Show Up Toronto - July 22 2025
Hi comrades,
I am under the weather so this preamble will be brief, I just want to call your attention to something you might have missed. Over the weekend there was a peaceful protest led by the Toronto chapter of the Palestinian Youth Movement which had been carefully planned to comply with Toronto's bubble-zone bylaw. Nevertheless, Toronto police showed up in their riot gear, with body cams removed and identity badges obscured, and violently rushed the protest. 11 were arrested and many more were injured. The Orange Hats have a great guide on how to observe the Toronto Police Service and document their abuses, and they also provide legal and jail support for protestors.
It is sometimes tempting to look at what's going on south of the border and reassure ourselves that we don't have it that bad yet. But authoritarianism is alive and well here, and its nature is to expand unless we the people step in to stop it. This is why we show up.
Thanks for being part of that.
Jenny
⭐️ = events updated since the last newsletter
Events this week
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
⭐️ 4:30-8:30PM — Community Care Tuesdays @ Dufferin Grove (Dufferin Grove Rec Centre)
Hosted by Ripple Community Collective - Join Ripple Community Collective every Tuesday for an evening of nourishment, connection, and shared stewardship. You will be making around 50 free meals for two local encampments as well as your fellow hardworking volunteers, supporting a free store, and cleaning up the park. Care for the community together!
6-7PM — Combating Gentrification: Teach-In (Virtual)
Hosted by LGBT YouthLine and Jane-Finch Action Against Poverty - LGBT YouthLine is excited to welcome organizers from Jane-Finch Action Against Poverty for a teach-in on organizing against gentrification. JFAAP is a resident-led grassroots coalition of community residents, activists, workers, and organizations working to eliminate poverty in the Jane-Finch community and beyond. Join to learn more about how gentrification impacts neighbourhoods and in particular 2SLGBTQ+ communities and learn from the Jane-Finch resistance on how to sustain activism and care in communities that overcome government neglect and displacement.
⭐️ 6-8PM — Harm Reduction Advocacy Collective Tuesday Meeting (College St United Church)
Hosted by Harm Reduction Advocacy Collective - Harm Reduction Advocacy Collective is hosting an open working group meeting for anyone who’s interested in working on the art installation/vigil for International Overdose Awareness Day. This a great way to get involved in organzing and learn new skills!
7-9PM — Civic Hacknight – A Network Status Map for the TTC (Hybrid)
Hosted by Civic Tech Toronto - Civic Tech Toronto's weekly hacknights bring together Torontonians who want to improve the city through design, tech, and data. tech, and data. This week will feature TTCMap.ca, a project of real-time network status updates that show all the current service disruptions in one place. Followed by breakout group sessions.
7-8PM — Basic Tenants Rights Workshop (Virtual)
Hosted by Federation of Metro Tenant's Associations - Are you a tenant living in the GTA? Do you have questions about your rights under the law? This free interactive workshop will explain how leases work, how rent increases are calculated, what to do to get repairs done, how to end a tenancy, and much more.
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
⭐️ 11AM-2PM — Gaza Family Reunification Weekly Sit-In: Toronto (25 St Clair Ave E)
Hosted by Gazan Canadians - Join The Gazan Canadians League for a sit-in in front of the government building at 25 St. Clair Ave East, to amplify their demand that the Canadian government evacuate their family members from Gaza immediately. They are counting on our support. All are welcome. This is a family-friendly event. There will be music and art, and signs for you to hold.
2-6PM — Health Gathering: Healing Our Inner Child (Spaces, 339 Queen St E)
Hosted by Toronto Council Fire - Come together as a community for a health gathering, featuring an opening song by Red Bear Singers, keynote speaker Vivian Recollet of Bigasohn Kwe, and games and activities.
⭐️ 6-8PM — Youth Safety Dialogue (1911 Kennedy Rd Unit 105)
Hosted by Scarborough Civic Action Network - An engaging and collaborative discussion focused on championing youth safety, featuring a panel of speakers sharing insights on barriers to safety, available community resources, and strategies to empower the next generation. This dialogue is designed to build connections, foster mutual learning, and strengthen our collective capacity to support and protect our youth.
⭐️ 6-9PM — Stories In the Park (Riverdale Park East)
Hosted by Queer Healing Collective - Spend an evening sharing stories with your queer community and watch the sunset together. We'll be playing Esther Perel's "Where Should We Begin" Conversation game. Attendees are invited to bring blankets, snacks and or water to share. This event is open to all who identify within the spectrum of 2SLGBTQQIA+. Allies are welcomed as long as they bring a queer friend/buddy.
