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THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 2001 WE MUST STOP COMMUNITY VIOLENCE The shootings in Toronto's Lawrence Heights has left us all in a state of shock and bewilderment as to why two key community activists, Paul Watson and Michael Lewis would be gunned down in front of relatives, friends and neighbours. The relationship between the African-Canadian community and the Toronto Police has always been strained. An all too familiar pattern of police terrorism of African- Canadian men has gone on for years. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, African-Canadian parents lived in fear that their sons would be either pulled over for questioning or would be harassed on the streets in predominately white neighbourhoods because their presence meant they were up to no good. Without cause, the police would charge young African- Canadian men. Resisting arrest meant death by police shooting which tragically became an all too frequent occurrence. In 2001, the move towards targeted policing has only made conditions worse. The Toronto police under Chief Fantino's direction has made it clear that there will be zero tolerance for any groups not conforming to the police's expectations of appropriate behaviour. In other words a group of young African-Canadian men playing basketball in a City park after dark are prime suspects for interrogation, harassment and arrest. Further, the police use the presence of drugs as another reason for intimidation. The problem of drug use and trafficking is not just restricted to the African-Canadian community. Delegates know from their workplace experiences the use of drugs is prevalent among men and women in all cultures and socio-economic groups. However, the police still associate drug use and selling with only the African-Canadian community. That's why, delegates voiced concerns with Chief Fantino's leadership at our July 2001 meeting. The over-reaction by the police to the anger and despair in Lawrence Heights last week speaks volumes over what is wrong with policing in Toronto and the Chief's ability (should this be "inability") to lead the police in a complicated and diverse City like Toronto. Since March, 15 African-Canadian men have been killed. We have to ask ourselves what is happening in many neighbourhoods in Toronto. We all know police targeting is definitely an issue, but it not only the only cause of the current crisis. In recent years, so many African-Canadians find themselves trapped in a vicious cycle of unemployment and grinding poverty. Forced to take low wage jobs with little to no future or prospects for better economic conditions, too many African-Canadians find themselves living in an 'economic apartheid'. Lawrence Heights, James Town and Regent Park are communities that have been robbed of any hope and future because our economic system has left so many of its residents behind. Life becomes expendable. Violence becomes a way of daily living. Men like Paul Watson and Michael Lewis become the tragic statistics for a community under siege. What does all of this mean for the Labour Council? It is unacceptable that in Lawrence Heights, their local high school - Bathurst Heights Secondary School - had to close its doors this summer because of cuts to the education budget of the Toronto District School Board by the Harris government. The failure to build much needed multi-purpose recreation centres in high risk communities can be directly linked to the mean-spirited decisions made during the City budget process. The absence of quality health care and housing compounds an already desperate situation. We must find ways to support the African-Canadian community. We need to support the efforts of the community to stop targeted policing. We must work in coalition with local communities to lobby for increased opportunities to expand labour market conditions (should this be "opportunities) for young African-Canadians. Further we must continue to push for enhanced community, health, education and social programs and services. Along with Metro Network for Social Justice and our social justice partners, we must increase our efforts to speak out against the cuts to communities in crisis. The struggle for economic, social and racial justice are issues that the Labour Council must devote our resources and efforts to support. Too much is at stake for us to be complacent. The Labour Council recommends that we:
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