Media Advisory: Thousands to Join Community Rally in Toronto Streets Today to Demand Respect from Toronto City Council

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 9, 2011) - Thousands of people from every corner of the city and all walks of life will flood Toronto's downtown streets in a massive rally today to demand respect from Toronto City Council. Frustrated and concerned about the threat of public service cuts, user fees and privatization, residents will deliver a message directly to City Hall that they didn't vote for cuts.

"No matter who you voted for in the municipal election, you didn't vote to cut the jobs and agencies that deliver services to every community in the city," said Kay Bisnath, ACORN board member and Scarborough Toronto Housing resident.

"Cancelling plans for transit expansion is a betrayal of the students, suburban residents and transit riders who were banking on new streetcars and LRT lines to connect to school and work. We must be consulted before past promises are broken," said Krisna Sarvanamuttu, President of the York Federation of Students and North York resident.

"Mayor Rob Ford is making a fundamental mistake in slashing jobs and services. You can't attack people's livelihoods without inspiring a strong public reaction. These politics of division are backfiring and the people who deliver services are being united like never before with the people who use them. Our message is simple: healthy communities rely on public services and good jobs," said Sid Ryan, President of the Ontario Federation of Labour.

"Women's groups, student groups, labour unions, environmental activists, transit riders and social service agencies have been organizing in every community and neighbourhood to remind City Councillors that every resident deserves respect," said Winnie Ng, Ryerson University's Gindin Chair of Social Justice and Democracy and the central spokesperson for the rally.

RespectToronto is Toronto's newest community coalition and has been endorsed by ACORN Canada, Canadian Federation of Students–Ontario, Good Jobs for All Coalition, Greenpeace Canada, Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, Toronto International Women's Day Committee, Toronto Women's City Alliance, Toronto and York Region Labour Council, Ontario Federation of Labour, Canadian Labour Congress, and many other organizations listed on www.Facebook.com/RespectToronto.