Protests are one of the ways in which citizens in democratic societies express their views and their frustrations. The main reason why protests are necessary is that they provide a lawful and orderly outlet for pent-up emotions. Protesters meet to express their solidarity regarding specified issues. This paper addresses several issues arising from the protest organized by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP). The protest took place on 22 March 2014 in Ontario.
The purpose of the rally organized by OCAP was to raise awareness regarding the poverty situation in Ontario and other parts of Canada. This rally was targeting the Liberal Party Convention in the city. The intention of the organizers was to get the attention of the politicians who were attending the Liberal Party Convention in Ontario. The thrust of the rally was to compel the politicians to make changes to the social justice system to give the poor a better chance of surviving in the harsh economic climate.
The four main demands made by the protesters were as follows. First, the protesters wanted the Liberal Party to raise the social assistance rates by 55%. Secondly, the protesters wanted the Liberal Party to raise the minimum wage to $14 per hour. The third demand made by the protesters was for the restoration of the Special Diets and the Community Start-up Benefits. Finally, the protesters opposed the plan to merge the Ontario Workers (OW) and the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) by Liberal Party.
The rally organizers wanted to get the attention of the delegates attending the Liberal Party Convention. This would give them access to the political leaders whose influence was necessary to address their demands. The flyers advertising the event also mentioned Kathleen Wynne by name. Kathleen Wynne is Ontario’s Premier. This shows that the protesters wanted her attention in regards these issues. It means that she had the influence needed to effect the changes demanded by the protesters.
The main interests represented at the rally were as follows. First, people living with disabilities were interested in the protest because of the proposed merger between OW and ODSP. The merger may affect the financial assistance extended to the disabled. The second interest group in the protest was the minimum wage workers. OCAP felt that these people had lost their buying power due to inflation. Therefore, there was a need to restore the buying power of the poor. The third interest group was the people living on welfare funds. The welfare fund in Canada is under heavy pressure from immigrants.
The groups that sponsored the rally were as follows. First, the rally was organized by OCAP. In this sense, the first rally sponsor is OCAP. Other sponsors include Packdale Against Poverty, Jane-Finch Against Poverty, Kingston Coalition Against Poverty, and the Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty.
The people who participated in the protest were from diverse backgrounds. The participants included people from various races, as well as people from various economic backgrounds. In addition, the protest included people from various parts of the Canada. Some international protesters were also part of the rally.
The protest organizers used three main strategies to attract and retain the attention of their target group. First, the organizers encouraged the participants to carry pans. The noise made by hitting hundreds of pans made the protest very effective. Secondly, the protesters used the name of the Ontario premier in the campaign posters. This tactic was bound to get her attention. Thirdly, the protesters mentioned the specific areas that needed the intervention of the Liberal Party.
Flyers were very effective in raising awareness because it was easy to send the flyers to potential participants. In this regard, the flyers were easy to handle and to distribute. Secondly, the use of pans to make noise was a very effective attention-seeking strategy. These pans made it possible for the protesters to attract and retain the attention of the Liberal Party officials. The website was also very useful in raising awareness among the public. This included the use of social media to reach people in various parts of the country.
The main aspects of the protest that were of interest to the media included the attention targeting the premier and the noise made by the protesters. The website was also a reliable source of information for the press.
The conversations held with some of the protesters revealed several things about the perceived link between poverty and social policy. First, there was a clear feeling that poverty is the result of government policies that reward bulk purchasing. People who can afford to buy goods in bulk pay a lower price for the items. The price per unit of items sold in bulk is lower than the price of goods sold in small units. Secondly, it was clear that the protesters associated the living conditions of the urban poor with the failure of the government to provide adequate housing for the poor. This illustrates the connection between social action and social policy.