MEDIA RELEASE: Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty Statement of Support for Anti-Poverty Activists Arrested in Kitchener

Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty Statement of Support for Anti- Poverty Activists Charged for "Trespassing" in Kitchener

The Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty (S-CAP) stands in full solidarity with Ian Stumpf of Poverty Makes Us Sick (PMUS) and Julian Ichim of the SPOT Collective who are charged with "trespassing" for their anti-poverty activism. On November 15, 2012, Stumpf of PMUS and Ichim of the SPOT took part in an occupation of, then Minister of Community and Social Services, MPP John Milloy’s Kitchener constituency office.  They were there to demand the full restoration of the Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB) – a vital homelessness prevention benefit that was accessed by more than 13 000 people in Ontario, each month prior to it’s cancellation on Jan. 1st, 2013. 11 members and supking people porters of the S-CAP were charged with "trespassing" before this on Nov. 9th, 2012 in then Cabinet Minister Rick Bartolucci's office when we converted his office waiting room into a mock emergency homelessness shelter to dramatize what the cut of the vital CSUMB program would lead to. 

For Stumpf and Ichim what started with simple trespassing tickets has snowballed into a campaign of attempted intimidation with the police and prosecutors abusing their power to accuse Ian and Julian of more significant charges.  In their case there have been two previous hearings. The prosecution has indicated that the trial will be at least one full day and that date will be determined at the pre-judiciary hearing on September 17th. For the S-CAP 11 two court dates have been set which are October 28th and October 31st.

The actions Stumpf and Ichim and the S-CAP 11 were arrested for were part of a wave of protest against the cut of the CSUMB program that swept across the province in the fall of 2012. This included widespread protests by First Nations communities, anti-poverty groups, unions and others in Sault Ste-Marie, Sudbury, Kitchener-Waterloo, Kingston, Toronto and many other centres. The attack on the CSUMB was an attack on all people on Ontario Works and on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) since the CSUMB was the only fund that allowed people on OW and ODSP to move and to start up a household, to prevent homelessness, and to flee abusive and violent relationships.

In response to this wave of protest another $42 million was added to the funding the province was transferring to municipalities in the new Community Homelessness Prevention Initiative (CHPI), but for one year only. While this was an important victory it is the restoration of the full CSUMB that is required. What has happened since the cut of the CSUMB has been that what people can get through CHPI funding (it is called different names in different municipalities) varies across the province depending on where you live and major cuts are coming as the $42 million runs out and is not replaced by the Liberal government. In Sudbury S-CAP and our allies have had to fight hard to maintain CSUMB policies and funding for CHPI funding and major cuts are planned for 2014.

This is one of the main reasons why there will be a province-wide Raise the Social Assistance and Minimum Wage Rates week of action this Oct. 14-20th. Central to this week will be a call for restoring the CSUMB and until this is done maintaining CSUMB funding levels and policies for all CHPI funding. We will also be calling for dropping the charges against Stumpf and Ichim and the S-CAP 11. Anti-poverty activism is not a crime and we defend the right to political protest. The province-wide rally and march that will end off this week of action will take place in Sudbury on Saturday, October 19th and we invite everyone to Sudbury to join with us in making this a major anti-poverty action. 

THE SUDBURY COALITION AGAINST POVERTY

For further information contact S-CAP at 249-878-7227 sudburyCAP@gmail.com    http://sudburycap.com/