Ottawa ON – I got an urgent email this afternoon telling me to get myself to Ottawa to cover the first Anti-Harper rally. Now it’s Friday and well..it’s Friday, but I hopped into my non air conditioned car and zoomed down. Being a masochist I listened to CFRA ( AM 580) the right wing all news and infomercial station and sure enough as expected there was no mention of this rally that was spread quickly via the internet.
It was a lovely little park off of Somerset, and as I was strolling in I bumped into Brigette DePape, the Rogue Page, part Joan of Arc, part Gandhi; the media darling that has achieved world wide attention for simply standing bravely and displaying a stop sign. My buddy all but begged me to go feeling that it’d be like the G20 with a few twisted clips making mainstream media. Ms Depape was personable and pleasant to talk with although hurried. She was very composed as the crowd filled the park and as you’ll see from our video quite composed and articulate.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpAaFode3yY
It’s caught the imagination of a lot of people, and today she was a speaker at the rally. This was not a silent protest on the part of Ms DePape. We’ll have some HD video shortly as it takes time to edit. Ms DePape clearly is showing her politics as the rally besides being Anti-Harper was mostly pro-Union; not that that’s a bad thing, but there were some extreme messages, but that’s part of what happens when you wake up sleeping younguns.
They start asking questions and not about if you just bought Lady Gaga’s latest.
Ms DePape restated she wants an Arab Spring. I’m not a Stephen Harper fan, but I find that his majority government is as much about voters failing as much as his government winning. It makes me wonder why Ms DePape waited until AFTER the election to make her stand rather than before?
I do know one thing; that politics in Canada have changed during this election. Information in this country is starting to flow and people are starting to talk. Maybe it’s time for all politicians to start listening and be held accountable for the horrible way some of them treat Canada and Canadians?
We’ll be updating this story shortly and we’re hoping for some one on one time with Brigette shortly too.
If you could ask her any one question post your comments below.
Ms. DePape: What makes your opinion so much more important that the overwhelming majority of Canadian voters outside of Quebec who voted for the CPC?
Well if she’s part Ghandi and part Joan of Arc then I hope she’ll remember that Ghandi as assassinated and Joan of Arc was burned at the stake…..not really a great ending…
Because George..there is life after Harper..her opinion speaks for many of the silenced majority of Canadians who did not vote for Harper and his contemptuous band of cheats aided by such greats as Tony (Gazebo) Clement and John (The Mouth) Baird. In no time in Canadian history have so many felt the need to speak out which pleasantly includes our youth. There are four years to go until the next election and by starting immediately and by keeping the pressure on the Harper Government may eventually be returned to its former status of the Canadian Government. As for the manner of the endings of Joan of Arc and Ghandi. Even though both were assassinated for their beliefs, both attained much for their people. both were heroes, both are much revered, and their deeds will forever be remembered…not really a bad legacy I’d say.
Ms. Page: If you were Prime Minister what changes would you make? Now the changes that you make what would be the short and long term economic and sociological impacts on canada and the world?
Part Gandhi, part Joan of Arc? So… she’s a racist who hears voices?
As for the nonsensical sign about funding pictured above – it’s the government’s job to maintain law and order and defend our borders. It’s not the government’s job to fund tertiary stuff like the arts. Unfortunately, the CPC actually increased arts funding by 8%. Not very fiscally conservative.
IF she was Prime minister Canada we would be done for with criminals roaming and raping, and no military to defend us – simple as that
You people hanging around in this park should try getting a job and working for a living
“Gandhi”??? “Joan of Arc”???
This is a joke, right?
Please tell me you are kidding.
Smug, rude, self-righteous and camera hound. Future as either a lawyer or politician me thinks!
Makes me think of the hippies at Woodstock…….., peace and love……. great ideals to be sure. The FACTS remain though; criminals deserve to be in prison for their crimes, and our borders and resources require defence by the military. This is a generation who has never experienced the sacrifice of war our parents gave. Let them go dance and paint and sing in Rawanda, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Afghanistan, Congo, etc; then see where their priorities lie!
For me what’s most exciting is that young people are showing some political energy. If we can get people talking, evolving; learning and making good decisions this country can change for the better.
See, now this is the kind of protest I prefer coming from Brigitte DePape 😀
She didn’t say, she was against fighter jets. She said, she was against their cost. She didn’t say, she was against the military. She didn’t say, she was against the Crown’s goals and means. Given ordinary, legal, free assembly (no license required) street protest, the PM is allowed to legally step down. It sounded like, she was against things that weren’t nice. A spectre of nice, is haunting the land. Everyone benefits from strong nice people. Apparently, she scared the hell out of the anarchists. She’s not nothing. She something. I think she intimates, you have more answers than she does.
