Former co-accused Compton and I went protesting Saturday (Jan. 23, 2010) at Yonge and Dundas Square regarding the closure of Canada’s parliament until after Vancouver Olympics.
It’s a sham shame Canada’s parliament has opted to stop working. It’s a
pathetic attempt by prime minister Stephen Harper, who is heavily
influenced by USA neo-Cons, to get his poll numbers within striking
distance of a majority government.
Then he’ll call an election.
His political ploy backfired as over 200,000 Canadians (that’s a big
number btw) have joined a FaceBook group to demand our politicians get
back to work. Though politicians and mainstream media will demand back
to work legislation for striking garbage workers or mail carriers, no
one appears to be demanding the same back to work action.

MP Olivia Chow and Me Protesting

Especially with the same zeal garbage strikers and city workers received in 2009.
Where’s the mountain of media backlash?
Especially in the mainstream media. Who constantly use a political word
prorogue to confuse Canadians about a dastardly move in politics.
Compton and I had a great time chanting and marching through the streets of Toronto. One of my Twitter goals, get a Twitpic photo with MP Olivia Chow (NDP), has now been accomplished.
It’s a great photo too!
Protesting against The Man in winter can be trying.
However, the gorgeous January day was perfect for protesting. With above freezing temperatures making it feel almost balmy. Plenty of protesters worked up a good positive energy frenzy with their chants and signs.
Mainstream media, relying on police estimates, peg the number of
protesters at mere 3,000. Yet, Yonge and Dundas Square was packed
with more people than City of Toronto’s annual Canada Day celebrations. With cops ensuring people didn’t spill onto Yonge St. until the start of the march.
Over 20,000+ people are in the area daily, according to the Y&D Square figures.
If cops say 3,000, then probably triple that attended yesterdays rally.
Making the number protesting closer to 10,000 people.
The opportunity to get the word out is also amazing at Yonge & Dundas. With the highest concentration of billboards in Canada. Making this area of Toronto appear like New York City’s Time Square.
Oblivious people couldn’t have missed our political message.
Besides down with the political call to arms, I’m also big on taking mental notes to improve marijuana rallies. The problem with potheads is they’ve never protested anything before. They don’t understand how to protest effectively.
They have unrealistic expectations. Believe protests should take months to plan, then get mad when people have other ideas for “their protest.”
Plenty of diverse political groups attended yesterday rally, but potheads crazily demand homogeneity.
Another example, yesterday’s march, led by a pickup truck using a sound system, stopped several times for no real reason. Simply to demonstrate who owns the streets. Toronto Global Marijuana March on the other hand is like stoner sprint around the city core.
Toronto’s GMM also gets a permit, where these protesters do not.
You’re asking permission from the same group of people trying to oppress you!
Anyway, Compton and I both had a great time participating in chants yesterday. We both agree to feeling much better. Plenty of winter political anxiety got burned off. We both felt incredibly invigorated. We met politically motivated people.