Find out how to fight back against the TTC.

Last Wednesday, the following ‘letter to the editor’ appeared in Toronto’s Now Magazine:

Disabled stay home

I am a person with a disability who does not use Wheel-Trans, as others need it more and my needs have been better met by riding the subway, which is conveniently located half a block down my street. It’s the main reason I moved here.

The new fare increase (NOW, November 19-25) will limit my ability to access my city.

Those of us who are disabled do not get a fare rate reduction like seniors or students, and yet many of us live below the poverty line.

Adding insult to injury is the token freeze, which now means I either have to pay cash to get onto the subway or use up my precious energy going the extra distance to use another entrance. Merry Christmas to me!

How well Canadian politicians look out for the least among us. Hey, maybe this is their way of telling people like me to stay home?

Michelle Moore
Toronto

I feel Michelle’s pain. When I surveyed Canada’s public transportation systems for a 2006 article in Abilities Magazine, Toronto did much worse than anticipated for a major metropolitan centre with the highest disabled population in the country.  Since that article was written, a few more subway stations have become accessible, but there’s no visible progress on the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, as the clock toward the fully-accessible deadline of 2024 keeps ticking down. The AODA Alliance continues to make transportation recommendations at the government’s request. Even the long overdue accessible streetcars, scheduled to begin appearing in 2011, will be implemented on a incremental basis. It remains to be seen how accessible the planned York University subway extension will be.

As Michelle points out, the token freeze further squeezes the already dwindled resources of the disabled population. People with disabilities occupy the highest segment of unemployed persons in the world.  (Full disclosure: I write this blog for free) However, the token freeze doesn’t just squeeze us financially, like the fare hike, it also squeezes us physically. At many stations, the token activates the gate automatically making it the most accessible and independent way to get to the platform. Relying on cash is much tougher because many of the lanes are too narrow to get an electric chair or scooter up to the window. Many of the counters are too high to place your money on by yourself, so even if you wanted to pay — you couldn’t.

Combine that with the fact Toronto has not followed most civilized cities in the world, and instituted a discount program for disabled people and I feel well within my rights to actively con the TTC every time I use their services.  Why support a system, so ill equipped to support me?

The “Bad Man” Broverman Guide to Riding the Rocket for Free

1. “Friendlies” Get the right TTC employee at the counter and make like it’s a real struggle to pull out and count the change. Nine times out of ten they will wave you through, no questions asked, especially if your holding people up. **NOTE: Bus drivers will usually ask you to put your money away.
2. “Slight of Hand” Sitting in a glass box all day can get tiring. Take advantage of laziness, slowed reaction-time and the lack of a sight-line (thanks to mobility devices being lower than the counter) and deposit whatever change you have on hand. Make sure you group the coins together, dropping them fast and all at once into the box with your palm facing towards you.  By the time they count it, you’ll be long gone.  **NOTE: also works with foreign currency denominations that, from a distance, look similar to Canadian quarters.
3. “The Sneak” By far the most difficult technique, this one works best at rush hour. Find someone with a stroller (they will need to use the gate) and follow them close enough that when the attendant opens the gate you can sneak through before he can close it. You can also ask someone on the platform side to press the button for you. Most of them will assume you paid.

I can’t guarantee success, but these methods have worked for me and hopefully they’ll work for you. Remember, if you make a reasonable attempt to pay and can’t, there’s no harm in catching a break where you can.

Toronto’s Nuit Blanche is an all-night arts festival with “a mandate to make contemporary art accessible to large audiences, while inspiring dialogue and engaging the public to examine its significance and impact on public space.”

However, despite these admirable intentions, Nuit Blanche’s corporate presence is simply too great. After all, Nuit Blanche, as the countless promotional posters endlessly repeat, is officially called the “Scotiabank Nuit Blanche.”

For those interested in a non-corporate alternative to Nuit Blanche that also celebrates art and showcases some of Toronto’s lesser-known artists, there is another event called “Les Rues des Refuses” or The Street of Rejects. Creator and curator Stephanie Avery describes the event as “realizing the spirit of Nuit Blanche…of making art more accessible and interesting for people.”

After her art installation didn’t make it into the 2008 Nuit Blanche, Stephanie did not back down. Determined to display her art, Avery decided to find and connect with other artists that weren’t officially part of Nuit Blanche but still wanted to share their art with the public.

This Saturday, October 3rd marks the 2nd annual Les Rues des Refuses. The primary goal, says Avery, is to “create publicity for alternative pieces that otherwise would be discovered only by happenstance during Nuit Blanche.” Sonya JF Barnett, Les Rues des Refuses media maven, firmly believes that “artists who aren’t as well known need some kind of voice,” which their alternative event provides.

