230Fightback

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

King Edward Hotel Action Report Back
https://t.co/9CCJRUbzPU

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

2nd Annual People's Assembly for Housing Justice Report Back
https://t.co/bejA8BOmUF

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

See 230 Fightback's KingSett Picket Report Back:
https://t.co/FJhF6eD373

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

Today 230 Fightback and Allies picketed KingSett Capital's head office and demanded that 213-230 Sherbourne must be used for social housing and not for speculation.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

230 Fightback is leading a struggle to win social housing at 214-230 Sherbourne Street, in Toronto's Downtown East.

This poster is being sold at cost so, if you would like to get one, you can email [email protected].

[Leigh Beadon @leighbeadon]

This is being done with debt financing and equity from the government. In other words, public money being handed to a newly-formed private capital fund so they can buy up condos and rent them out at full market rate.

[John Clarke @JohnClke]

@socialistprojct kindly publishes this account of @230Fightback struggle for #socialhousing in Toronto's Downtown East. It includes an historical backgrounder that drives home the vital nature of the location that we are fighting over.
https://t.co/TghNLkc6IM

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

We will continue to protest against those who support Bill 60 and the fast tracking of the Landlord and Tenant Act - WE WILL NOT SUFFER IN SILENCE.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

The next morning York South-Weston Tenant Union put out a clip of the protest on Instagram which by Saturday morning had been viewed 80,000 times. The Toronto Today News also published an account of the protest.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

We ended the protest with a group picture with everyone behind the banner while security kept a close watch on us. We then made our way to Union Station where we debriefed.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

Once outside in front of the entrance, but still technically on the property, we again pulled out the banner and protested in front of the doors. We were joined by another small group of people who had been protesting in front of the entrance of the Centre on Front Street.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

But despite these negotiations security made it clear that they wanted us out and the cops threatened us with trespass. Several of us refused to leave. We were eventually escorted out of the building by the cops but they were not interested in giving us trespass tickets.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

The bullhorn that we brought with us only added to the craziness as our voices echoed and could be heard throughout the centre. Negotiations between us and the cops went on for a half-hour as hundreds of patrons arriving watched on.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

As they were escorted out they were shouting ``Hey landlords get a real job``. Meanwhile the rest of us were busy handing out flyers to the people arriving. By now the underground lobby where we made our stand was chaos with security and cops everywhere trying to get us out.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

They introduced themselves as ‘tenants who had been fucked over by Bill 60’. They asked the arriving guests, `Do you see your tenants as human beings or revenue streams'. Organizers of the event quickly caught on and had the cops escort our non-paying guests out of the building.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

As it happened, the floor that we were on was where the coat check was located and where the guess picked up their passes. Three of our people, armed with a video camera and a mike, were dressed in their Sunday best and were able to mingle with the paying crowd that was arriving.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

Realizing that we were not going to get any further we decided that this was where we were going to make our stand. Three cops, who had been hired for the event, watched as we brought out our `WE WON’T BE PUSHED OUT`` banner.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

We managed to make our way down three sets of escalators before we were stopped at a fourth escalator by security who asked to see our pass. We explained that we did not have the money to pay to get in and that all we wanted to do was to deliver a message to Tony Irwin and FRPO.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

The land is owned by Oxford Properties, established in 1960 by Don Love – Jon Love’s father. Small world.

Two dozen people from four organizations (230 Fightback, PHJN, YSWTU and CJT) crashed their December 4th gala.

[230Fightback @230Fightback]

The event was held at the Metro Toronto Conference Centre. The MTCC is operated by the Metropolitan Toronto Convention Centre Corporation an independent agency of the Government of Ontario.