activism

Frontline workers supporting the city’s unhoused population sound the alarm about cuts to service

Frontline workers in London’s supportive services sector are sounding alarms about proposed changes by City Council to the city’s warming centres and funding for outreach services provided by London Cares. In advance of federal funding expiration — which had provided $4.2 million in support for the city’s homelessness response — city staff recommended London’s Community and Protective Services Committee extend a multi-year contract with London Cares and further evolve the homelessness response system.  However on January 23, Ward 4 Coun. Susan Stevenson, Ward 2 Coun. Shawn Lewis, Ward 5 Coun. Jerry Pribil, and Ward 8 Coun. Steve Lehman, proposed amendments…

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The Rise of Anti-Immigrant Racism Led to Violent Attacks and Silence in London Community

On January 18, a group of South Asian youth from the Malayali community were targeted and attacked in Victoria Park. This racist violence seriously injured four of them, including one suffering a critical eye injury. They are workers in the London community, having recently graduated as international students from local post-secondary education.   The London Police didn’t release a media statement for public safety.  Only days after the attacks, upon seeing statements by London Malayali cultural groups raising community safety concerns, did anyone from the wider community respond.  Both the racist attacks and the following silence are symptoms of anti-immigrant racism.  …

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“Grounding: States of Gender”: Persian calligraphy documents memoir of womanhood in Iran 

“What are the ways in which gender — our gender as women — has actually conditioned our life?” asked Iranian artist Gita Hashemi, introducing her performance Grounding: States of Gender at Western University’s John Labatt Visual Arts Centre on January 8. Curated by Soheila Esfahani, the exhibit will be displayed at the artLAB Gallery until January 29.  Grounding features Persian calligraphy in red and black ink that tells the story of a woman in Tehran named Zahra. The swaying script is written on twenty-two scrolls that cover the gallery walls, circling audiences from all sides. Live-streamed footage of Hashemi writing…

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Londoners gather at London Courthouse in support of local activist

Yesterday morning, a crowd of Londoners gathered to support longtime activist David Heap at his court hearing. Heap faces charges related to protesting the ‘Best Defence’ weapons manufacturing conference held in London in October 2025. Heap, an associate professor at Western University, was charged with one count of obstructing a peace officer after the London Police Service (LPS) Street Crime Unit executed search warrants at his home on November 25. In their press release, the LPS announced that a variety of items had been seized, including computers, cell phones, radios and protest placards during their pre-dawn searches at activists’ homes…

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Housing crisis brings community organizations together

On November 29, within the backdrop of the increasing housing crisis that affects both Canada and the city of London, a collection of leftists organizations in the city, volunteers and community members, all came together to find concrete solutions to a problem that has been affecting the city of London for several years. With the passing of the controversial Bill 60 by the Ontario Provincial Government led by Premier Doug Ford; that housing crisis has expanded in scope and complexity in the last few years.  The Democratic Socialists of Canada, Forest City Solidarity, Spring Socialist Network, the East of Adelaide…

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Injured workers advocates continue call for WSIB investigation

On November 5, labour rights activists and community members joined in Victoria Park to mark the ten year anniversary of the release of “Prescription Over-Ruled”, a whistleblower’s report by the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) and the Ontario Network of Injured Workers Groups (ONIWG).  The report includes several allegations from healthcare professionals about the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), including failing to heed medical advice regarding readiness to return to work, insufficient treatment, blaming ‘pre-existing’ conditions for ongoing illness, and using independent medical reviews which proclaim patients to be healed, despite the evidence of treating practitioners. Many critics have…

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“Silence is complicity, trade is betrayal”: Sudan protest demands Canadian government cut ties with UAE over war crimes in Sudan 

On November 1, Londoners gathered at Victoria Park to protest genocide, ethnic cleansing, and war crimes by state violence in Sudan. Chants, speeches, and banners educated the public about current violence in Sudan and its historical roots.  Since April 2023, Sudan has been scarred by warfare between Sudan’s national army, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A September 2025 UN report titled A War of Atrocities states: The RSF…committed myriad crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, enslavement, rape, sexual slavery, sexual violence, forced displacement and persecution on ethnic, gender and political grounds. The…

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“We do not make peace with colonizers”: Palestine rally, vigil on UN International Day of Peace 

On September 21st, the UN International Day of Peace, Londoners gathered at Victoria Park for a Palestine rally and vigil. The crowd was filled with human rights posters, Palestinian flags, and keffiyehs that reeled honks of solidarity from passing cars.  End genocide, end apartheid, free Palestine, read the posters. In Gaza, a bag of flour costs a life. Against killing kids?: Palestine is your cause. Invest in justice, stop arming Israel. You can’t say I didn’t know, you can only say I didn’t care.  Speeches from community members redefined “peace” with imagery of resistance and a rage that grieves.  ***…

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Countering fascism: reflection on “Hope Not Hate” Rally

The following is a reflection from a community member on the “Hope Not Hate” counter rally to the “Canada First” rally that took place on October 25, 2025. The author has been anonymized ensure safety from Canada First affiliates and doxxing efforts. On October 25, community members from various London-based organizations held a counter-demonstration to a planned “Canada First” rally. The anti-immigrant rally was organized by a far-right group centred in the east end of Toronto and their associates in the Second Sons, a white nationalist men’s-only fraternity. The rally in London was one of a series of demonstrations held…

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Sudanese Londoners rally to raise awareness of ongoing genocide in Sudan

More than 60 Sudanese Londoners and community members gathered at Victoria Park Wednesday to raise awareness of the genocide unfolding in Sudan. The crowd passed around flyers to people passing by and yelled chants calling for action to be taken to protect Sudanese civilians. “Save El Fasher, save Tawila, even in Canada it does matter,” they chanted. The protests come after El Fasher, the regional capital of North Darfur in Sudan, fell to paramilitary control by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia after 18-months of siege. Since the militia’s takeover of El Fasher, reports of summary executions of civilians trying…

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