Sister Sage's Musings

Posts Tagged ‘Anti-Prorogation Rallies’

Well, since the success of the rallies yesterday, many media outlets have covered this. Craig Oliver was impressed. Too bad CTV didn’t send anyone to many of the venues. I never saw them or Global TV at the Montreal event. I heard this was the case at other venues.

Blogging Tories and other Harpercon cheerleaders are scrambling trying to save face. Blogging Tory Craig Smith’s page was particularly ridiculous in explaining the events failed due to the proximity of the photographers when pictures were taken. A common refrain is that they would like to compare the  numbers of the anti-coalition rally (ies) of last year to our event of this year.  Stupid. Apples and oranges, really. Besides, no one can ever provide precise numbers of each and every event,  particularly those where a march and a rally took place. There are always stragglers. There are those who join in the middle of the procession and of course, those who only attend the main event at the end of the line.

Montrealers who listen to CJAD, how about we take bets as to Tommy Schnurmacher trying to  scoff at yesterday’s events and try to tout them as ‘insignificant’ or ‘just some Harper bashers’? How much do you want to bet he calls Canada hypocrites for not setting up and attending anti-prorogation events when the Liberals did it? Yes, I’m afraid Tommy is slipping in his old age and has become quite predictable.

After all, Tommy, like his other minions on the Gang of 4 appears to suffer from Liberal Derangement Syndrome ( I got the term from Pale Cold from A Creative Revolution puts it. Read her piece about Liberal Derangement Syndrome as well as other Conservative mythologies).

Will 1010 CFRB’s John Moore eat his words like he said he would in the National Posties if the rallies succeeded? Clearly, they have. When a veteran like Craig Oliver who has seen and heard everything over the years, uses words like ‘extaordinary’ to describe the events of yesterday, call it a bonus. Johnny boy, it was successful, so when can we expect to witness the event of you eating your own words?

Then, of course, they will call us liars for having promoted this as a non-partisan grass roots movement.

Hell, I love Blogging Tory Monte Solberg’s reverse guilt trip, saying the media spoon fed Canadians to things they just don’t care about. I would refute him directly, but, comments are disabled at his page. Why would that be?? Ok, Monte, here’s a comment, wishful thinking don’t make it so!

Ok, I’m going to give a kick start to your jobs for tomorrow; I’m feeling charitable today. I will speak for the Montreal Event that we did invite Conservative MPs, Senators and other Conservative party members to join us and to even even speak. They declined or didn’t answer our emails.

Another thing, it was a grass roots movement. If politicians were in attendance and speaking, it’s because we asked them to speak. All were offered equal air time. Not our fault if some either refused or didn’t answer.

Over at Section 15, Mark launches a challenge to con pundits, Harpercon cheerleaders and others like minded and other Harpercon minions. Launch your own cross country movement.  Launch a movement in support of prorogation. Set up rallies and marches equipped with colourfully designed signs with witty slogans in support of St-Stevie. Find a group like the Raging Grannies to put on a musical number showing support.

I will add this to Mark’s challenge though: just to keep things fair and to make sure we’re not comparing apples and oranges, but rather apples with apples and oranges with oranges: Same rules apply as our events did. It must be grass roots.  This means, only citizens getting together to organize their events.  No media types. Nothing even resembling Fox News’ 9/12 tea-bagger hit parade.  No politicians. Just citizens getting together and organizing.

Also, make sure to coordinate a date with other Canadian cities.

When you invite speakers, have civilians and different politicians speak.  Your invitations must include all of the MPs, senators and members and a paper trail would be required to proove this at any time if requested.

Then invite the media outfits. One thing though, make sure they’re there solely to cover the events and not promote them as Fox News seems to be guilty of.

Go ahead, tell Canadians how a Harpercon totalitarian regime benefits Canadians, because when Stevie says opposition parties bring down the markets , Jason Kenney saying they can get more done without the opposition, When Tommy, Kim and Don Crook said prorogation is best because ‘they do less damage, they won’t squabble like children’ on the Gang of 4 last Friday, Jan 22, and of course, who can forget last November’s by-election placard slogan in Hochelaga of “de l’action, pas d’election”? It  looks like ambition for a  totalitarian regime and for washed up buffoons like Tommy Schnurmacher and his buddies to say things like what they did on the Gang of 4 sounds like they’re also for it and are spoonfeeding that message to Canadians.

Tommy, Kim, Danny boy:  Do you support a totalitarian regime for Canada? How about the Blogging Tory Trolls: what say you?

Of course,  judging by only a 22 member pro prorogation group on Facebook,  compared to over 200 000 members on Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament Facebook group; I wish you all the luck in planning this event. Let me help you, your fellow Blogging Tory, Tamara of Rightchik, claims to be an event planner extaordinaire.  I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding that blinding near flourescant page of her’s.

So, I say let the games begin! So Harpercon cheerleaders and all other neo-cons who support prorogation, I put it to you. Do your worst! Let’s see your rally (ies).

Speaking of that Facebook group witht that rather paltry membership. Matt Gurney, the next time you feel inclined to whine about censorship  at  the Facebook CAPP group, I suggest strongly you keep that claptrap of your’s shut.  Apparently, over at pro-prorogation on Facebook,  potential members have to request to join, their wall and contents are invisible to all who are not members. I dunno, but that looks like censorship to me. The fact that they’re restricting membership proves they’re afraid of debate.

So, boys & girls of the pro prorogation faction, organize your events. Until then, shut the hell up and be good sports.

Here are some video highlights of the Montreal event from  Matness4dummies’ channel on Youtube. Thanks Matt!

Added Bonus: People outside Canada organized events to support us. Still think our events were a failure? Can you get outside of Canada support for your pro-prorogation events?

Indeed it was! In spite of the early hour and the cold, we did have a decent turn out somewhere between 700 -1000 folks (a few hundred joined in later at end venue), according to what I was told.  There were merchants and passersby offering support. The police didn’t even get out of their cars. We made noise along the Dowtown streets.  We were very well organized.

Marc Garneau, Liberal MP & Quebec Lieutenant, Prof  Daniel Weinstock from Universite de Montreal–the author of  that letter written by the intellectuals (I know, Stevie likes ‘em illiterate), Thomas Mulcair, NDP MP, a Bloc MP (didn’t catch his name) & Gilles Duceppe spoke at our rally. Each expressing themselves eloquently.

Justin Trudeau and his young son were out marching, but he didn’t speak. He was just  a part of the crowd. I’m sure there were other politicians, but I didn’t see or recognize them.

Philippe Viel of Alter Citoyens and our videographer may have caught some, the video should be posted on line soon. Merci Philippe et sa copine (I’m sorry, I don’t know her name).

Of course, we had the musical stylings of the Montreal Chapter of the Raging Grannies, who rocked Philip’s Square in spite of the icy conditions around their stage area. A feisty bunch indeed.   I have to say that these ladies who are 60+ for the most part have more energy than a lot of today’s youth.

Matthew Angelus, a Universite de Montreal student, who led our organizing committee and was instrumental in putting this whole thing together was the last of our eloquent speakers, representing the Canadian citizens. We owe him a big thank you, because, without him, this would never have gotten off the ground.

It was all impressive. Everybody together from different affiliations.

Of course, the man who negotiated with the Police, got a lot of our equipment and led the chants, Mathieu Perron; without whom, the damned event would surely have been too subdued. Thanks to him, it was a loud event to get the merchants and passerby’s interested in checking us out.

Thanks to all the MPs and Professor Weinstock and of course, the Montreal chapter of the Raging Grannies.

Un gros remerciement a tous qui s’est presente! Thanks all for coming! Together we showed the coporatist media wrong. Canaidians do care.

I understand there are other events going on now across the country and the folks out west would probably be starting anytime soon, due to the time difference between Central Canada and them. I would like to wish them well and a success for their events.

Most of all, I hope we keep the momentum going; that we don’t go away so fast. We should not lose our voices to those of the commentators discussing luge record times and world hockey.

There is a CAPP second wave group happening on Facebook. For those on Facebook, please join it.

Once again, thank you all for making this a success!  Merci a tous pour le succes de cette manifestation!

Yes! We have been blessed!!   Gracing Montrealers (& the rest of Canada who will see pictures &/or film footage for that matter) with their presence will be Marc Garneau, Liberal MP & the Quebec Lieutenant; Thomas Mulcair, the one and only Montreal NDP Mp, and Professor Daniel Weinstock of Universite de Montreal will be speaking.  Also, songs and dancing from the Montreal Raging Grannies. There is another group (I’m sorry, their name escapes me right now).

I am especially happy that Gilles Duceppe will be making an appearance. No, I’m not a separatist, but as most of my readers know, I had been concerned about the lack of interest amongst French Quebecers.

I was also concerned about the seemingly laissez-faire attitude of Gilles Duceppe, who at the time, only gave us a tweet of a reaction from his Twitter account. I always believed if Gilles Duceppe came out and reacted as he did when he announced support and cooperation with last year’s coalition government, all Quebecers would be enthusiastic about protesting. The rally for the coalition attracted quite a few folks, included separatists at Guy Favreau Centre last year.

That post did get quite a reaction over at noprorogue.ca.  Quite a bit of anger really. I (as well as others, I’m sure ) would have liked that anger channeled into what Stevie did, to all of us, no matter where we lived, what political affiliation or what language we spoke.

Now, it looks promising for tomorrow. I am now confidant we will have a great turn out. I also know there will be a great turn out at most of the venues, anyway. Sixty towns and cities is already a big thing.

Yah, Blogging Tories and Tommy “I like prorogation because it means no new taxes”  Schnurmacher, of CJAD 800am (Astral radio, naturally, just one of the right arms of the Harpercons & Tax-phobic Tommy & Chickenhawk Ric Petersen & his unabashed support for Blathering Blatchford are the cheerleaders: God, I can’t get over axing Laurie & OLga and Peter Anthony Holder for those ass-holes) & Harpercon shill and others like him: get with the technology. This is the new activism. Most Canadians don’t want prorogation.

Tommy, when you fail, the professional & classy thing to do is not to lie,misquote politicians, berate, shove words down the throats of, and call your callers who disagree with you names. Also, it is especially unprofessional to humiliate your technical director just because he excercises his right to freedom of assembly and joins facebook groups you don’ t like. You really should apologize on the air for you ill behavior as of late. NO, I know you won’t. Stay classy, Tommy!

I wonder, if I started a Facebook group, called something like this., ” Bring back Peter Anthony Holder and Laurie & Olga and get rid of Tommy Schnurmacher, how many folks would join?? God, he even makes Redneck Ryan of 1010 News Talk in TO look like a class act. Yikes!  At least, I’ve never heard Ryan humiliate a co-worker on the air. Maybe we should be thankful for small favors?

Speaking of  Conservative media against prorogation: I can’t believe I’m saying this: Congratz to Ryan Doyle for speaking on the air against prorogation. I sincerely hope that you will attend a rally near you.  As stated before, the cross country rallies need all affiliations; that means Conservatives welcome.  Quite a coup and a rarety: a conservative talk show host surely of a minority of  his brethren.

Speaking of Conservatives,  we invited Conservative MPs, local politicians and senators: they have not responded. I do not want to hear that this is an exclusively lefty movement.

Yes, they are. A short march and a rally with a few very short speeches.

I do hope that those in and around Montreal will come in great numbers despite the early hour. At least (knock wood), the weather should cooperate.

This is a non-partisan event. Everyone is welcome, no matter what affiliation they may be with:  the Left or the Right; Conservative or not: French speaking or not; Separatists or federalists; it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, ol’ Stevie has stripped every Canadian of their Democratic rights.

Sidenote: Another interesting read would be over at Scott  Ross’s, where he actually details  how much prorogation is costing the tax payers. Those of the Conservative persuasion who claim to abhor government wasted spending: Scott Ross’ post is worth a read.