⭐️ 6-8PM — D4P Doorknocking for Palestine (Bloor and Gladstone)
Hosted by Davenport 4 Palestine - Join Davenport 4 Palestine in knocking on doors to mobilize neighbours to sign a petition and call the MP Julie Dzerowicz to demand that Canada end its complicity in genocide. Meet at Bloor and Gladstone and buddy up - no experience needed! RSVP by emailing at davenport4palestine@gmail.com.
⭐️ 6:30-8PM — Boiling Point: ACORN Meeting to Beat the Heat! (Virtual)
Hosted by ACORN - Tenants across Ontario are reaching a BOILING POINT. As heatwaves get longer and more dangerous, thousands of tenants are being forced to suffer through sweltering apartments without A/C, all while landlords dodge responsibility — and the provincial government stands by and does nothing. That’s why Ontario ACORN is bringing tenants together for a virtual meeting to expose the heat crisis in rental housing and demand action.
⭐️ 6:30-8:30PM — Abolish Rent Discussion Circle (The 519)
Hosted by Toronto Centre Tenant Union - Toronto Centre Tenant Union and the Ontario Street Tenants Association are hosting a discussion circle on Wed, Jul 23 about Abolish Rent. This book draws on the experience of the Los Angeles Tenants Union in their struggles against gentrification and the commodification of housing. Abolish Rent debunks supply-side solutions to the housing 'crisis', showing how the profit motive at the heart of our housing system is to blame for sky-high rents, the displacement of working class tenants, and growing homelessness.
⭐️ 6:30-9:30PM — The Art of Mobilization (JAYU, 401 Richmond)
Hosted by JAYU - This is a workshop for equity-deserving artists, collectives, community organizers, resource mobilizers, and fundraisers working in community-based radical arts and social change initiatives. Explore how to navigate systemic challenges in traditional funding, mobilize values aligned resources and build collective power for grassroots communities.
7-8PM — Fighting An Eviction Workshop (Virtual)
Hosted by Federation of Metro Tenant's Associations - Are you facing an eviction in the GTA? Do you want to learn about your rights? This free interactive workshop explains how evictions do and don't work, the steps in the eviction process, how to prepare for an eviction hearing, and lots more.
Thursday, July 24, 2025
⭐️ 6-8PM — Scarborough Know Your Rights At Work (The Hub, 2660 Eglington)
Hosted by Workers Action Centre - Do you know and understand your rights at work? Are you being paid properly? Are you being treated unfairly? Join WAC for a free and confidential in-person workshop to learn about your rights and how to protect them.
Friday, July 25, 2025
⭐️ 6-7PM — Know Your Rights At Work (Online) (Virtual)
Hosted by Workers Action Centre - Do you know and understand your rights at work? Are you being paid properly? Are you being treated unfairly? Join WAC for a free and confidential virtual workshop to learn about your rights and how to protect them.
⭐️ 6-7PM — Stop the Grocery Gouge (Yorkgate Mall No Frills)
Hosted by ACORN - Join ACORN Canada for a rally to demand an end to skyrocketing food prices, fair access to food, and a cap on essential groceries.
10PM-2AM — RIØT: An Anti-Genocide Artistic Protest (Buddies in Bad Times)
Hosted by The Royal Court - The Royal Court is bringing together some of Tkaronto's most powerful Queer/Trans political voices and movers in support of Palestine and fighting fascism in North America. This is a fundraiser, including a raffle supported by some incredible local Canadian businesses, to donate to Water is Life Gaza and the CCLA.
Saturday, July 26, 2025
12-2PM — Masabilities (TAIBU Community Health Centre)
Hosted by Marty Lampkin and Gyallivant - Celebrate a disability inclusive and accessible Carnival MAS dance experience celebrating Afro-Caribbean culture, identity and inclusion! Marty Lampkin of Martylampkinspeaks.com and Monique Pitt of Gyallivant invite all individuals who identify as disabled and/or living with disabilities and their caregivers to come out and get ready to wuk up in celebration of the Caribana/The Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Everyone deserves to play ah MAS.
2-5PM — Let's Get Crafty (Danu Social House)
Hosted by Spring Magazine - Get ready to unleash your inner artist and revolutionary spirit for a fun-filled session of bracelet making and tote bag painting with a socialist twist! Spring will provide all the materials you need, along with some tips and tricks to help you create your masterpieces. Feel free to bring your own designs inspired by your favorite leftist themes, or draw inspiration from our collection of radical ideas. Suggested donation or PWYC.
⭐️ 2-5PM — Fundraiser & Donation Drop-Off for Displaced Palestinians (Christie Pits Park)
Hosted by APFO and Davenport Aid Brigade - In solidarity and joint struggle, APFO and DAB are raising funds in mutual aid to support the upcoming APFO Free Market in Jane Finch & for displaced Palestinians in Egypt. Want to support the market? Come by the Fundraiser for artwork, astrology readings, buttons, stickers, crafts, plants & flowers, and iced tea & lemonade. There will also be a lino art printing station and you are welcome to bring your own items to print on!
