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2 Last minute events:<div><br></div><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; ">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; ">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div></div><div><br><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Last night Israel announced the end of the blockade of Gaza</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">and this morning they bombed over 200 Gazans to death and</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">wounded over 300.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">This is a war crime on an industrial scale.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">There will be a demonstration outside the Israeli Consulate</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">in Toronto</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Where: 180 Bloor Street West</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">When: 2:00 p.m. on Sunday 28th December 2008.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Supported so far by:</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Canadian Arab Federation</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Palestine House</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Women in Solidarity with Palestine (WSP)</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Not In Our Name (NION): Jewish Voices Opposing Zionism</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Muslim Association of Hamilton</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">International Jewish anti-Zionist Network – Toronto</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid</div> <br></blockquote>To learn more:</div><div><br></div><div>Israel Launches Air Strikes on Gaza, 192 Dead<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Ibrahim Barzak, The Associated Press: "Israeli warplanes retaliating for rocket fire from the Gaza Strip pounded dozens of security compounds across the Hamas-ruled territory in unprecedented waves of airstrikes Saturday, killing nearly 200 people and wounding 270 others in the single bloodiest day of fighting in years. Most of those killed were security men, but civilians were also among the dead." </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://www.truthout.org/122708A">http://www.truthout.org/122708A</a> </div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; ">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; ">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">Dear housing activist and community members,</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">After 8 years of legal battles the city and police have finally backed down and paid up. Please join us at our press event:</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;">Monday, January 29 at 12 noon</span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">in front of Toronto City Hall (100 Queen St. West)</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">We'll announce the details of the victory and the formation of a new trust fund to continue supporting grassroots housing initiatives. We will also be protesting the City's continued neglect of public housing and Toronto Police's continued harassment of homeless individuals and activists.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">Activists, housing experts and the legal team involved in the case will all be present. Speakers include:</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">Peter Rosenthal</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">Vilko Zbogar</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">Alex Brown</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">Elan Ohayon</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">Oriel Varga</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">Cathy Crowe</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">David Hulchanski</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">We will also have some food and maybe set up some shelter to keep warm! Hope to see you there.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">The Allan Gardens Project Crew </font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><br></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="'Times New Roman'" size="4"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; ">------------</div></span></span></font></div></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">ALLAN GARDENS PROTESTERS' LAWSUIT AGAINST CITY & POLICE ENDS IN VICTORY</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">All awards will be used for housing advocacy</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">PRESS CONFERENCE:</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">Monday December 29, 2008 at 12 pm (noon)</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">In front of Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">TORONTO – After 8 years of delayed justice, the City of Toronto and Toronto Police have paid a substantial settlement to three organizers of the Allan Gardens Project. The housing activists will be directing the entire sum of over $100,000 toward grassroots housing initiatives throughout the city.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">The Allan Gardens Project was a peaceful protest that began in August 1999 after the police breakup of OCAP's Safe Park. It included students, homeless and other community members calling for public housing. For over 120 consecutive Friday nights at Allan Gardens Park, protesters decried the continuing housing crisis in Toronto as well as police brutality and harassment of the homeless. The sleep outs lasted over two years until November 2001. A violent crackdown by Toronto's emergency taskforce unit in October 2000 resulted in false charges that were later thrown out of court. T</font><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">hree </font><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">anti-poverty activists (Elan Ohayon, Alex Brown, Oriel Varga) </font><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">promised that such intimidation tactics would not cause them to back down and promptly </font><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">launched a lawsuit against the City of Toronto and Toronto Police. </font><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman">Now, eight years later, </font><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">only days before the court date,</font><font face="Times New Roman" size="5" style="font: 16.0px Times New Roman"> the city and police have finally been forced to pay a settlement, all of which will go toward housing initiatives.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 48.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">The activists had planned to argue, in a two week court trial set for December 2008, that given the lack of safe affordable housing the homeless have the right to sleep out and set up shelter free of City and Police harassment. The activists were to be represented by renowned civil rights lawyers Peter Rosenthal and Vilko Zbogar and supported by anti-poverty experts Cathy Crowe, David Hulchanski, Stephan Hwang and Gaetan Heroux. One of the arguments to be heard in court was that a police crackdown on any shelter of a homeless person and their advocates, given the lack of housing and safe shelters, is a violation of Section 7 of the Charter - the right to life, liberty and security of person. The legal team, housing experts and community activists involved in the case will be present at the press conference.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">Oriel Varga: "The duration of the process highlights the continued problems in Toronto housing and the Ontario justice system. Almost a decade after the community call for housing to be built and the many promises by city, provincial and federal governments, the building of affordable housing remains at a virtual standstill. The homeless and social justice activists continue to be harassed by the city and police. As a consequence of government inaction, homelessness continues to be a national disaster and there is an average of two deaths per week of homeless individuals in Toronto alone (according to estimates by the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee)."</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">With the repeated extreme cold weather alerts this December and with these difficult times, the urgent need for affordable public housing remains a Charter-based, life-threatening emergency. The three plaintiffs, including one who was homeless at the time, are dedicated to forwarding the message that 1% percent of government budgets must go toward housing. The funds from this legal win will thus go entirely towards anti-poverty and housing initiatives that continue to put pressure on all levels of government to build public housing.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">Join us at the press conference Monday, December 29, 2008 at Noon at Toronto City Hall to hear expert witnesses, the history of the Allan Garden's protest and full details of the settlement and trust fund.</font></div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman"> </font></p><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Times New Roman" size="4" style="font: 15.0px Times New Roman">- 30 -</font></div></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; ">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; ">---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Eulogies and Condolences for Tooker</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">and Stories of ecology and activism</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="http://www.greenspiration.org"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">http://www.greenspiration.org</span></span></a></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Join our email list by emailing us at:</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a href="mailto:greenspiration@web.ca"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">greenspiration@web.ca</span></span></a></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Write "subscribe" in the subject line</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">and tell us what city/country you live in</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span></span> </div><br></div></body></html>