Toronto protest rallies against wealth-focused summit as NDP shifts further left

On Monday night, a coalition of unions, Indigenous groups, environmentalists, housing advocates and anti-war organisations assembled in downtown Toronto, first at Nathan Phillips Square and then at the Art Gallery of Ontario, to protest the Canada Investment Summit hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney. The rally revived Occupy-style slogans, framing the event as a clash between “the many” and “the money.” Avi Lewis, newly elected NDP leader, has steered the party toward policies such as wealth taxes, publicly owned grocery stores and a halt to new fossil-fuel projects, accusing Carney of prioritising multinational investors.

Carney’s summit promoted over 160 projects and introduced a Productivity Mega Deduction that would lower the marginal tax rate on new business investment to 6.4 percent. Lewis sees the summit as evidence of a system that concentrates wealth while Canadians face rising housing costs and stagnant wages. The protest highlights a growing tension between left-wing activists and the government’s pro-investment agenda.