The Catastrophe of Canada
A view from the right. Or do we say only 'far-right' now? Rex Murphy joins Jordan Peterson to discuss the recent actions of Trudeau's Government.
Convoy 2022
Mon, 2022-02-21 13:08
#702
Mon, 2022-02-21 13:20
#703
..border & rule is walia's new book.so many thoughts about far-right convoys in canada & fascist resurgence.
for now, this prescient comment from Robin D.G Kelley, making all the links in preface to Border and Rule.
"a new authoritarian, neofascist movement ruled by fear but still governed by neoliberal reason."
“Liberal democracy” has not been under such a grave a threat since the 1930s.
And how many “disaffected working people” own 18-wheel trucks and can afford to not work for weeks at a time.
Mon, 2022-02-21 15:50
#704
The Catastrophe of Canada
A view from the right. Or do we say only 'far-right' now? Rex Murphy joins Jordan Peterson to discuss the recent actions of Trudeau's Government.
No, Mulroney, MacKay, even O'Toole are on the right. The executive of the Conservative Party are on the right. Rex Murphy and Jordan Peterson edge to the far right. It is certainly the audience they are going for. I don't pay much attention to either of them because whenever I even glance they are beating dead horses.
Mon, 2022-02-21 18:33
#705
..border & rule is walia's new book.so many thoughts about far-right convoys in canada & fascist resurgence.
for now, this prescient comment from Robin D.G Kelley, making all the links in preface to Border and Rule.
"a new authoritarian, neofascist movement ruled by fear but still governed by neoliberal reason."
“Liberal democracy” has not been under such a grave a threat since the 1930s.
And how many “disaffected working people” own 18-wheel trucks and can afford to not work for weeks at a time.
..i have to disagree. neither this event nor the one in the us came close to overthrowing the gov. and i would argue that liberal democracy went out the window, lets say for brevity sake, with the rise of neoliberalism. just look at the control the corporations have at un environmental summits.
Mon, 2022-02-21 19:39
#706
The Catastrophe of Canada
A view from the right. Or do we say only 'far-right' now? Rex Murphy joins Jordan Peterson to discuss the recent actions of Trudeau's Government.
It’s hard to believe but Jordan Peterson seems to be a bigger pompous windbag than Rex Murphy! Who’s up next for NDPP, John Birch?
Tue, 2022-02-22 09:38
#707
Spring Time For Hitler in Ottawa: Honk Honk!
https://twitter.com/Lupus_Loricatus/status/1496073409410875398 https://twitter.com/DavidAnber/status/1495983177210511364
Tue, 2022-02-22 09:59
#708
..i have to disagree. neither this event nor the one in the us came close to overthrowing the gov. and i would argue that liberal democracy went out the window, lets say for brevity sake, with the rise of neoliberalism. just look at the control the corporations have at un environmental summits.
Because people in democratic countries chose to elect leaders who answer to corporations.
That people fail to overthrow a government doesn't mean that isn't what they were trying to do. Failure does not confer innocence.
the alt-right doesn't care how they win as long as they either overthrow liberalism or form a separate Christian country.
Lich has been denied bail today because the judge doesn't trust her to stop.
Tue, 2022-02-22 13:37
#709
Tue, 2022-02-22 20:38
#710
“Building a stronger democracy”: A cross-country webinar
..this webinar just ended. it was recorded so when/if i get sent a link i will post it.
..there where more than 1500 people who attended. and a highlight for me was how the battle of billings bridge started. it began in a dog walking group chat. grassroots leadership at it's finest. :)
Wed, 2022-02-23 17:24
#711
In a callous, undemocratic move, @Eli_ElChantiry and the new @OttawaPolice Board have cancelled the Board meeting for Monday February 28th in replacement of one on the 24th with NO DELEGATIONS.
Fri, 2022-02-25 13:37
#712
Trucker Convoy in the U.S. now heading for Washington.
Trucker Convoy moves toward DC to protest Covid restrictions, but the Pentagon isn't fucking around. They've authorized 400 National Guard troops, 50 tactical vehicles, and 300 more troops to come to the city. The Truckers are gonna find out they can't fuck around in DC.
https://twitter.com/AmyAThatcher/status/1497259376540893190?s=20&t=KuwnX...
Sat, 2022-02-26 09:36
#713
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRak3L3rIxw&ab_channel=Context%3ABeyondt...
Trucker Convoy organizer, Tom Marazzo, sits down with Maggie John to discuss what is next for the Trucker Convoy.
He hasn't been charged with anything. He claims the movement is leaderless and everyone was making their own decisions to be there are not. There is no coordination between locations. He is going to go see truckers parked outside of Ottawa to see what THEY want to do. "We said all along that this is not any one person, like you can't point to one leader of this movement. This is Canadians all over the country"
"Danny Bulford was let out of custody with no charges. Chris(Barber) and Tamara(Lich) are in custody but the movement still continued on because we don't have one single leader. We did it as a collective.
He goes on to lament that they tried contacting government through many means but they wouldn't sit down and talk, his bank accounts have been frozen even though he wasn't charged. They were only getting parking infractions, not breaking any other laws.
He thinks Canadians are going to wake up to the idea that the the government can seize your assets, will be more protests, government overreach. They were never there to be political, there are multiple groups involved, all they ever wanted was to have the mandates lifted. There was never any talk about changing the government, that was a different group that formed way before the convoy, like minded groups came together but the main mission has always been end the mandates, they believe in the democratic process.
"What we are going to do, I've spoken with our lawyers, exploring legal action against the government of Canada, doing these interviews is another avenue to put pressure on these other political partiesso they can see what Canadians are really talking about......opposition parties should be putting pressure on government to represent what the people of Canada want, at least they should listen. "
There have been no referendums on any issue related to Covid 19, (said with indignation) not one referendum has come out at any government level ......nobody ever asked voters what they wanted......
They wanted businesses to stay open. The city closed them. They stopped the horns boucy castle, all hugging and happiness blah blah blah Like Canada day, we shoveled, put salt down crime rate went down 90% first aid feeding homeless ......they were going to stay there until someone talked to them, unfortunate people lived in our nation's capital, he couldn't control where they live, but this is where we needed to be because this is where the decision makers are.
Confederate flag, Chris Barber had one...it's part of world history, it's not a symbol of his core beliefs, it's an American symbol, it's not a Canadian symbol of anything, Dukes of Hazard had a confederate flag painted on the hood, they didn't have the flag as any form of a political statement because it's not tied to anything. We can't wash away history. We have to acknowledge it and learn from it and move on from it.
Black interviewer challenges him again, he repeats we have to learn but adds we can't censor. many offensive things in history, we have to confront them, we have to confront our past.
interviewer, we do but we don't have to wave it in front of other people if it is going to offend them.
About the Nazi symbol, never saw it, was a lone individual, people there were very religious.
Sat, 2022-02-26 13:49
#714
..here's the link to the recording for anyone that is interested.
“Building a stronger democracy”: A cross-country webinar
Sat, 2022-02-26 14:49
#715
Protest has cost City of Ottawa more than $30M
The more than three-week occupation of downtown Ottawa is costing the city more than $30 million, city council heard Wednesday morning.
It was costing about $1 million per day since it started on Jan. 28 — $800,000 for additional police costs and another $200,000 for city costs.
Costs skyrocketed further when hundreds of police officers flooded into the city to carry out the unprecedented police action that began last Friday.
"There was an exponential growth when we brought in all those officers before last weekend with respect to accommodation, food, transportation and all the other expenses to keep them here," city manager Steve Kanellakos told Ottawa city council.
quote:
Other overtime costs
City staff have also been working overtime for weeks.
Paramedics and fire services worked with police during their weekend effort to clear protesters out of downtown, municipal staff have been working to clean up from the protests and social services worked to reach out to isolated and traumatized people.
David White, the city solicitor, was asked to look into whether there are any avenues to recoup some costs from the protesters, including whether impounded vehicles could be sold.
Mayor Jim Watson said he is optimistic that Ottawa's extraordinary costs will be covered by the upper levels of government, with which he's been having discussions.
"We have every expectation they will be there to cover those costs," said Watson. "The response has been very positive. They understand we are in a unique situation here in Ottawa."
Wed, 2022-03-02 09:14
#716
March 5: Community Solidarity Rally and March!
In the last weeks, residents across the city have undertaken inspiring actions to oppose the far right occupation of Ottawa, from marches to blockades to putting up posters and banging pots and pans. This collective experience will help us build a movement rooted in solidarity and inclusion that can counter the far right.
The convoy is finally being pushed out of downtown Ottawa, but the far right continues to threaten our safety, security and dignity, and we have seen firsthand the authorities’ role in enabling this threat. Let’s continue to come together to say no to hate and yes to community care and solidarity.
Community Solidarity Rally and March
When: Saturday March 5 at 1pm
Where: A central location to be confirmed soon!
Join us to:
-
demand the police, the mayor, the premier, and the federal government be held accountable for allowing a dangerous far-right occupation to overrun our city and terrorize residents
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Say no to white supremacy, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and all other forms of hate
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Show support for frontline workers
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Call to maintain and improve public health protections, especially for those most impacted by the pandemic: workers, disabled people, elders, and Indigenous, Black and Racialized people
Mon, 2022-03-14 15:46
#717
Tense protest and counter-protest jams up 17 Avenue SW for another Saturday
Beltline residents and anti-government anti-mandate protesters engaged in a tense standoff along 17 Avenue SW on Saturday.
