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UPDATE: Ages, Grewal attend Occupy Vancouver general assembly meeting

Council of Canadians Board member Bob Ages and British Columbia-Yukon organizer Harjap Grewal joined with more than 200 others at an Occupy Vancouer planning meeting yesterday (Saturday) morning at the Woodwards Atrium.

The Vancouver Province reports, “At the first general assembly on Saturday, hundreds of people squeezed into the W2 Media Cafe to discuss the logistics of occupying the art gallery grounds successfully. Eventually, the meeting was moved up to the atrium.” CTV notes, “In Vancouver, activists say they will set up on the Vancouver Art Gallery lawn on October 15, and send marches around the area. Protesters have said their occupation will last ‘indefinitely’. …The organizers of the Occupy Vancouver rally insisted they would only support peaceful protest.” NEWS 1130 adds, “Organizers stressed non-violence and encouraged demonstrators to bring tents downtown and document any problems with police. …Over 2,600 people have joined the (Occupy Vancouver Facebook page) so far. …The protesters, who say they have no leader, are organizing committees to handle issues such as safety, security, permits, infrastructure, sanitation, and first aid.”

Other cities

Occupy Montreal will take place in Square Victoria, a town square at the intersection of Beaver Hall Hill and McGill Street starting on October 15. The Indignez-Vous! conference and Council of Canadians annual general meeting starts just a few days later on October 21-23 at the Marriott Chateau Champlain hotel at 1 Place du Canada near Station Bonaventure. It is less than a 7-minute walk (about 600 metres) from Station Bonaventure along Rue de la Gauchetière O to Station Square Victoria.

The Halifax Chronicle-Herald reports, “A planning picnic on an unseasonably mild autumn afternoon drew about 75 people to a Halifax park in preparation for future Occupy Nova Scotia protest. The potluck organizing meeting Saturday at the Halifax Commons was held in advance of a demonstration proposed for the Grand Parade in the downtown core on Oct. 15. Most folks sitting on the grass in the Commons were young people with a common purpose. They’re concerned about poverty, housing, unemployment, the environment and other issues. A democratic, consensus-building process at the meeting seemed to be the order of the day. …Those who were there included workers, students, young parents, seniors and university professors.”

The Ottawa Citizen reports, “The Occupy Wall Street movement is coming to Ottawa, with plans for a ‘general assembly’ in Confederation Park on Oct. 15. About 150 people attended an ‘Occupy Ottawa’ planning meeting Thursday night to hammer out a strategy for a protest that will capitalize on the grassroots movement that began last month in New York City. Though consensus was difficult among the disparate group, there was agreement the protest will be peaceful and won’t disrupt the lives of the working class – those the movement supports. …From students and independent activists to the laid-off and the employed, they gathered at the University of Ottawa to discuss demands for change to the political and economic systems to respond to the needs of the working public, not just the elite. Among them was Brigette DePape, a former Senate page famous for the anti-Harper protest she staged during the speech from the throne on June 3.”

And last week CTV reported, “Protesters in Edmonton intend to hold a brainstorming meeting on Oct. 6 ahead of an ‘Occupy Edmonton’ protest, according to a Facebook event.” Other Prairie cities with Occupy events include Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Regina (all of which have Facebook pages).

The Council of Canadians supports the non-violent, pro-democracy Occupy movement. For more, please see these Council of Canadians blogs: