London to Ford: NO MORE!

Neither the threat of rain or cold weather would stop the population of London from making their voices heard. On Saturday, April 25, over 100 people gathered at Victoria Park to continue to protest the Ford administration and its negative impact on the city. Drumming circles, flyers, handmade posters, chants, and drivers honking in support of anti-Ford signs along the Richmond and Central streets showed in clear and uncertain terms that the people of London are not satisfied with the actions of the administration.

The provincial government’s recent closures of safe consumption sites in the city, gutting of healthcare and education services, relentless attack on injured workers and the recent changes to the Freedom of Information laws, and controversial purchase of a luxury private jet at the Ontario taxpayer’s expense were among the grievances manifested in signs by the attendants. Speeches were given by local representatives of leftist organizations including International Socialists, Spring and Forest City Solidarity and NDP London North Centre MPP Terence Kernaghan and London West MPP Peggy Stadler. Local citizens took to the stage to express that change is needed.

After a few words of welcome by event emcee Kellin Johnson, the first speech came by Ben Fraraccio, one of the organizers of the event, which set the stage irrevocably. 

“Doug Ford has declared war on injured workers and we’re here to fight back!” He said to a cheering audience. He pointed out how the abysmal 20% of voters that provided the Conservative victory at the last provincial election does not represent a mandate of the people. He also emphasized  that all the attacks the Ford administration has carried out on the working class are designed to benefit exclusively wealthy developers, corporations and Ford administration insiders.

Fraraccio’s speech was followed by Tabitha, representing Spring Socialist Network, who spoke about the impact of the closure of safe consumption sites in the city and the passing of legislation criminalizing drug users. “It’s a shift from public labour to punishment. This legislation represents cuts to public services that are reallocated to institutions that manage suffering by confinement,” she said to the audience, who replied in solidarity with the cry “Shame!”

Afterwards came Mona, a union member from the Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU), who spoke of the attacks the Ford administration has carried out against injured workers. “More than 1.5 million workers don’t have mandatory WSIB. No one should face recovery without support,” she said to the audience. Then, she proceeded to explain how, thanks to the Ford administration, WSIB has returned over $21.5 billion dollars to employers, instead of being invested in employees. After this, she explained the impact of bills such as Bill 124, which put wage caps on public workers, and Bill 28, which overwrites worker rights with the use of the highly controversial notwithstanding clause. Finally, she made a call to remember that workers rights are not guaranteed, that they can be eliminated if they’re inconvenient. “When workers are weakened, systems are weakened. When that happens, injured workers suffer,” she said to the audience to end her speech. 

This was followed by Anthony, from Forest City Solidarity, who urged the attending audience to get politically involved and made a call to carry out a general strike to put pressure on the Ford administration. He then reminded the audience:”It’s not just organized labour, you’re also part of the working class if you’re unemployed, retired, or a person in the street…. It’s all of us against the people who own everything”. He closed his speech with a call to participate in May Day actions, which are to be carried out during the following week throughout the city. 

“[Ford] was going to buy himself a $30 million jet, customized. We’ve heard of the risk and danger of people dying from the closure of harm reduction services,” he said to the audience. He then pointed out how the cutting of healthcare and education has been carried out through  unconstitutional legislation. “Even card-carrying Conservatives are turning against Ford,” he said in reference to the weakening of support for the premier following the aforementioned jet purchase. He then closed his participation by providing attendants with direct contact information for the premier, so they can exert pressure for accountability from Ford. “You have the power! This government has had a pity party on getting a plane. [Ford] depends on public opinion. Workers built this province, workers own this province!”

Then came to the stage Peggy Stadler, NDP MPP for London West, who directly accused the Ford administration for being responsible for the city of London having the highest rate of unemployment in the country. She made a call to elect a premier who will  invest in healthcare, public services, protect workers and keep jobs in the province. Then, she indicated how the recent and controversial change on freedom of information laws makes Ontario the most secretive province in the country, which was followed by the crowd chanting “Corruption!”. Stadler accused the premier of using his personal cell phone to carry out business and selling the Greenbelt, and then pointed how, thanks to public actions, those changes were reversed. Her participation ended with a call to support the NDP at the next provincial election: “We will fight Doug Ford, elect an NDP government that believes in protecting workers, pass anti-scab legislation, expand WSIB rights for workers,” she said to a cheering audience.

Afterwards, came Patti Dalton, President of the London and Labour District Council, who expressed how the anti-Ford protest carried out that day was part of a larger effort across the province and led chants against the current premier. She then thanked the current NDP members in the legislature and made the premier’s position clear: “Ford doesn’t care about unions or public services; he talks to his rich pals,” she said point-blank. She then talked about the loss of college programs across the province, the loss of jobs at colleges that has entailed and how funding is channeled to rich contributors of the Ford administration.

After this, came Gerald, an OPSEU representative at Fanshawe College, who explained how the province has starved colleges of funding for years and spoke of a disclosure of development funds that would’ve prevented all recent cuts to education. “Mergers won’t help students: jobs will be lost and students will not have the education they need,” he said to the audience. “The provincial government provided information to colleges on how to carry out these cuts and that information was intentionally redacted by the province. This means that you, the taxpayers and residents of the province, will not be able to know what is being recommended on your behalf”. 

Then came Lindsay Mathyssen, former MP for London Fanshawe. She indicated how Ford doesn’t exist in a vacuum, but with the support of the federal government led by Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney. “Double the fight at the National level! Carney is a banker, who doesn’t have your best interests at heart. He’ll do what this millionaire tells him to do!” she said to the audience. She pointed out how, despite promises to carry it out, both Carney and Ford have not brought down prices, and that the various monopolies that form the Canadian business landscape make that an impossibility. She then pointed out how Prime Minister Carney signed for another pipeline contravening Indigenous laws, the indifference of millionaires and billionaires towards the environment, and openly criticized the heavy investment in defence carried out by the federal government. “Why are we spending $150 billion for defence corporations? Because it makes money for them!” she said to the audience. She then closed her speech indicating that the NDP is with the people. “We’re for you, shoulder to shoulder. Solidarity for all,” she said to close.

Then, came participation from Carrie, representing Carepoint Consumption and Treatment Service, a harm reduction program in London. She focused on the importance of safe consumption sites. “Harm reduction works. These services are not only consumption sites but also drug check and treatment,” she said to the audience. She then proceeded to explain how, thanks to current actions by the provincial government, the shortest wait time for addiction treatment in London was 47 days. She ended by speaking of naloxone access, how to procure it, access to training on how to recognize signs for its usage and education on how to use it. 

Finally, came Cathy Rose for the Elementary Teachers’ Federation Ontario (ETFO), who spoke of the “Red4Ed” campaign they’re carrying out in solidarity for public education. She urged the audience to support educators and other unions that “do good things” for the province of Ontario, to contact Premier Ford and the Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont to make their voices heard. She concluded by making a call to Prime Minister Carney to step up to make sure Ontario doesn’t use this money for privatization.

The event closed with a testimonial on safe consumption effectiveness, drumming, and the audience was led in protest chants against Premier Ford by emcee Johnson, who reminded the attending people that “Doug Ford is the Premier we cannot afford”.