Counter-protesters, fed up with the regular Saturday marches through the Beltline, put a plan into place to prevent that march from passing in front of Western Canada High School.
Thousands of anti-government, anti-mandate protesters marching along what they have come to call Freedom Mile, were met by around 100 of the counter-protesters and dozens of police officers.
Things turned tense during the protests as anti-government, anti-mask marchers at one point broke a police line, leading police to physically push back counter-protesters with bikes. Counter-protesters joined arm-in-arm to resist the move, although this led to these individuals being boxed in by anti-government, anti-mandate protesters.
The Calgary Police Service brought in additional officers around 3 p.m. to protect the counter-protesters as a channel on the north side of 17 Avenue SW was opened to allow the march to continue. Several small scuffles broke out as police again used their bicycles to prevent counter-protesters from blocking the march.
‘Go home’ disappointing: Beltline president
Post protest, the reaction from members of the Beltline community was not positive towards the police service.
President of the Beltline Neighbourhoods Association, Peter Oliver, wrote on twitter that he was “disappointed by the number of [police officers] who told me residents should just go home.”
1/4 I spoke with Beltline residents & businesses this morning. I was in the Beltline this afternoon. The weekly disruption this community faces is not a “protest”. It’s a parade. At Central Memorial Park, it’s a festival with merch & food vendors. Yet no permits or licenses.
— Jyoti Gondek (@JyotiGondek) March 13, 2022
Mayor Jyoti Gondek posted to social media in the evening addressing the protests, stating that “by waiting for this to die out, enforcement agencies have allowed it to grow.”
“And while Council has no formal ability to direct the police or other enforcement bodies, we can be vocal and stand with our fellow Calgarians,” she said.
The Calgary Police Service responded with a statement to the public’s anger after video clips showing police officers shoving counter-protesters backwards were released on social media.
quote:
Ward 9 Councillor Gian-Carlo Carra, speaking as a member of the Calgary Police Commission, said that he stands with Mayor Gondek.
“I will be working with my fellow Commissioners to use today’s unacceptable incident as the moment where we stand with our citizens and definitively change our collective response,” he said....
Sun, 2022-03-20 12:47
#718
Building on the Battle of Billings Bridge
On Saturday, February 12, fifteen days after the “Freedom Convoy” occupation began in Ottawa, activists from the city’s labour movement, left, and community groups finally responded with a mass mobilization. More than 2000 people attended a rally and march that, despite staying far away from the occupation zone, gave the Ottawa public greater confidence in the possibility of collective resistance to the right.
The next day, during the Battle of Billings Bridge, more than 1000 people transformed a small action against 30 or more convoy vehicles into a major victory. The battle started at about 9:00 a.m., when 20 local anarchists from the Punch Up Collective and a group of dog-walkers occupied a one-way section of Riverside Drive, trapping convoy reinforcements that were arriving from Cornwall, Ontario. As word of the action spread, labour, left, and community activists rushed to the scene, ultimately holding the street for seven hours. As a precondition for leaving, convoy vehicles were required to take down all their signs and flags.
That direct action on the Sunday never would have happened without the previous day’s much tamer confidence-building mobilization. Saturday’s precedent of collective resistance created an immediate demand for more serious action. Even local NDP politicians who had threatened to publicly oppose the Saturday demonstration found it necessary to turn out on Sunday for photo ops.
The failure of Ottawa’s left to act during the first two weeks of the “Freedom Convoy” occupation is explained by the nature of the far-right movement, the chronic weakness of the city’s left, and previous failures by the left to respond to far-right pandemic provocations.
quote:
A dangerous vacuum
The initial level of public support for the convoy’s opposition to new pandemic regulations points to a complex reality many Canadian leftists have not faced up to. Substantial segments of the population who suffered financially during the pandemic – workers, the poor, and small business people – no longer trust the politicians and public health officials who imposed often ill-explained, contradictory, and blatantly self-serving pandemic measures on us. That explains the gap between the high levels of vaccination among Canadians (84 percent of those five years and older are at least double-vaccinated) and the proportion of Canadians (by some estimates, as high as 44 percent) who sympathized with the frustrations expressed by the convoy movement.
As socialist writers Judy Rebick and Corvin Russell have argued, the failure of the labour movement and the left to respond adequately to the worst aspects of government pandemic strategies (e.g. to militantly defend the right to refuse unsafe work), combined with the success of anti-public health actions organized by the far right (e.g. anti-vax pickets outside hospitals), undermined the left’s ability to respond to the rise of the “Freedom Convoy”:
This vacuum on the left…is wind in the sails of those who wish to co-opt legitimate disaffection in service of a turn to authoritarian capitalism. It’s not a stretch to say there is no left to speak of on the current political landscape. If organized labour is to have any relevance in the era of COVID, it must mobilize to counter and even stop far right protests around the country, and make aggressive demands that speak to the basic needs of working class people…
Last fall, when opponents of vaccine mandates repeatedly picketed Ottawa’s Civic Hospital, Ottawa labour and the local left failed to respond. Part of a synchronized national effort by the far right, the hospital pickets allowed them to test the water before attempting larger actions. Far-right observers learned they would not be opposed by labour or the left.
Such inaction – against various opponents – is now normal for labour and the left in Ottawa. Although the city is the national headquarters for large national trade unions, the NDP, and left-leaning NGOs, and has a heavily unionized workforce of federal public service workers, it no longer has a living tradition of mass struggle and solidarity. In recent years, unionized federal public servants learned a lesson about the potential irrelevance of trade unions. Starting with the 2016 implementation of a new federal public service pay system, about 80 percent of federal employees experienced years of major pay errors, with many suffering acute financial hardship. Even in the face of a regular biweekly government violation of collective agreements, a situation that continued for years, public service unions refused to consider strike action.
Despite the weakness of the public service unions and other labour organizations, it was a new generation of local leaders in the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) who initiated meetings of local labour and community groups to discuss possible action against the far-right occupation this month. The first such meeting (with 90 community participants) became focused on cancelling an ill-planned demonstration initiated by a few individuals, instead of taking it over and improving it. A subsequent meeting (with about 50 labour attendees) called the first big demonstration against the convoy, identified as a “community solidarity” action.....
Mon, 2022-03-21 23:13
#719
One of the two men involved in an arson attack in an apartment building during the convoy occupation has been arrested. While the police say there is no apparent connection with the convoy, it is worth keeping an eye on developments in this case as a lack of connecting evidence does not mean 100% guarantee is no connection, especially when many in the convoy not only harassed residents but often followed them into apartment buildings. I'm sure the arrested person would not volunteer that he was doing it as an act related to the convoy because it could lead to his being classifed as a terrorist committing a crime as a political act.
Whether this crime was related to the convoy or not, it certainly terrified many Ottawa residents who wondered whether other such acts might occur while the convoy was in Ottawa.
Police are still looking for the other man who was caught in video setting the fire.
Ottawa police say one man has been arrested and charged in connection with an arson at a Centretown apartment building last month, but there is no apparent link between him and the 'Freedom Convoy' protest that was ongoing at the time.
The incident happened at a building on Lisgar Street on Feb. 6, in the heart of the protest zone. Residents of the building told CTV News Ottawa that they found fire starter bricks in the lobby and the front doors had been forced closed and sealed with tape. A passerby noticed the flames and was able to open the door and put out the fire before anyone was hurt.
Police said in a news release Monday that a 21-year-old Ottawa man has been charged with numerous offences, but there is no information indicating the accused was involved in any way with the convoy protest, which was in its 10th day when the incident took place.
Connor Russell McDonald's charges include arson with disregard for human life, arson causing property damage, mischief to property endangering life, and possession of incendiary materials. He is due in court on April 21.
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/suspect-charged-in-downtown-ottawa-arson-last-...
Tue, 2022-03-22 11:49
#720
The person arrested was an Ottawa resident 21 years old who was in the shelter system. The other suspect is apparently a friend also in the shelter system in Ottawa. There is no reason to think this is connected to the convoy other that wanting it to be so. More details here:
Tue, 2022-03-22 15:28
#721
That may be so but nevertheless as your the url you quoted says it did terrify residents because "While residents in the building had been arguing with the truckers in the hours before..." led many to feel their was a connection, thereby heightening fear in the community.
Tue, 2022-03-22 15:52
#722
It is in no way a vindication. They could easily have been paid cash. 50$ up front 500$ after, or whatever. Desperate people do desperate things. I don't see any benefit to homeless people. Doesn't appear they had a beef.
Tue, 2022-03-22 16:09
#723
Yes, also he could have been fed psychoactive drugs by truckers who then hacked his cellphone to play subliminal messages while he slept, urging him to commit arson. More likely to me is the person who posted about it wanted to blame the truckers and fudged things. Which is why it was not reported directly to the police at the time -- they saw the twitter thread and reached out.
I agree with Jerry folks in Ottawa were fearful. I think liberal and left wing media that is alarmist, willing to indulge and amplify any story that confirms their priors, and describes their antagonists in the most stark terms possible also contributed to that fear.
Conservative media was all over this story when it happened, and there were plenty of reasons to think it was bunk at the time, as NDPP pointed out.
Tue, 2022-03-22 17:49
#724
What motive would homeless people have to set fire to that particular building and block the doors?
Unless the two men have a history of arson or violence drugged or not I don't see a motive.
Wed, 2022-03-23 13:30
#725
Solo cyclist thwarts the trucker ‘freedom convoy’ on the roads of Washington DC
The People’s Convoy trucker protest was reduced to a slow crawl in Washington DC by one man on a bike (Twitter/ShutDownDC)
Fri, 2022-03-25 10:54
#726
"Your body, my choice"
Thu, 2022-06-23 12:42
#727
PRESS RELEASE: Community Solidarity Ottawa Rips the Mask Off So-Called ‘Freedom Movement’
Community Solidarity Ottawa, a coalition of Ottawa residents, labour unions, and community groups, opposes the so-called ‘freedom’ events being planned by the far-right in the coming days, on the Canada Day weekend, and throughout the summer.
“This is a movement of far-right extremists using the vaccine issue as a recruitment pipeline.” said Brian Latour, a spokesperson for Community Solidarity Ottawa (CSO). “Continuing actions by so-called ‘Freedom Convoy’ organizers and allies, even after their stated goals have been achieved, only confirms what we have known about them all along – that this is not about vaccines or mandates.”
These “freedom movement” events are nothing more than a revival of February’s anti-democratic “Freedom Convoy” occupation of Ottawa, says Latour. That included threatening and harassing Ottawa residents, blocking streets, and blanketing the city with dangerous levels of noise and pollution. These actions and the far-right politics they represent are a direct threat to our community and a broader threat to our safety and democracy.
“Once again, the Ottawa Police Service is providing logistical support to the far right,” said Sam Hersh of Horizon Ottawa. “We know there is no room for negotiation with the far-right. The people of Ottawa have no confidence police will protect our neighbourhoods from extremist, white supremacist far-right violence. To the best of our knowledge, none of the officers who supported the original convoy has faced any consequences. ”
“While governments have failed us over the pandemic, causing unnecessary suffering, the far right offers no solutions,” said Chantal Sundaram from CSO. “Pharmaceutical corporations have made massive profits while refusing to share the intellectual property for vaccines, so the global south remains unprotected against COVID while new variants ravage our communities. Canadian billionaires have added billions to their net wealth since the start of the pandemic, while working class people have suffered. The far right offers no solutions to these issues.”
At the end of April, CSO raised the alarm about far-right elements seeking to re-occupy our community under the guise of ‘Rolling Thunder Ottawa’. CSO was proven correct when vehicles once again attempted to take over Rideau Street, only to be displaced by riot police. Once again, far-right elements have mobilized, this time around Canada Day and behind James Topp, a soldier with numerous far-right connections who is currently marching across Canada in protest of vaccine mandates that have since been lifted.
CSO is again warning city, provincial and federal leadership, the media and the public that another occupation is coming.
CSO is also raising the alarm about the increasingly dangerous rhetoric emanating from the so-called ‘freedom movement”. In particular, CSO notes increasing anti-LGBT2QIA+ rhetoric online that parallels the far right internationally. This is especially concerning following the arrest of dozens of Patriot Front members on their way to attack a Pride event in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho on June 11. Across Canada, members of the ‘freedom movement’ continue to call for violence and executions of public officials. Neo-nazi recruiting stickers have also begun to appear in Ottawa this past weekend, posted alongside anti-vaccine stickers......
Thu, 2022-06-23 13:06
#728
Re: the washington people's convoy, highly recommend this video by "Channel 5 news", where they travel with the convoy and interview it's participants. The report is not sympathetic to their cause but he lets them talk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKcJrBRVZn4
Watching this underscored my own personal observations at the toronto freedom protest -- these people are not organized, powerful, or serious.
Thu, 2022-06-23 13:35
#729
RE: post 727, I must confess these reactions by public sector unions make me uneasy. The average PSAC member salary exceeds 85K a year. An admin assistant at PSAC has an average salary of 65K. During the pandemic, most PSAC members were able to work from home.
In Canada a trucker makes an average salary of less than 50K per year. If you are driving hazardous waste you might earn 70K, slightly more than an admin assistant at PSAC.
There are participants in these freedom convoys who have suffered, who are powerless, who are poor. We all agree working class rage is real and justified. These protests are not only a reflection of working class rage, of course. But the left response needs to be able to speak to the parts that are.
In my view the version of events offered by Community Solidarity Ottawa is alarmist and reductive:
"At the end of April, CSO raised the alarm about far-right elements seeking to re-occupy our community under the guise of ‘Rolling Thunder Ottawa’. CSO was proven correct when vehicles once again attempted to take over Rideau Street, only to be displaced by riot police. "
This is the hyperbolic language of fundraisers. I would rather a left response that spoke more to the causes of working class discontent.
Thu, 2022-06-23 15:04
#730
..there are psac members and then their are psac members. wages are varied. in the forming of solidarity ottawa it's been union activists not the top level wage earners that were involved.
..these right leadership incursions are gathering momentum as we are squeezed by capital and govs move to the right to accommodate them. there is a need for a response. and i believe that a local based approach is the right way to go. i have little trust in top down approaches that dictate what we are to think and do.
..whether or not they are alarmist is debatable. what they say about the police i tend to agree with.
