Occupy movement still alive in Halifax: occupier
Posted Sep 17, 2012 02:41:56 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was one year ago today that a huge group of demonstrators set up camp on Wall Street, with hopes that the Occupy Movement would change the world and put an end to corporate greed.
It didn’t take long for the movement to go viral; within weeks, thousands of Occupy camps were set up across the world, including one in Halifax.
Occupy Nova Scotia first set up camp in Parade Square in front of Halifax City Hall. The camp was then moved to Victoria Park on South Park Street at the request of Mayor Peter Kelly.
On November 11, 2011, the occupiers were evicted from Victoria Park. The eviction, led by city police, resulted in 15 people being charged with ‘obstruction’.
District 10 city council candidate John Thibeau was one of the occupiers who was charged last Remembrance Day.
“Everyone has been through the system. As far as I know, all the charges were withdrawn at the beginning of May,” he says. “So, no one’s been re-charged. Nothing has been talked about them being brought back up.”
Thibeau says he still believes in the Occupy Movement.
“Inequality of wealth, how that’s rising exponentially, and it’s not just something that’s happening in the States or in other countries, it’s happening here in Canada as well,” Thibeau says. “Even if people aren’t seeing it, it’s still occurring.”
He says it’s unfortunate that the movement isn’t as alive in Halifax today as it was a year ago.
“Getting people involved with it has been a bit of a struggle lately,” he says. “But there’s still a lot of interest in the community. A lot of occupiers are still participating in some of the other activist groups like Solidarity Halifax.”
