Three working class militants associated with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) are on trial for incidents surrounding the June 15, 2000 March on Queen's Park in Toronto.

On that day, over 1500 demonstrators assembled to denounce five years of welfare and housing cuts by the government of Ontario. Demanding to address the provincial legislature, the demonstrators were essentially caught up in a well-prepared police trap that ended up in a severe confrontation with the repressive forces including cavalry charges and baton-wielding attacks against the workers.

The OCAP militants on trial are Gaetan Héroux and Stephan Pilipa who are accused of participating in a riot and are subject to up to two years imprisonment. The other OCAP militant is John Clarke who is accused of counselling to participate in a riot and counselling to assault police. Comrade Clarke is liable of up to five years imprisonment.

The National Post, one of Canada's most important daily newspapers has been demanding exemplary punishment, pleading that the three be sentenced harshly.

Internationalist Notes militants participated in the June 15 demonstration. The only thing we saw that day was the courage and determination of the demonstrators and the usual thuggish brutality of the cops.

Though we are more than critical of the dead-end of OCAP's protest politics and the illusions of wanting to address the legislature to plead their cause, we stand in solidarity with these three workers against this serious threat to their personal freedom and their lives.

Hands off comrades Heroux, Pilipa and Clarke!