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Sleeping Out In Solidarity
By Diana K.
Humanize Toronto's Sleeping Out In Solidarity Protest was about activism and civil disobedience, advocating for some of
Before going to the Protest, I started with a hot shower, then washed my hair and brushed my teeth (I’d already made sure to eat a hearty meal). Then came the all-important "what am I going to wear" decisions. Layers are good – so I threw on: underclothes, socks, legwarmers, a thermal vest, long sleeved shirt, T-shirt, sweatshirt, pair of jogging pants, hooded sweatshirt and, finally, my GAP Winter jacket. Of course I had to straighten my hair, I didn’t want be caught sleeping in the street with my hair unruly! The bag was the last thing I put together before I headed out into the cold, preparing to go by myself since I'd failed miserably at convincing anyone to come with me. At about ten-to-nine I drove to the Rouge Hill GO Station, a ten-minute walk from home. Earlier in the afternoon I'd contemplated driving all the way downtown and parking in the underground lot at City Hall, but there was just something about that idea that didn’t seem to blend with the theme of the event. 9:07 P.M. – I jumped on the GO Train to Union Station, getting myself in the spirit by reading Bread Out Of Stone. In an essay entitled
10:25 P.M. – I showed up at the Sleeping Out In Solidarity Protest, with a friend who like all good sisters came to make sure I’d be safe, and in time to enjoy presentations by the Toronto Sympathy Choir, Michael Shapcott of the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee and James vanZandwijk (Editor of Toronto Street News) amongst other individuals. One of the presenters, a female minister, told the crowd a story about a manhole in a downtown
12:30 A.M. – People began to settle in for the night. By 1 a.m., most participants were engaged in the act of "sleeping in protest" – with clusters of people at the doors of City Hall, some huddled around pillars and a small group up all night around the Peace Fire. I lay down on a piece of cardboard covered with a towel from my friend’s car (using my knapsack as a pillow) and a sleeping bag I'd borrowed from a reporter who was covering the story. My friend, satisfied that there were enough places to run to incase things got a bit dangerous gave me a hug in solidarity and was on her way. 5:20 A.M. – Emmanuel! I popped my head up to have a look around. That was the first time I saw him, walking towards us strapped with a megaphone. He'd come to tell us that although we were participating in this “minor sacrifice”, we were still submissive to a system that perpetuated evil. Startled out of their sleep, people raised their heads; most had smiles on their faces, because they wouldn’t have been having this experience while snuggled cosily in their beds. The organizers ran to ask Emmanuel to stop disturbing the people sleeping, and 1 young man tried to tell Emmanuel that he’d get a more responsive audience at 8 A.M. Emmanuel was adamant that we shouldn’t have been sleeping anyways, that he had a message to give...but he resigned himself to being led away. 7 A.M. – Wake-Up call! Emmanuel is back and this time he is unstoppable. Sleepily, people joked that they couldn’t find the snooze button and Emmanuel made a very good alarm clock. He was with us for the next 3 hours, preaching his message of... To be honest I never got his message, there’s something about being preached to that makes me hard of hearing. At one point, he tipped over the table with food and hot soup. “An asshole move”, someone yelled and some tried to restrain him, but none of the protesters would let violence be a solution. Sleeping outside in the cold (or, in my case, trying to do so) is as uncomfortable as you'd imagine it to be; I couldn't fathom anyone wanting to do it through a gruelling winter. I can, however, imagine how – for some – it is the choice they believe they need to make for survival. Arguably, if an individual's mental health issues have contributed to their homeless, then it's not a choice at all. Rather, it's the failure of us, as a society, to adequately provide support for those who are forced into vulnerable situations. It takes a lot of strength to deal with the uncertainty, violence and gazes of passers-by – not to mention the cold from October through March. 8:45 A.M. – Under arrest! Emmanuel ran into City Hall, to spread his message to the security guards (I’m assuming), then ran back out 15 minutes later. However, security chased him and he was arrested for trespassing. Word on the street is that when it comes to violence, security guards are more dangerous than the police. As we sat there witnessing what was going on with Emmanuel, others spoke about the violence they had experienced at the hands of “the authorities”, as well as similar experiences due to being (or identified as being) a street person. Being homeless is not a crime was a statement that was repeated more than once! That morning I learned that people really do depend on the money they make selling Outreach, Toronto Street News and similar newspapers. People are able to buy or get the newspapers from central distributors and then keep the money that they receive when exchanging them for donations on the streets. This is by no means a sustainable living but, it is hard work. The friend who had come to get me settled in the night before had commented that, while stuffed in sleeping bags, you couldn’t really distinguish those who came to "sleep in solidarity"...from those who we came to sleep in solidarity with. In the morning, it was easier to make the distinction, as those of us who were not homeless packed up our things and went home. 10:13 A.M. – I caught the GO home to take a nap under the covers. Speaking of covers, if you have blankets, warm clothing or sleeping bags to donate, Toronto Street News distributes them to the homeless for free. To read more about homelessness in
Contact: DianaK@8rooks.com |
If you’re going to "sleep out in solidarity" in the middle of November and it’s under the freezing mark...I would highly recommend a sleeping bag. It was the one small thing I overlooked, while preparing for Humanize