OCAP Panhandles in the PATH
OCAP's (The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty), underground Mass Panhandle in the PATH to bring attention to the plight our city's homeless yesterday was a bust. The protest was better attended by the media, police and PATH security, who outnumbered the panhandlers 5 to 1.
Initially the authorities denied the protestors access to the PATH, but I was too busy watching a DJ from EDGE 102 (as he identified himself), insulting homeless people and arguing with protesters to notice. Within a few minutes he was the center of a crush of photographers and reporters and it was over. Shortly after, breakfast was served and everyone who decided to have a bowl of stew ate on camera. I don't know what is so fascinating about homeless people eating, but it was well documented.
At noon the PATH was finally opened to the protest and we descended underground. Within minutes the halls echoed with sound of change rattling in tin cans and the calls for spare change. For the most part the panhandlers were ignored, but a few got creative and hit up the long lines of PATH eateries and the food court. And wherever they went an entourage of police, security and photographers were in toe.
A lack of affordable housing and severe cuts to social services has helped to create a crisis for the homeless of our city. But I don't think the people lunching and shopping in the PATH got that message. I'm sure they were wondering how panhandlers got into the PATH and why they were being followed by a security detail and the paparazzi.
Photos by Richelle Forsey
Comments (11)
With all that media I would in fact call this mass panhandle a glorious success... it is after all a "media stunt".
At some point, though, OCAP's media stunts have to lead to demonstratable results on the ground in order for them to be relevant. At this point, without much/anything in the way of results to speak of, and with most of the media/public ignoring them, their relevance has yet to be determined.
And OCAP continues to find new ways to make a spectacle of themselves without actually solving any problems.
I agree, Rick.
It's because serving dinner in shelters, counseling substance abusers or swinging a hammer at a Habitat for Humanity build is all hard work!
It's more *fun* to protest, and it gives you the opportunity to condemn others for not doing enough of what you'd never dream of doing yourself.
Dumbo 
on December 13, 2007 6:33 PM
Encouraging panhandling is a good way to earn people's contempt.
Did OCAP bring attention to an issue few people knew existed? No. Everyone in the city knows there are homeless people.
Did OCAP raise a significant amount of money for the homeless with this event? Not that I know of.
Did OCAP change any legislation in order to make the lives of homeless people easier? Of course not.
Did ANYONE decide that they would start giving money to help the homeless regularly after seeing this protest? I seriously doubt it.
And yet OCAP continues to exist by causing media ciruses and not helping anyone. Don't politicians get voted out for office for the same thing?
OCAP continues to exist by causing media circuses? Not really, if there's some one thing that causes them to continue to exist its the combination of volunteer effort and donation money they receive from their support base.
They do from time to time organize events specifically to get media attention, but as for 'not help anyone' the bulk of what they do is individual case work providing assistance to people who are being exploited unfairly by corrupt landlords, scummy employers or heartless government bureaucracies. You don't sound like you actually know anything about what OCAP does on a day-to-day basis, you sound like you're only familiar with them via "media circuses" and that would be exactly why they organize such events, to force media attention to those who are being permanently ignored because of their lack of funds and property.
They organized this event.
I still, apparently, don't know what they do.
So how did this event help?
"They do from time to time organize events specifically to get media attention, but as for 'not help anyone' the bulk of what they do is individual case work providing assistance to people who are being exploited unfairly by corrupt landlords, scummy employers or heartless government bureaucracies. You don't sound like you actually know anything about what OCAP does on a day-to-day basis, you sound like you're only familiar with them via "media circuses..."
From the front page of OCAP's website ( http://ocap.ca/ ):
"OCAP is a direct-action anti-poverty organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. We mount campaigns against regressive government policies as they affect poor and working people. In addition, we provide direct-action advocacy for individuals against eviction, termination of welfare benefits, and deportation. We believe in the power of people to organize themselves."
Sounds to me like OCAP itself believes that its main business is "media circuses".
"You don't sound like you actually know anything about what OCAP does on a day-to-day basis"
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