Thu, 2022-06-23 15:09
#731
I do agree the response needs to be local and community lead. But this community response, with it's us against the invaders language, has no room for dialogue.
I find this sobering and cause for reflection:
One hundred thousand individuals donated to the Freedom Convoy, with average donation of $89.
https://www.thewrit.ca/p/q2-2021-fundraising
For 2021 Q2, April to June, here is what the main Canadian political parties managed to fundraise:
"The Conservatives raised the most in the second quarter — as they have done in 61 of 66 quarters since the beginning of 2005 — with $5,099,434 from 35,865 individual contributions (not contributors, as individual donors who donate multiple times per year are counted multiple times).
The Conservatives are, and have long been, good at raising money. And some of them, *cough* Pierre Poilievre *cough*, are so good at it that they are already investing heavily in pre-campaign advertisements.
The Liberals, as they often do, finished second with $3,299,260 raised from 36,495 contributions, followed by the New Democrats at $1,545,727 from 18,630 contributions, the Greens at $682,020 from 8,372 contributions and the Bloc Québécois at $311,923 from 2,300 contributions.
Mobo: The freedom convoy got more individual donations that all major federal parties combined in a quarter of a year. Small donations from individuals, and as the hacked donor list shows, most of them Canadian, from all walks of life.
As I've said before in this thread, I have no grand conclusions or recomendations, just a grim feeling that the left has missed an opportunity here. That the left is giving into and feeding the same polarization within the working class that has been so beneficial to our political elites and the capitalist class.
Thu, 2022-06-23 15:16
#732
..the left isn't giving into anything. the left is absent. that is the problem. solidarity ottawa formed as a defensive reaction to the real assault they faced. it is not meant to fix the multiple crisis we face.
Thu, 2022-06-23 15:53
#733
I agree the left is absent on substantive matters related to working class anger. I don't see what Solidarity Ottawa is doing as defensive reaction against an assault.
The most recent post by Horizon Ottawa about federal politicians meeting with James Topp is asking for federal authorities to not meet, speak or deal with him because he is far right. CSO describes the rolling thunder april protest as a hate rally. With this framing there is little chance that working class particpants in either rally will come to any agreement or have any dialogue at all. These are example of what I refer to when I say the left is feeding the polarization of the working class.
https://globalnews.ca/news/8801013/rolling-thunder-ottawa-protest-sunday/
"Ottawa police found themselves patrolling increasingly empty downtown streets on Sunday as the “Rolling Thunder” protest made good on plans to decamp from Canada‘s capital, but the force did open an investigation after the scene of the day’s only formal event was defaced with graffiti targeting demonstrators."....
"Bikers, “Rolling Thunder” rally supporters and other worshippers arrived at the church to find its brick exterior had been vandalized with spray-painted messages including “fascists” and “no haven for fascism.”...
"The Ottawa Police Service confirmed it is investigating “an incident of hate-motivated mischief at a religious institution” on Carillon Street, the same one where the church is located.
But the incident did little to suppress the spirits of the enthusiastic, peaceful crowd.
A four-piece band belted out soulful Christian rock songs while hundreds of worshippers, some wearing leather biker jackets with Canadian flags draped around their shoulders, waved their arms in the air."
"Ottawa Police made a handful of arrests over the course of the weekend, including three during the main demonstrations on Saturday.
The force said one woman was arrested for assaulting police on Elgin Street, where a large motorcycle rally took place, and a man was arrested for breaching conditions stemming from February’s “Freedom Convoy” occupation.
Another man is facing several charges after allegedly “rushing” an OPP motorcycle, including dangerous driving, assault with a weapon and violating conditions stemming from the last round of protests.
More than 760 parking tickets had been issued and 39 vehicles have been towed since early Friday morning, city officials said Sunday. Ten other tickets have been issued for infractions including noise, smoking and public urination."
Thu, 2022-06-23 16:15
#734
..you should go back in the posts and read how they actually blocked trucks from entering the fray. they blocked them until they agreed not bring their trucks to town. so to speak. the police at the scene were trying to get blockers to let them go. the whole blockade began in a dog walkers chat room. very decentralized.
..again you flood your post with data that has no connection to solidarity ottawa. police action wasn't because of them. same for your expectations of the group.
Thu, 2022-06-23 16:29
#735
..from the website
Community Supports and Initiatives
Horizon Ottawa Email Zap
Send an email in just on click to demand elected representatives take action on key demands now. These include no increase to police budgets, immediate implementation of the Ottawa Coalition’s People’s Budget, hold the province accountable for its policies (demand equitable and livable wages, paid sick days, rent freezes, easy access to rapid tests and more), and demand emergency funding for those affected by the Convoy occupation.
Mutual Aid Funds
A number of mutual aid funds and initiates have taken off, including wage replacement funds, community care funds, and grants for those affected by the convoy. Whether you’re donated or seeking support, reach out below.