Look, Libya is five million people – they’ve taken on a half a dozen countries, out numbering them a thousand to one. They stand defiant. Imagine what 30 million nice Canadians could do with this planet. The sun would never set on our Empire.
Seems that a lot of people here think that anyone who has concerns about the direction our country is going should just shut the f up. There’s no prospect of having intelligent discussion with people with that mindset.
@ Randy. How the hell do you know that everyone who protests is unemployed?
Voice of the Canadian Spring? Yes! Enough of Winter already!
— Let them go dance and paint and sing in Rawanda, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Afghanistan, Congo, etc; then see where their priorities lie! —
A lot of people concerned by Harper and the current world climate HAVE been in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Congo, and have literally danced alongside Africans, Arabs, Afghans from all social classes, from the very rich to the starving… after working in a school, and NGO, CIDA, a firm, etc. It is not a question of hating conservative values but of being concerned that market forces drive military intervention instead of human rights and that world trade feeds elites or violent dictatorships instead of starving masses. Brigette Depape has had an excellent job as many of her compatriots; I have worked in three continents including the Arab world and in my own parliament for eight years… It is incorrect to treat these people as lazy, they are taxpayers and many are highly educated. Without activist work, women would not be voting today, slavery would continue… Freedom of association and freedom of expression are enshrined in our constitutions. And Canada’s colonisation continues as Aboriginal governments are not considered equal players. These acts are much more valuable than, say, watching TV, playing video games, watching a hockey game. If the Conservative government can integrate the activists’ dimension of work towards social justice as well as job growth, I will be delighted. Conservatism is not a bad thing, but Bush-stye conservatism is dangerous, militarism in Canada is absurd, and a world apartheid of have’s and have not’s is a new form of corporate colonialism.
I have not read much of an update this woman, but did hear her position was volunteer with an end date in August anyway.
Perhaps business people will know, but how possible is it for her to have a webpage up and accepting donations by paypal and several credit cards, in only a few business days?
Makes you wonder how much marketing and preplanning was involved…….
Well, Eric she isn’t simple or weak in the head, she has cognitive skills and critical understanding. Bridgette DePape is capable of marketing and pre-planning. That’s part of what makes her a worth-while Canadian. It’s a lesson that anyone involved in politics could use. Market your ideas and let people know about them, using what is available. Those kind of people are called doers. There is another kind of people who sit and complain, proud to not know things that are difficult and complex., they’re called to the table last, Being a good citizen involves more than just voting and paying taxes.
Well, Roy Berger, guess you are an end justifies the means kind of guy. It appears to me that she abused a position of trust for gain, time will tell if it is financial, and to discredit federal proceedings.
I would feel the same way if pie in Chretin’s face guy had an ad on the pie.
I would imagine media, like this one, would be happy to exchange money for advertising, the way most business operates.
Doer or abuser, perspective varies.
You’re on your own, Eric. Guessing, by the way, is for people who play the lottery. Bye.
Does she actually know what she is trying to accomplish? It looks like no more then a child going on for attention.
I do give credence to the fact they are holding a rally in what they believe in and hoping to enact change…but with what experience and knowledge.
She targets the environment as an issue, yet if you review information regarding the main drive behind environmental change, the IPCC we see they too are back peddling on many of the environmental claims.
Cuts to public sector jobs, is’;t that what Mc Guinty and the liberals are doing provincially? Why is one worse then the other?
Health care is provincial, all the feds can do is tell them to smarten up and improve. That being said didn’t health care begin to degrade under Trudeau? Not one party has been any better then the other. Provincially Smitherman actually thought it would be better to help people with Gender reassignment surgery before helping people with Cancer or diabetes. If you have interests in that ask Jim Brownell, he was the parliamentary assistant to Smitherman
She mentions people are hungry for change, well it looks like we have change first Conservative majority and yet she complains. Remember the last blue government with a Majority was the progressive conservatives.
It looks like this lady is on a publicity high and nothing more. If we look at her speech notice she stutters and reads her words, one would think if she really felt strongly about what she says she would not need to read.
Smee you weren’t breast fed were you?
point being?
Jamie
try forming a retort that contains something intelligent …for a change
Gee Smee, some people have suggested the same thing about some of your posts. 🙂
no doubt The vast majority of people are not interested in reason or satisfied with what it teaches..