At several places across Canada, and especially in Toronto, Ontario, there were feverish preparations for the Carnival Against Capitalism, an event the organisation of which kept some members of Capitalism Can’t be Fixed (CCbF) extremely busy.
CCbF is the name of the platform created by a group formed to support Yves Engler’s candidature for the leadership of Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP). After a number of disappointments, the group evolved into the CCbF movement. I consider myself very fortunate to be part of this group and thus to enjoy its extraordinary resilience, camaraderie, and vision.
What the CCbF and other groups were preparing was a protest against a very big (in terms of money) summit planned for September 14 and 15, 2026 in Toronto, a summit to which “a hundred of the wealthiest and most powerful capitalists” were expected to take part.
This summit was meant to help finding funds for the projects of Canada’s Prime Minister Carney’s government, and since many of these projects go against CCbF’s ideas, which recognize that “only a radical , socialist and anticolonial transformation will meet the needs of the many, not the few”, it warranted a protest. The summit was thus a good opportunity for CCbF to make itself better known, and to have some fun at the same time. CCbF was not alone in wanting to protest. Other groups, like the Council of Canadians, 8th Fire Rising, and World Beyond War had similar ideas.
The Carnival called for banners, puppets, music, clowns, and other ways to attract attention and amuse. A march was also planned.
Stickers showed up on utility poles and were distributed, leaflets were printed, choreography was planned, emails were sent, and a clock would tell us the number of days, hours, and seconds left until the carnival, which was planned for September 14 at 6 pm, Toronto’s time.
Before the carnival, other events were planned: On September 12 and 13, a counter-summit, organized by the Many versus the Money would take place, to which Naomi Klein and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor were expected to speak. The event for which these two speakers figured in the program was sold out before the event !
Teach-ins and a “resistance concert” were also organised.
The CCbF platform versus the Canadian government’s projects
Many of Carney’s plans go against the principles enounced in the CCbF platform.
For instance, our platform demands attention to the climate crisis by ending subsidies for oil and gas.
Carney’s government put into place a new tax benefit for oil extraction.
CCbF advocates phasing out toxic pesticides. Carney’s government is allowing “any pesticide that ministers feel is in the interest of economic or national food security”. This includes “pesticides Health Canada has deemed are unsafe”.
CCbF recognizes that privatization is responsible for increased prices and decreased quality of services, yet Carney is thinking about selling airports to private investors.
One of the most important areas of disagreement between Carney’s politics and CCbF is militarism. For instance CCbF would like to stop Carney’s ambitious plan of Arctic militarization for which it is planned to spend more in order to allow Canada to defend the Arctic.
CCbF calls for Canada’s immediate withdrawal from NATO but Prime Minister Carney proudly announced that Canada reached the 2% of GDP expenditure for NATO and was on its way to reach NATO’s new target of 3.5%.
Historical note
The idea of carnival against capitalism isn’t new.
On June 18, 1999, there was a Carnival Against Capital, or J18 that coincided with the 25th G8 summit in Cologne, Germany.
As Claire Tancons notes when she talks about the Occupy Wall Street movement, “Carnival [is] a potent form of political protest.”
She also reminds us of the 1845 mask ban “to prevent Hudson Valley tenant farmers from resisting eviction by rioting in ‘Indian’ dress and ‘calico gowns and leather masks’”.
Incidentally, Claire Tancons’ article is full of fascinating pictures you may want to have a look at.
Carnivals are fun, nonviolent ways of protesting and making ideas known. This seems to have been the feeling of many! According to Bianca Mugyenyi , “The September 14 demonstration against Mark Carney’s CEO summit was a big boost for the Left. “
