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The Guelph Union of Tenants and Supporters (GUTS) is a local grassroots anti-poverty group that works on a multitude of projects in Guelph. These include weekly free picnics at a downtown location, supporting people in their interactions with landlords, welfare and disability support officials, promoting and initiating harm reduction programs for drug users, and challenging police brutality. One of their members, Aaron, spoke with me in depth about their various campaigns, illuminating some very interesting and disturbing facts pertaining to how the city of Guelph and the Guelph police deal with marginalized people, including people with mental and physical health issues, people of low-income, street youth, drug users, and more. If you already haven't learned by experience, things are likely worse than you think. Aaron uses several stories to illuminate some insights into these workings, and also shares many statistics and facts about the way money is spent, the ways social services have been cancelled and neglected, and the ways the police operate. Aaron also talks about some of the ways policing in Guelph has become much more heavy-handed and authoritative in the recent years. Social services are being cut at the same time the Guelph police receive $26 million, totaling one-fifth of the city of Guelph's budget. Sadly, pretty much all of the mainstream media's coverage of these issues is very favourable towards the police, and very negative towards GUTS. Perhaps that should be expected. You can learn more about GUTS on their webpage.
Part 1 22:31 |
