Workers in Peel Region are speaking up. Now is the time to step up the battle against racism. It is urgent to fight racism in schools and on the streets, against police brutality and killer cops, and against the many failings of the capitalist system evident in transportation, housing, healthcare, work place safety, in the growing inequality, the deteriorating natural environment, and the diminishing quality of life that especially impact racialized sections of the working class. See video above taken at the “Peel Against Racism” rally, October 3, initiated by Socialist Action. The event was endorsed by several labour and community organizations, including Peel Region Labour Council, Parents of Black Children, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Toronto Local; OPSEU Local 532, Workers’ Action Movement, NDP Socialist Caucus, No Pride in Policing Coalition, ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), University of Toronto – Mississauga Students’ Union, and the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP).
A crowd of more than fifty activists and passersby applauded the call to Disarm, De-Fund and Disband the Police, and to eliminate discrimination and violence that targets people of colour. The event was covered and extensively reported by Global TV, City-TV, the Mississauga News and the Brampton Guardian. The SA recording of the proceedings will soon be posted on YouTube and beyond.
Speakers included: Kurt Young, Socialist Action organizer in Peel and member of Sheet Metal Workers’ Union, Local 30.
Kathy McDonald, Trustee for Wards 3 & 4 (Brampton), of the Peel District School Board.
Ram Selvarajah, Executive member, Peel Region Labour Council.
Charline Grant, Parents of Black Children.
Y.C. Lee, No Pride in Policing Coalition.
(Qaiser Maroof, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, President of the Toronto Local was attending to a job safety emergency at the Gateway Plant and sent his regrets.)
Loretta Fisher, Spring Socialist Magazine.
Julius Arscott, Workers’ Action Movement.
Peter D’Gama, NDP Socialist Caucus.
Mohammad Ali Aumeer, Socialist Hip-Hop.
Rally chair: Elizabeth Byce, Treasurer, Socialist Action; past secretary of Toronto and York Region Labour Council.
For more information please contact: socialistactioncanada@gmail.com 647-986-1917 www.socialistaction.ca