Protest, but where?

Dear Bloggy,

This past weekend at Queen's Park and the City Hall, citizens rallied!

With pickets! And they yelled and they moaned with their arms high up in the air! sending their 'YES', or their 'NO' message.

And it was cold! Freezing Toronto-December-cold.

What's the big deal, you may ask -- it's Canada, and her democracy.

Well, actually; Turns out Canadians aren't so keen to take their voices to their streets and protest: it takes as extreme a situation - as the crisis of confidence in the House of Commons - for les Canadians to react to their government. I've otherwise only two or three times ran into 'real activists' on the street, protesting about *Canadian Issues.* (And here I take it that the mere visibility of protests, on the public space, the not so rational aspect of the democratic process, is one prime example showing the health of a democracy).

This may mean either that Canadian governments are generally in good order, and hence there's no need to protest much, or you can read it as an indicator that Canadian democracy isn't as vigorous as it might appear. Either way, two things strike me : 1. in Toronto, there's nowhere to go to protest.

I was thinking if there's ever something I wanted to protest - where would I go??

Don't want to go to Queen's Park or City Hall: Both areas are isolated, one- an island, the other- a skating place.

Anywhere else that I'd go - I think I may cause traffic problems or run into property issues of sort. (Okay - if it was only me & my picket, we'd be al' right). But you get the point -- people need places to rally. The public needs its squares.

So, Toronto, please, give space to your people. Whatchya waiting for?

If you're reading this and you're not a Torontonian/have never visited, you may not believe me and will be astonished to hear this. Understandably. And I am rather sorry to report, Toronto-- otherwise a well-functioning, a parkful, however gridlocked place -- is a metropolis without public squares for its citizens to protest.

My second thought inspired by this week's civic restlessness, was trying to imagine what would it look like, this democracy, if a momentum like this -- people's intense interest and pressure, in and on their government/s -- could be sustained.

Now. Now! Hold on to -

Whilst I'm not so interested in the saturnine ways actual public policies could be? non? hurry! influenced by these public outcries, I am very inspired and moved to see citizens taking notice. Aside from the panicky vibe THE CONFIDENCE IN CRISIS brings, ughhhh, there's something energizing about protests, as well.

A study published a few days ago confirmed the saddest truth: majority of Canadians, in fact do not understand how their parliament works. The public ignorance and apathy are high as ever; even though this is a simple and small study, it is telling, and I'm afraid such news shatters my second thought of this moment lingering. Still though, hopelessly, as democracy's the most fragile yet the most precious thing we've got, I find the mere news stories about these protests, if not your participation, feeding the print, the telly and the internet, surely raise the public consciousness somewhat, and provide for the watercooler chatter.

As someone wise once said - only solution to democracy is more democracy.

Now let's give space - for more.

At least.

Sigh

La Torontonienne