Volunteer Urban Foot Patrol
Many residents in the urban core that are feeling unsafe walking in their neighbourhoods, riding transit, or trying to get groceries. If you’re willing to walk or ride transit with someone or otherwise help, sign up and a group of volunteers will facilitate as best they can those connections.
MWAC Trucker Convoy Reporting Tool
Many people have experienced racism and harassment by the participants of the trucker convoy. For a number of reasons, many people cannot report their experience to the police. This tool is created by Migrant Workers Alliance for Change - a migrant led body - to call for political action.
Rainbow Ottawa Student Experience Survey
Kind Space is committed to providing Ottawa – located on unceded Algonquin territory, accessible resources, events, social, and educational programming to celebrate and support people of all sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.
They are tasked with distributing funds raised by ROSE. “This fundraiser aims to raise [money] to help marginalized people (2SLGBTQIA+, BIPOC, Disabled, etc) recuperate and recover from this protest.
Centretown Helpers Discord
Join community members for mutual aid and community organizing on Discord.
Thu, 2022-06-23 16:33
#736
..i missed one.
ABC Wellness Resource Centre
The African, Caribbean, Black Wellness Resource Centre is built on the foundation of empowering Black individuals and families in Ottawa/Gatineau areas.
Services include:
• Community Food Cupboard
• Walk in COVID vaccine clinics
• Additional services include mental heath resources, yoga classes, seniors recreation, after school care and more.
Fri, 2022-06-24 10:28
#737
I think the left is completely missing the boat on replacement theory which is the primary driver behind right wing extremism including the support for Poilievre. The establishment left is dismissing replacement theory as just another crazy theory.
Traditionalists, conservatives who want things to remain much the same, are seeing radical change. European caucasian will be a minority in North America by 2050. The Chinese have a country, Africans have countries, Mennonites and Quakers have communities. Canada and United States are Christian countries (in their view) that allow freedom of religion. Some people of color feel the same way. This is no different than Queberers wanting to maintain their language and culture which the establishment left has been extremely supportive of.
Dismissing this desire as racist or xenophobic is self-defeating. They don't want to live in a majority Muslim country. There is no immediate danger of that even in this century but it doesn't address the desire of conservatives to have the country remain the same. It isn't just about immigrants it's about living traditionally. That's why evangelicals are such a strong party of the movement and why the "freedom" message sounds so weird. They want the freedom to live in Christian communities in which hymns are still sung in the morning and the children do a nativity play at Christmas and they don't think they should have to move in order to have that.
It is a valid desire shared by humans of every race throughout the world to maintain their way of life unchanged.
Telling people "replacement theory" isn't true is counter productive. The fear is of becoming a minority and it is real and it will happen. Christians and whites will become a minority just like French mother tongue will become a minority in Montreal and eventually in all of Quebec although that could take a century.
When most women who could had at least 3 to 5 babies immigrants weren't required to drive the economy. Now that most women restrict themselves to two or fewer children we need immgrants. The economy is dependent on an ever growing population because we used to have an ever growing population so that's how it was designed.
Countries with declining populations will suffer economically. Countries that can count on immigration will not, or will suffer less.
We are letting refugees drown trying to reach land and languish in camps under inhuman conditions worse than zoos. We are finding ways to offshore them or prevent them from reaching our borders when we are often the cause of them being refugees in the first place. We ruin countries through physical and economic violence. Or rather, "we" don't do it. The endless rapacious of our 1% is doing it.
We are being hardened to believe that our borders must be protected or we will be overcome by hoards of poor people that will destroy our way of life.
Sat, 2022-08-27 14:33
#738
The ‘Freedom Convoy’ is Turning Into a Christian Nationalist Revival Movement
Several months after the end of the convoy occupation of Ottawa, a number of far-right convoy-linked groups are increasingly looking more and more like Christian Evangelical “revival” movements.
Many evangelical Christians and pastors were key participants in the Ottawa convoy occupation, with many promoting extreme Christian nationalist rhetoric, combining Christian identity, Canadian nationalism and right-wing political beliefs.
“This group is small, but it’s there. And they should not be dismissed as being merely religious,” theology professor Dr. Christine Mitchell wrote in The Conversation back in February.
Mitchell suggests that Christian nationalist truckers’ “divinely-mandated mission is the overthrow of the Canadian government,” and that they likely believe “Parliament is the temple that will be destroyed unless people turn from their sin.”
In Ottawa, a convoy-adjacent group calling itself “The United People of Canada,” took over a deconsecrated church last month.
TUPOC has said it wants to run the church as a “social enterprise” and transform it into a community centre, although the group was recently served an eviction notice for failing to pay their $10,000 lease.
While TUPOC doesn’t explicitly describe itself in religious terms, key individuals at TUPOC have cited religious convictions as motivation for occupying the church.
