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Mayday Toronto 2013

Watch this page for Live Updates from the Scene

by Toronto Media Co-opBASICS News

Mayday Toronto 2013
marchers on the bridge towards Porter airline (Photo: q_e_d)
marchers on the bridge towards Porter airline (Photo: q_e_d)
This photo is from the lead marchers at Mayday 2012. (Kristyna Balaban)
This photo is from the lead marchers at Mayday 2012. (Kristyna Balaban)

Update 10:15pm Annnnnnd, that's a wrap folks! Protesters are dispersing among chants of "Solidarity Forever". Special thanks to TMC's media team who were a force to be reckoned with on Twitter and the streets today. Stay tuned for video coverage from TMC folks and check out other coverage from @BasicsCNS! Good night!

9:02 Porter Strikers are thanking folks for the continuous support they've received. Meanwhile, another action by PRAC is now leaving from Moss park in the East end of Toronto. Lots happening tonight! (read more below after the jump)

8:46 march is approaching little norway park to support porter workers

8:34 A large contingent is still with the march heading to support striking Porter workers

7:40 The masses have stopped in front of Joe Fresh on Queen St. About two dozen cops have barricaded the place and the entire complex has been shut down. Several speakers are talking about migrant rights in the Philippines before Sharmeen Khan speaks about Joe Fresh's choice to hire contractors for their clothes; contractors who forced people to return to an unsafe building which collapsed. Other activists involved in solidarity campaigns in Bangladesh speak as well before organizers try to deliver a letter to management at Joe Fresh. Management refuses to receive their letter.

6:45 the March is now at full capacity and redy to leave. Two head counts by the TMC have counted 1200 folks here!

5:50: Things are gearing up with folks starting to congregate at City hall in the hundreds for the Mayday Rally. It's beautiful here! Our mini-cabal of journalists and media-makers are now heading to the Rally in full force to document the comings and goings. Because of this, updates on the site will likely be intermittent, but check out our field correspondents on twitter for up-to-the minute updates: @TOmediacoop , @meganysta, @q_e_d, @BasicsCNS, @geordiedent  and @alexf_ramblings

The march is going to be heading West on Bathurst and should stop near Joe Fresh for an action before heading South to Little Norway Park near Porter Airlines for a solidarity action with striking Porter workers (More coverage here).

Stories will be coming out shortly after the march. Also check out some current action from our folks in the field (below the jump):

5:00: Joe Fresh protest today during the Mayday March. From the call-to-action for the event:

"Joe Fresh is one of many capitalist corporations that gets cheap clothes made in Bangladeshi factories. Last week, over 300 workers were killed as one of these factories collapsed in Savar, while another 1,000 are still missing in the rubble. Bangladeshi workers are paid less than $3/day and work in dangerous conditions making cheap clothes for richer countries."

Joe Fresh labels were found in the factory along with labels of Primark, Cato, The Children's Place and Benetton. After their clothing was found in the rubble of the collapsed factory, Joe Fresh announced they would pay compensation to the familes of victims from the factory collapse.

But they didn't offer this before their labels were found...

4:40: Occupy Gardens folks have started to dig up Queen's park. (See Below)

4:15. No One Is Illegal has a new project focusing on Solidarity City.

3:30pm: Follow @alexf_ramblings as he checks out a Mayday event at City Hall

3:00pm:  News and photos are coming in. Numerous folks from TMC and BASIC's are covering Occupy Gardens event at Queen's Park which started at 1pm. We have 15 people covering today's events. 

3:00pm: Massive, free picnic about to begin.

2:00pm: After a meal, participants are breaking out into workshops.

1:30pm: Occupy Gardens has started at Queens Park

Watch this page for live coverage of Mayday events as they happen from the Toronto Media Co-op and our friends at Basics Community News Service.  TMC and Basics reporters will be live on scene all day, just as we were last year. At the end of the day, we'll consoldiate all our reporting into one main story (see 2012 Mayday story here)

Also watch our main twitter feed @TOmediacoop as well as our contributer twitter feeds  , @meganysta, @q_e_d, @BasicsCNS, @geordiedent 

Read BASICS' pre Mayday coverage of Occupy Gardens and the Porter Airlines Strike.

Here's a tentative lest of events we'll be covering:

 

1-4pm SOILidarity - Occupy Garden Action at Queens Park 
3pm OCCUPY CITY HALL (?)- People's Political Party at City Hall
5:30pm Solidarity City March at Nathan Phillips Sq/City Hall
5:30-6pm? Rounddance at Nathan Phillips Sq 
6-7pm? Joe Fresh Action etc at Queen & Bathurst 
7pm-? Porter Solidarity Demonstration at Little Norway Park 
8pm PRAC March at Moss Park
9pm IWW Party at The 460 (460 Spadina - near College & Spadina)
 
 
BASICS will also be handing out copies of the mayday print issue of BASICS at the march and the gardens.

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