Occupy Toronto

I had just finished eating dinner at Urban Herbivore in the Toronto Eatons Center, and was walking home.  I passed by Nathan Phillips Square (Toronto City Hall) and saw the Occupy Toronto protesters lining up to parade down Queen Street.  I wondered what they were protesting about because this is Canada, not the USA or Europe.  Other than the auto workers union, I'm not sure that anyone noticed the recession in 2008 or now.  It's like nothing happened here in Canada other than rising food and gas prices.

The parade began with a pickup truck and loud speakers.  A transsexual was expressing "her" frustration about how nobody will accept that he is a she.

Next there were a ton of people holding up signs about how the rich should be taxed more.  Who is rich? Am I rich -- the middle class person making a bit more money than average? Even if you are talking about the hundred millionaires and  billionaires, are they the real root of the problem? I don't think so.

There was also someone holding a sign asking why we pamper cats and dogs, but eat pigs.  The sign was telling people to become vegan.  I became vegan earlier this year for many reasons, including the point she was making.  I just don't think Occupy Toronto is the right platform to make this statement. How about Toronto Rib Fest?

Also in the parade was a woman dressed up like a clown walking her pet Styrofoam lizard, teenagers dressed up like zombies, people on drums, and a guy wearing a Canadian flag with a marijuana leaf instead of a maple leaf.  He was shouting nonsense in a megaphone.

Up to this point I was completely disappointed in this protest because holding up signs that say "Corporate Greed" or "higher taxes for top 1%" isn't going to have an impact.  All they have succeeded in doing is to convince me that they don't understand what's really going on. I can't say that I do either, but I am trickle fed bits every day on infowars.com

There was ONE guy handing out flyers.  I looked at his flyer, and it was clear that he was the only person who really understood what the protest is about, or what it SHOULD be about (in my opinion). I've scanned and posted it below: