Anti-poverty, taxi protests jam Toronto streets

from CTV

Thousands of protesters converged at the Ontario Legislature on Wednesday afternoon to try to make poverty a top issue in next month's provincial election.

Demonstrators, which include members of student groups, unions and social agencies, gathered on the lawn of Queen's Park.

Police have erected barricades and are keeping a close eye on the rally organized by the Toronto Anti-Poverty coalition.

"We will challenge all parties of the provincial government to immediately increase social assistance rates, immediately increase the minimum wage, build affordable/social housing now, and provide access without fear to government services for non-status people," says a statement on the group's website.

"Poor people in this province continue to grow poorer, and now struggle for basic survival," the statement continues. "We believe there is momentum right now for real change in Ontario."

Police are warning motorists the protest will create traffic disruptions.

Cabbies protest

Meanwhile, another demonstration in downtown Toronto caused commuter chaos on Wednesday.

Hundreds of angry taxi drivers jammed the Gardiner Expressway and downtown streets to protest what they say is an unfair rule that allows cabs from outside the city to scoop up fares.

Currently, Toronto taxis can take passengers to Pearson Airport, but they can't pick up passengers there.

GTA limo companies, however, can pick up fares from the airport, drop them off downtown and then pick up passengers who are heading to the airport.

Toronto cabbies say outside limo companies are paying off concierges and others at downtown hotels to get the fares.

"We tried to do it peacefully, year in and year out," Toronto taxi driver Mohamed Nasser said at the protest. "The city and the provincial government keep ignoring us. We can't take it anymore."

Taxi drivers say they want to be safeguarded against the current practice.

"We did everything the city wants, we changed cars ... we go for training, so what else?" asked protest organizer Kamil Trabulsey. "Give us the city, protect us."

Wednesday's protest is aimed at city councillors. Toronto cabbies want them to bring back a bylaw it had suspended, which banned outside cab companies from picking up fares downtown.

With reports from CTV's Paul Bliss and Roger Petersen