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Action Campaign Against Home Depot |
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Go here for a
fully formated printable version of 2. Tips for organizing a
Home Depot information picket 1.
Look for a Home Depot store in your community. Check out the site.
Most stores won’t allow information pickets on their property, but
entrances to parking lots can be effective places to hand out flyers. If
you have trouble with private security officers or police, call the
Toronto Disaster Relief Committee. 2.
Round up a handful of supporters. You don’t need a big crowd
(although the bigger the numbers, the less likely you will experience
trouble from security). Three or four people per parking lot entrance is
enough. 3.
Make up some picket signs with snappy slogans: Homeless Depot, honk
if you hate forced evictions, and so on. Check out our Web site for some
ideas. If your group, union local or faith community has a banner, bring
it along. 4.
Download the information flyer from our Web site. Feel free to make
some changes and add local contact information. 5.
Pick a day for your event. You might want to send a news release to
local media. It’s a good way to build support and get the message out.
Send a letter to the president of Home Depot Canada (with a copy to the
TDRC) explaining why you are picketing the store. Send a letter directly
to Annette Verschuren, President, Home Depot Canada, 426 Ellesmere Road,
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, M1R 4E7. The telephone number is
416-609-0852 and follow the prompts to get to her office. Or send a fax to
416-412-4215. 6.
Politely offer the flyers to customers as they come and go from the
store. Don’t get into extended arguments with angry people. It just
raises everyone’s blood pressure. Be prepared with a quick response when
people ask why you are there. 7.
Local, provincial, state and national laws on information pickets
and trespassing can be different from area to area. If you have any
doubts, contact a local legal clinic or progressive lawyer. In most
places, if you are not blocking traffic and not on private property, then
you have the right to an information picket. Stay in touch. Look for updates on
the Homeless Depot action on the TDRC Web site at www.tdrc.net.
Call us at 416-599-8372. Send an e-mail to tdrc@tdrc.net.
Or write to Toronto Disaster
Relief Committee, 6 Trinity Square, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5G 1B1. Send us copies of any letters that you send to Home Depot. Make sure to send us copies of any replies that you receive. And, please send us copies of any newspaper clippings, if you manage to make some news in your area. |