This year’s Les Rues des Refuses involves a growing list of more than 30 artists. Like Nuit Blanche, some exhibits will be displayed all night. The program schedule is available on Les Rues des Refuses’ website and in artsy shops around Toronto (try Hartbeat 960 on 960 Queen St. W.) Avery and Barnett carry all costs associated with organizing and promoting the event, proving that corporate sponsorship is really not necessary. The response so far has been amazing; “people in general seem to react in such a positive way,” says Avery.

Artists that want to be part of this event are encouraged to consult the website or email Stephanie at ruesdesrefuses at gmail dotcom. It’s not too late to be part of the online program schedule.

Avery and Barnett were looking for an alternative to a corporate event and ended up making their own. “If you want something done,” they tell me, “you need to do it yourself.”

Ahmadinejad speaking at the U.N. General Assembly in 2008

Almost one year ago Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the currently contested President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, delivered his infamous speech at the U.N. General Assembly. Putting aside for a moment that the U.N. has failed its mandate to prevent wars between countries and, therefore, is rather debunked as an institution, it has also been a microphone-box for some of the world’s most notorious self-proclaimed leaders.

In his 2008 speech, Ahmadinejad alternately wooed and unsettled the audience with his defiant, confident and eloquent rhetoric that challenged everything from the U.S. occupation of Iraq to the existence of gays in Iran. The reaction of the crowd was mixed: some lamented the fact that the world was forced to choose between leaders like Bush and Ahmadinejad, while others lauded Ahmadinejad’s criticism of the U.S. occupation and chastised Colombia’s president for his hypocrisy (Bush, whose track record is worthy of war-criminal stature, after all, received a reception that was much more welcoming).

The problem with some portions of the left is that in the quest to establish a genuine alternative to Western—and, especially, American—imperialism and hegemony, some of the most unsavoury and unscrupulous characters are embraced. After all Ahmadinejad has met with Chavez, the darling of so much of the left, and supports Cuba, leaving activists somewhat confused and befuddled.

However, illusions cannot be easily maintained after this summer’s disputed Iranian elections and the ensuing atrocities. Regardless of how Ahmadinejad may have appeared before—sometimes as the defiant underdog who will not be intimidated, sometimes as the goofy, ugly-yet-comical figure—there should be no room for confusion anymore: Ahmadinejad represents a callous, bloody and tyrannical regime.

The reality is that the current Iranian government doesn’t care about the peoples of Afghanistan or Iraq or Palestine – it doesn’t even care about the people of Iran. The events following the contested June elections are testament to this fact. Wide-spread documentation of systematic imprisonment, torture, abuse, rape and death of protesters is all too well known now, though still vehemently denied by the regime. Unfortunately, the Iranian government is capable of much more painful, despicable and violent acts than those which met Neda Agha-Soltan’s fate. At least she died by a bullet wound and not due to the “rupturing of her womb and anus.”

But a question that is often asked among leftist circles, or anyone trying to challenge any status quo, is what to do now, knowing what we know? How should we proceed? What strategies can we employ? And, perhaps above all, what is our objective? For those Canadians of Iranian descent, who have ties with Iran, or who are simply concerned citizens who feel that injustice anywhere should be opposed everywhere, the options are fairly limited. But creativity sometimes grows in the most desperate of situations.

One Toronto-based group, Cycling for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) decided to express their solidarity with the peoples of Iran by biking from Toronto Ottawa’s Iranian embassy to deliver a petition that features the following demands:

1. immediately and unconditionally release the political leaders and activists arrested on June 15th, and all others who have been arrested for the peaceful exercise of their rights to freedom of expression and assembly;
2. allow them immediate access to their family members, lawyers of their choice and to any medical treatment they may require, and that they be protected from all forms of torture or ill-treatment;
3. allow peaceful demonstrations by those wishing to express their opinion of the elections, even if critical.

The positive response to the Ottawa ride has encouraged CHRI to plan another one, this time a four-day, 800 km journey, starting this Saturday, September 19th, to New York. Information about the bike ride can be found here, and it is not too late to participate/volunteer for the ride.

Why New York? Ahmadinejad is planning another speech, after all.

This Magazine spoke to CHRI founder Ali Bangi and asked the following questions:

Why are you riding to New York?
Mr. Ahmadinejad’s (Iran’s controversial president) visit to the U.N. General Assembly is a good opportunity for us to raise awareness about the situation of human rights in Iran. We believe extreme forms of human rights violations have happened and continue to happen during his presidency and he has failed to respond and address the issue. Instead, he has endorsed government sanctioned violence against peaceful protests by Iranian students and ordinary people who have expressed their critical opinion about the recent presidential elections.