6-9PM — Toronto Fundraising for Sudan (175 Wynford Drive)
Hosted by Coalition of Sudanese Canadian Organizations - This event is a joint effort by Canadian Eritrean Youth Development (CEYD), the Sudanese Association of Ottawa (SCAO), Mississauga Sudanese Canadian Cultural Association (MSCCA) and Sudanese Community Association of Ontario (SCAON). Join us for a fundraising dinner in support of victims of the ongoing war in Sudan. The event will feature a keynote address by Sheikh Abdalla Idris, who will share powerful reflections on unity, compassion, and resilience.
Sunday, July 27, 2025
9AM-5PM — Run for Palestine (Budapest Park)
Hosted by Run for Palestine - The 14th annual Run for Palestine is organizing 5km runs and 1km walks to fundraise for the provision of food and emergency health services in the Gaza Strip. This family-friendly event will also feature food, a vibrant bazaar, and lots of local vendors.
12-2PM — Little Palestine at Streetsville Square (Streetsville Square, Mississauga)
Hosted by Streetsville 4 Palesetine - Introducing Little Palestine in Mississauga! Every Sunday this July, Streetsville 4 Palestine is setting up at Streetsville Square to share resources, connect with community, and honour Palestinian culture and resistance. Come by, take a flyer, start a conversation — Palestine lives in every act of outreach.
⭐️ 2-4PM — History of Revolution Pt 2: Russia, Germany and world revolution (427 Bloor St W)
Hosted by International Socialists - The waves of protest and strikes we see around the world show the nucleus of what can be a revolutionary movement to overthrow the billionaires. But how do we get there? What are the characteristics of successful revolutions in the past? Join the International Socialists for this summer study series on the History of Revolution for a better understanding of how we smash capitalism and bring about a society where people and the planet come before profit.
Monday, July 28, 2025
12:30-1:30PM — Weekly Phone Zap for Palestine (Virtual)
Hosted by Toronto Zaps For Palestine - Join with organizers from coast to coast in calling, emailing, and faxing demands to elected officials to stop Canada's complicity in the genocide.
⭐️ 6:30-8PM — The Big Power Grab, Pt 1: Housing and Policing (Virtual)
Hosted by End Austerity Coalition - In the past few months, Ontario has passed new laws that impact so many parts of our lives. Come together and learn how these laws interact with disabled communities and beyond + learn from experts across fields. Part 1 will cover Bill 6, Bill 17, Bill 33, and more with organizers from Encampment Justice Coalition, Federation of Metro Tenant Associations, and Disability Justice Network of Ontario.
Down the road
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
12-1PM — Basic Tenants Rights Workshop (Virtual)
5:30-7PM — Black & Indigenous Youth Share Circle (Virtual)
6-8PM — Pathways to Liberation Workshop (Downtown Toronto)
⭐️ 6-9PM — Sprout Gathering for Food Sovereignty: City Planting Workshop (Regent Park)
⭐️ 7-8:30PM — Water Grabs: Ford’s Next Agenda and How We Stop It (Virtual)
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
12-1PM — Getting Repairs Done Workshop (Virtual)
6:30-7:30PM — WAC Information Session (Virtual)
⭐️ 6:30-8:30PM — Building a Worker's Fightback: Lessons from the Picket Line (427 Bloor St W)
Friday, August 1, 2025
⭐️ 7:30-11:30PM — From Turtle Island To Palestine - Hunger Strike For Gaza (Tapestry, 224 Augusta)
Sunday, August 3, 2025
11AM-3PM — Swap & Stitch Social (Worth Gallery, 830 Dundas)
1-3PM — Phillipine Society and Revolution, Pt 2 (Christie Pits Park)
Monday, August 4, 2025
⭐️ 12:30-1:30PM — Weekly Phone Zap for Palestine (Virtual)
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
4:30-9PM — Commemoration Ceremony on the 80th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Nathan Phillips Square)
Sunday, August 10, 2025
11AM-5PM — The Disability Arts Festival (Wychwood Barns)
12-12PM — Prisoner’s Justice Day Toronto (TBD)
2-3:30PM — Strong Towns Toronto's Monthly Meeting (The 519, 519 Church St)
⭐️ 2-4PM — History of Revolution Pt 3: Challenging empires decolonization and independence (427 Bloor St W)
⭐️ 2:30-7:30PM — Sketch-a-thon Fundraiser for Spring Magazine (Christie Pits Park)
Monday, August 11, 2025
⭐️ 12:30-1:30PM — Weekly Phone Zap for Palestine (Virtual)