Berczy Park PanAm protest against austerity and gov’t criminals

A March on Pan Am Climate and Climate Economic Calls for End to Displacement, Austerity & Climate Catastrophe

Shell, US and Canadian Chambers of Commerce, Felipe Calderon, John Negroponte, Shimon Perez and most major banks and corporations are expected to be present at the Summits. 

Hundreds of Torontonians will be protesting the participants of the Pan Am Economic and Climate Summits on their opening day, July 8th, 2015. The Summits, scheduled alongside the Pan Am Games, are headlined by war criminals, human rights abusers, heads of major pipeline and fracking companies known for their role in environmental deterioration, as well as heads of major banks, and corporations responsible for impoverishing and displacing communities around the world. Protesters at #RiseUpTO insist that these elites cannot continue  making  decisions for the future of the planet they have already pushed to the brink of collapse. #RiseUpTO follows the Jobs, Justice, Climate Action march that took place on July 5th and brought out nearly 10,000 Torontonians to the streets (see image of 25 feet banner ad for #RiseUpTO at Sunday’s march here)

WHAT: Migrant and environmental justice, and anti-capitalist march on the Pan Am Economic and Climate Summits.

WHEN: 7am, July 8th, 2015. Opening of both summits.

WHERE: Meet at Berczy Park. Church and Wellington Street.

VISUALS: Giant parachute banners, colourful flags, “We are here, because you are there!” messages.

WHO: Protesters from immigrant rights, anti-austerity, environmental justice, Palestine solidarity and anti-police brutality groups coming together to protest, among others:

• Shimon Perez: Responsible for Operation Grapes of Wrath where the Israeli Army killed 102 civilians as well as the development of illegal settlements on Palestinian territories.
• John Negroponte: Helped coordinate the US invasion of Vietnam, created death squads in Honduras, responsible for disappearances in El Salvador and was US Ambassador to Iraq during the second American led invasion in 2004.
• Felipe Calderon: Responsible for creating the ‘War on Drugs’, which has resulted in over 70,000 deaths and 25,000 people disappeared.
• Ben van Beurden (Shell CEO) and members of Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers: Responsible for pushing ahead destructive tar sands oil pipeline projects.
• Perrin Beatty (Canadian Chamber of Commerce), Tom Donohue (US Chamber of Commerce): Organizations responsible for defending those responsible for the 2008 economic crash, and the subsequent pushing through of austerity measures.
• Kathleen Wynne, John Tory: For participating in and hosting these summits which will only further impoverish and displace people.

Full list of speakers at the two summits:

– http://forum-americas.org/toronto/2015/speakers
– http://www.downloads.ene.gov.on.ca/files/climatesummit/CSA_SummitSpeakers.pdf