rooting for. People in the financial industry are not bad people just because they have more money then you. The people with all the money are the people who get up and every morning and are at work by 7 o’clock and don’t go home at night till 5 or 6. If all the people protesting were willing to work for eleven hours a day they would most likely have good jobs. Protesting isn’t going to get you anything. Think about it who actually likes you people protesting. NO ONE. People who make more then you make more then you for a reason. Probably because there willing to show up and do a job. If you were making $500,000 a year you wouldn’t care. But there’s only one way to get there. And that is to work!!
So for the record, I have a full time job and have had one for many years and I make enough to support my family and even go out on the occasional holiday and donate to various charities, yet I’m still finding the time to protest. Why is that? I personally have nothing against those that work hard and make more than I, including individuals in the financial industry. What I’m personally protesting about in great part is “corporatism”, environmental abuses and insufficient social aid in our city for those that really need it. To better define “corporatism”, I find this protest sign better summarises my personal views:
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http://www.buzzlol.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Corporatism.jpg
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As for why doesn’t everybody just get a job and go to work? There are many reasons:
1. I will conceed that yes, some people may indeed be generally lazy, but as you might know surviving on welfare is barely surviving. The jobless protesters I met weren’t lazy, they wanted jobs, but not all could keep them or get them for various reasons. Most people have a sense of dignity and don’t want to live on hand outs.
2. Some people really are mentally ill and can’t hold a job
3. Some people suffer from significant drug addictions impeding them not only from keeping a job, but actually being given a place of shelter (Victoria shelters are drug-free zones, so the drug addicts sleep on the streets).
4. Some people simplyfell through the cracks of the system. Lost or had their ID and other paperwork stolen which can take MONTHS to get from government officials. Immediately, without a SIN #, proof of citizenship or permanent residence, you can not work legally. WIthout $, you are out on the streets.
5. Some people are not mentally ill, or into drugs, but are psychologically impared due to abuse by their own families or other circumstances. The excessive stress prevents them from being able to get or keep a job.
6. We do have an unemployment rate and always have had one, which can’t all be explained by lazy people.
In short, the problems of society can’t be sumarized in one liner protest slogans, nor can you judge people by how they look. Next time you see an occupyvictoria protester, please take the time to ask them what their story is, and after speaking to a few of them you will get a sense at the diversity of the 99%.
To answer my own question above, I am protesting because I know that if we don’t see serious financial reform in the next couple of years, by 2015 we will have not a global recession, but a global depression. At that point, I may very well not have a job, and perhaps then (hopefuly not) you and your family members or friends may feel more inclinded to join the protests.
Kind regards,
Lewis
M, you mentioned: “The occupy victoria protest has cost roughly 140,000 dollars of tax payer money.”
I would like to invite you to ask THOSE who decided on spending all that tax payer money to justify their decisions: please, do not forget, THEY OCCUPY City Hall in YOUR name!
You say you are protesting “Corporatism”. Then protest corporatism not homelessness and addiction. These subjects are completely separate. See the thing is when anyone asks you guys why your protesting you say something like “corporatism” or “a corrupt government”. The problem is when anyone asks you to back up your views you always bring things like homelessness, addiction and mental health in to it. These are vastly different so make up your mind about it already.
In response to sync: The money was necessary to spend. Why? Because you people are down there making a mess of the place. Not to mention your encouraging homeless people and drug addicts to join the protests as well. These people are the real troublemakers. If you guys weren’t encouraging the homeless and addicted to join your protest that would save a lot of the cost. For example, take the idiot who poured urine on a city worker. Thats not protesting. Thats assault.
O also if you don’t allow my comment to remain you will again demonstrate your hypocrisy by censoring my view point, something you all oppose, supposedly.
Why am I not surpised.
You guys really know how to win public approval.
This is a family event. One of the few free ones. If you have any respect for families and young children please leave the parade alone!
Are you serious. The Santa parade is about the children. You just lost my support.
This is pathetic. Forcing this protest into the Christmas parade created for children and families is no way to gain support; if anything you’ll lose it. If you want to gain backing from the people of your society, rethink your actions- this is not the way to do it.
I am part of the 99%. I am also, however, intelligent enough to know that whatever changes to the system that are required, will NOT BE SOLVED through “occupying” anything. Where is the leadership in this protest? Where is the cohesive vision? Whatever momentum this “movement” initially had, is now diffused by your extended sit-ins and inconsistent message. How is marching in the Santa parade going to “raise awareness” of corporate greed? This concept is almost absurd in it’s monocular vision, and you should consider listening to the people you’re claiming to represent (that would be the rest of us) because you’re skating along the lines of self-interest at the expense of what works for the WHOLE. Sounds a bit like corporate mentality to me.
I used to think the occupy movement here in victoria was a worthy cause, now I’m just disgusted by it. Why not take the protest somewhere it makes sense? Bc hydro, wal-mart anywhere but a parade for children. I’m all for change, but come on seriously! This protest has gone from a legitimate matter, to an annoying side show that has overshadowed the real issues at hand