The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) is an anti-poverty group in Ontario, Canada, which promotes the interests of the poor and homeless. The group uses publicity-generating direct action techniques such as squatting and demonstrations which can be confrontational, for example the 2000 Queen's Park protest. Composition and early history The coalition was founded in 1989 by activists in the Toronto Union of Unemployed Workers, coming out of a mass "March Against Poverty". The coalition officially began its operations in 1990 with the premise of promoting concern and action around poverty, homelessness, and gentrification in downtown Toronto. The group is headquartered in Toronto. Queen's Park protest and aftermath On June 15, 2000, OCAP staged a large demonstration on the lawn at Queen's Park in Toronto, during which violent altercations took place between the demonstrators and security officials, police officers, and police horses. The protestors were asking to address the Ontario Legislature in order to demand a repeal of the new Tenant Protection Act which limited tenant rights, to demand increased social housing, to demand an end to the Safe Streets Act which was targeting the homeless and poor, and to reverse the 21.5% cut to welfare payments instituted by the Conservative government. The protestors, which included large numbers of homeless people directly affected by Premier Mike Harris' policies, tore up cobblestones to use as projectiles. Mayor Mel Lastman, the Toronto Police Services Board and the Toronto Police Association argued that the police response was proportionate, but seventeen community groups which included Ontario Public Service Employees Union, Parkdale Community Legal Services and the National Action Committee on the Status of Women called for an inquiry to be made by the Ontario Civilian Commission on Police Services. In the aftermath, upwards of 40 people were arrested and charged, including three high-profile OCAP members — John Clarke, Gaetan Heroux and Stefan Pilipa. The defence argued that videos demonstrated police brutality. The eventual trial of these three was declared by the presiding judge to be a mistrial due to a hung jury. The Crown dropped the charges against Heroux and Pilipa but elected to proceed again against Clarke. All charges against Clarke were eventually dropped when a judge threw them out owing to the Crown's failure to disclose evidence expeditiously. Charges against most other defendants had mixed results; most were either acquitted or had their charges dropped. In all, however, the crown attorney in conjunction