With election-based songs and parodies like Blue Rodeo’s Stealin’ All My Dreams and Tony Turner’s Harperman, the anti-Stephen Harper movement has managed to rock the online world. While the parodies have been hilarious, and the songs have been more than catchy and accurate, what really has the Internet blowing up in Canada is a single Facebook event; Harper’s Going Away Party. With over 329, 000 attendees, this Facebook page has reaped havoc on the Canadian social-media front, being labeled by BuzzFeed Canada as the “hottest event on Canadian Facebook”.
I had the opportunity to speak with St. Catharines resident Chris Drennan, the mastermind behind the major push for Harper’s final days on Parliament Hill.
The event was originally created for Chris to personally express his own issues surrounding the current Harper-lead Conservative government. Starting out earlier in the month as a ‘private-event,’ Chris made the page open to the public just last Tuesday.
Chris was shocked by the amount of attention the event was receiving; “by 7:00 pm that night the event had 10, 000 attendees, and over 70, 000 by the next morning” he told me.
In just a little more than a week, Stephen Harper’s Going Away Party has exploded with over 329, 000 people currently marked as ‘going’.
Chris feels “it makes a statement that Canadians are ready for a change”.
Chris also noted that the page is not in place to endorse one opposing party over the other, nor was it created to promote his own party choices. This is simply a hope for the final push and defeat of the Harper government.
Despite what the results may be, Chris made an important note:
“On October 20th we’ll all still be neighbours. No matter what the results may be, we will need to move forward as such.”
Haven’t RSVP’d yet? Join the party here!
Important reminder! RSVPing to an event on Facebook is only a symbolic gesture, real change is made when you vote! On Monday, October 19th, don’t forget to celebrate your rights and vote, vote, vote.
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