Webinar: How to Win, March 5, 2025

SURJ TO Webinar - How to Win: Lessons from a Successful Campaign to Defund the Police

Event poster: presenter faces over Defund the Police sign/demo. SURJ Toronto / Another Toronto. How to Win: Lessons from a Successful Campaign to Defund the Police. With Robyn Maynard and Angélica Cházaro. Wed., March 5, 7-9 p.m. ET. tinyurl.com/defund-lessons

SURJ Toronto is excited to invite you to Part 2 of our 2025 Anti-Racism Webinar Series: How to Win – Lessons from a Successful Campaign to Defund the Police.

The webinar will be led by 2 long-time abolitionists, Robyn Maynard and Angélica Cházaro, and is being run in partnership with Another Toronto. 

Join us to explore how the Seattle Defund the Police campaign won a critical victory, and lessons for the Toronto context.

WHEN: Wednesday, Mar 5, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM ET 

WHERE: Zoom!

In the weeks after the murder of George Floyd, millions of people flooded the streets in what became the largest-ever mass action in the US. A Defund the Police movement with budget justice demands and abolitionist roots was born. Local organizations across the country called on city councils and elected officials to divest funds from the police and reinvest them into education, youth services, housing, healthcare, mental health response teams, and alternative systems of justice— things every community needs to be healthy and safe.

Organizers in Seattle secured some major budget wins, including moving 911 dispatchers, victim advocacy work, and parking enforcement out of police control – cutting $76 million from the police department’s $409 million budget. 

With Toronto City Council recently approving a $46.2 million increase to the police budget, it's crucial now more than ever to understand why defunding the police matters, what it looks like, and how we can achieve meaningful change to redefine public safety. 

This webinar and all SURJ’s Anti-Racism workshops are free. ASL will be provided. A Q&A section will be available during the webinar. Whether this is the first step you’ve taken to educate yourself about defund actions, or you’re already taking an active part in the struggle, we’re all here to learn. 

The event will include a fundraiser for Mothers Coming Together Again, a group of Indigenous & Black families whose lives have been affected by police brutality 

We hope to see you on March 5 at 7:00 PM – don’t forget to register!