Students making the choice between Occupy Wall Street and education
The ongoing Occupy Wall Street demonstrations
in New York City have spread
across the U.S. to Canada. London is small
city where even if a dozen people gather
together to protest, it becomes news. The
Occupy Wall Street protests reached London
in mid-October, when activists gathered in
Victoria Park downtown. The park has gotten
busy since then with tents sprouting up
near the tank at Richmond and Central,
which house people aged 15 to 50. Among
those people are some of our own Fanshawe
College students, struggling against the cold
winds and rain for the future of democracy.
Police and London Mayor Joe Fontana want
the strugglers to leave Victoria Park and give
up, but the protestors are rigid in their
beliefs.
Irene Mathyssen, London-Fanshawe MP, visited the site on October 30, telling protesters the NDP is with Occupy London. I asked the people in the park about their responses of Mathyssen being there, and they said politicians never change; they are always politicians.
"NDP must be with us, but Occupy Wall Street is not with NDP," said an 18-year-old man who said his name was Tuxedage. Tuxedage, who is not attending school, said he considers that at this point in time, Occupy Wall Street is more important than anything else. He also added that even if the city officials push them out or the cold gets worse, the protestors would be always connected with the Internet. He had been in the protests of London for nine days when I spoke to him, and before that he was supporting Occupy Toronto.
One of our students, Henry (not his real name), has already decided that he won't continue his studies further as Occupy needs him. "City officials think we were going to leave, and we haven't left," a 25-year-old protester said. "We're going to stay and we are going to support Occupy Wall Street. There are general assemblies immediately followed by committee meetings and all are encouraged to participate."
It seems that there are still people who remember the gravity of the crimes that big businesses commit. Hardworking taxpayers are suffering because of big corporations, and they want the mayor to realize that Canada is also the victim of capitalism. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. London activists are against corporate greed, but, like Occupy Wall Street, the group has yet to spell out a clear objective.
Despite the dropping temperatures, protestors have been camped out in Victoria Park for nearly two weeks at time of print, and they do not know how much longer they will go on. But one question for all the young activists is: "Is Occupy Wall Street more important than education?"
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
Irene Mathyssen, London-Fanshawe MP, visited the site on October 30, telling protesters the NDP is with Occupy London. I asked the people in the park about their responses of Mathyssen being there, and they said politicians never change; they are always politicians.
"NDP must be with us, but Occupy Wall Street is not with NDP," said an 18-year-old man who said his name was Tuxedage. Tuxedage, who is not attending school, said he considers that at this point in time, Occupy Wall Street is more important than anything else. He also added that even if the city officials push them out or the cold gets worse, the protestors would be always connected with the Internet. He had been in the protests of London for nine days when I spoke to him, and before that he was supporting Occupy Toronto.
One of our students, Henry (not his real name), has already decided that he won't continue his studies further as Occupy needs him. "City officials think we were going to leave, and we haven't left," a 25-year-old protester said. "We're going to stay and we are going to support Occupy Wall Street. There are general assemblies immediately followed by committee meetings and all are encouraged to participate."
It seems that there are still people who remember the gravity of the crimes that big businesses commit. Hardworking taxpayers are suffering because of big corporations, and they want the mayor to realize that Canada is also the victim of capitalism. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. London activists are against corporate greed, but, like Occupy Wall Street, the group has yet to spell out a clear objective.
Despite the dropping temperatures, protestors have been camped out in Victoria Park for nearly two weeks at time of print, and they do not know how much longer they will go on. But one question for all the young activists is: "Is Occupy Wall Street more important than education?"
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