Why bike?
We use cycling as a tool to raise awareness. Cycling from Toronto to New York is kind of a mental and physical challenge that we believe is kind of similar to those facing many Iranian students, activists and political leaders that have been imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of expression and assembly, which are both recognized rights by Iran’s constitution and the universal human rights. Cycling also keeps us together. We bike every Sunday and that’s how we have become a team/group. Finally, cycling long distances for human rights is what draws the necessary media attention and helps us deliver our message to the Iranian government that people in Canada are concerned about the human rights situation in Iran, as well as send a message to the Iranian people that we have not forgotten them.

What is CHRI position on Ahmadinejad being able to travel to New York? Do you feel like he should be arrested on spot?

No, he should not be arrested yet! If he was convicted of crimes gainst humanity and the U.S. was a member of the International Criminal Court (ICJ) he would/should have been arrested. He is not yet convicted of any crime and the U.S. is not a member of ICJ. So, he should be able to travel there and return to Iran. Iran is a member of the U.N. and he is going to the UN General Assembly meeting to represent a member state, Iran. The recent presidential election was controversial and there are allegations/evidence of vote rigging. However, Iran’s Guardian Council approved the election and announced him as Iran’s president. I disagree with the decision of the Guardian Council but I believe we should deal with the issue through lawful acts. Finally, I disagree with isolating Iran and its leaders. We should keep them engaged and deal with them within the established international law and customary international law.

If you were able to actually speak to Ahmadinejad, what would you tell him?
I would provide him with extensive evidence of human rights violations by his government and ask him to respond.

What concerns you most about the situation in Iran, and why do you feel that Canadians should pay attention to it?
The human rights situation in Iran is unfortunately getting worse. Widespread arrests, intimidation of the opposition, closure of newspapers, torture, rape in the prisons by the prison guards, etc. have proliferated at an alarming stage. Why should Canadians pay attention? Iran’s elections are partly an internal matter (if we want to strictly observe Iran’s soverignty) and there is not much Canadians can do about them. However, human rights are universal and it is the responsibility of everybody, regardless of their background and nationality, to protest violation of human rights, anywhere, when it happens.

How can people get involved with CHRI?

• They can come bike with us on Sundays (contact our volunteer coordinator at [email protected]) or join us as a member and attend  our events and meetings, etc. If they are interested in human rights advocacy this is a great group to join (just email the noted email address and you will be added to our email list serve).
• They can come and see us off on September 19th, at 12pm, at Hart House, when we leave Toronto to NYC (more info on our website or Facebook event page)
• They can donate at: http://www.cyclingforhumanrightsiniran.org/donation/ or write a cheque to CHRI
• They can also check our website, spread the word about CHRI and post CHRI links on their Facebook walls, these are great awareness raising support.

Who’s funding this? How can people donate if they are unable to participate in the ride?
We are an independent and non-partisan group. All our funds come from supports from individuals who care for human rights in Iran.

People can donate online, at the above link, or write a cheque to CHRI or just donate during our many fundraising events, usually in the busy parts of Toronto. We set up our bikes, hand out flyers and ask for donations. Here I would like to thank people of Toronto for their very generous donations/support. I also want to thank people from almost all over the world who have made online donations.

What else can be done?
A lot more and there are many other good organizations doing great work, some of whom we are partners with. We are organizing a conference on advocacy at the University of Toronto on October 17th, with support from the University of Toronto we are helping Iranians to by-pass the Internet filters put in place by the Iranian government to block them from access to many internet websites, we are involved in cultural events, we organize panel discussions by professors, activists and students, etc. Recently Iranian students from Toronto colleges and universities have got together and created Iranian Students Federation of Colleges and Universities (ISFCU). By joining our efforts together we can achieve and have already archieved a great deal

The demonstrations were a public outcry, and protesters are asking governments to help end the military offensive against Tamil civilians in the north of Sri Lanka. Both the CBC and the BBC mistakenly reported that the protest was to end violence against the Tamil Tigers, much to the discouragement of protestors. The protests brought Sri Lanka to the media for the second time in 2009, following the death of Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga, editor-in-chief of The Sunday Leader, which occurred last month.
Democracy now reports that over 250,000 civilians are caught in the middle of this conflict. Reports of attacks on hospitals have also come to the forefront of the news. The Red Cross describes the situation as a humanitarian crisis. In part Friday’s protesters at Union Station hoped to draw commuter and travellers’ attention to the Tamil cause. The protests certainly grabbed headlines, but we’ll have to wait and see what kind of intervention comes of the peaceful demonstrations.