“There is kind of a war going on. It feels like a war doesn’t it?” Diane Nolan, a TUPOC board director, said in a Facebook video last week. “It’s not just a convoy, it’s an uprising.”
“I’m gonna die in this place knowing that I’ve served God first,” Nolan said in another video that has since been deleted......
Mon, 2022-10-24 17:13
#739
Ontario Premier Doug Ford as well as former solicitor general Sylvia Jones are challenging a summons to appear at the commission examining the Trudeau Liberal's use of the Emergencies Act to respond to the Freedom Convoy. Whatever, one thinks of the use of the Emergencies Act, Ford and anyone else who was involved directly or indirectly with the Freedom Convoy should have to testify so we have the fullest possible picture of what happened.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford and former solicitor general Sylvia Jones are challenging a summons to appear as witnesses at the public inquiry examining the federal government’s use of the Emergencies Act.
Commission lawyers said the summons was issued Monday after both Ford and Jones, who is now the health minister, refused multiple requests to appear.
"It was our hope that Premier Ford and Minister Jones would agree to appear before the commission voluntarily," reads a letter sent Monday by commission lead lawyers Shantona Chaudhury and Jeffrey Leon.
"However, given that the repeated invitations were all declined, the commission has issued summons this day to Premier Ford and Minister Jones pursuant to section 4 of the Inquiries Act."
The letter was written in response to a request for Ford and Jones to appear made last week by three lawyers for parties involved in the inquiry, including the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and a group of Ottawa residents affected by the convoy.
Chaudhury and Leon said in the letter that Ford and Jones had also "refused" multiple times to be interviewed privately by commission lawyers before the public hearings began.
Last week Ford told reporters at an unrelated event in Ottawa that he wasn't appearing at the inquiry because "I have not been asked."
In that same conversation on Oct. 17, Ford said the Ontario Provincial Police did an "incredible job" helping Ottawa police and RCMP clear protesters. He also said he stood "shoulder to shoulder" with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau throughout the convoy and the decision to invoke the Emergencies Act.
https://www.timescolonist.com/national-news/ford-summoned-to-testify-at-...
Thu, 2023-02-09 13:24
#740
..menard is a city councillor.
We blocked the convoy in our neighbourhood this morning at Riverside at Bank. We started with about 25 people with hundreds more who have joined in solidarity. We made sure residents could get through but kept the convoy here.
I spent nearly 8 hours there yesterday, and it was one of the most uplifting street actions I've ever been involved in. Thousands of people from all walks of life came down to the blockade over the course of the day, many of them bringing with them pizzas, donuts, coffee, hot chocolate, and handwarmers for their fellow counter-protestors.
The police continued to make their own case for defunding, as they were less than useless. By the time the number of blockaders had reached 100, they were effectively reduced to the role of bystanders. (It makes one wonder what might have been possible in the early days of the occupation if the police had simply gotten out of the public's way, instead of running interference for the convoy.)
It was quite interesting to watch the demeanor of the convoy participants change over time. When I first arrived, they were full of bravado - mocking, jeering, and filming us as we walked past each truck on our way to hold down the back of the line. As the minutes passed, and the crowd steadily grew, it slowly dawned on them that the cops weren't going to be able to clear the road for them, and they were going to be in for a long day. Now, all of a sudden, those who'd been making faces and flipping us off seemed determined to avoid eye contact at all costs.
Politicians, like Joel Harden, who'd been arguing for weeks that it was too dangerous for ordinary citizens to directly confront their occupiers, made numerous attempts to convince the crowd to declare victory and disperse in the early afternoon, but the people were having none of it.
At one point, the police tried to appeal to the crowd to disperse by telling us that we were impeding food delivery drivers from accessing a commercial ghost kitchen in a trailer adjacent to the protest. They were telling us how the manger was about to shut the operation down, sending staff home early on Super Bowl Sunday, depriving all their young racialized low-wage workers hours worth of income. We, being people who genuinely care about working class solidarity, thought; "Well, that sucks. Maybe there's a way we could mitigate that while still maintaining the blockade?" We thought perhaps we could volunteer as runners from the kitchen to the delivery drivers. Or we could pass a hat to collect enough money to offset the lost wages. So someone then knocked on the door of the kitchen to propose those as solutions. It immediately became clear that the cops were full of shit (quelle surprise!). They declined our offer to pass the hat, telling us that they make decent money, and that they'd still be getting paid for their full shifts regardless. They assured us that the blockade was not causing any hardship for any of the actual workers. They then offered to cook up several large pots of chili for the counter-protest. Hell, yeah, fellow workers!
By late afternoon, as the sun was starting to get lower in the sky, several convoy participants began to negotiate with the crowd to be allowed to leave. While a significant chunk of the crowd was dead-set against letting anyone leave except on foot, leaving their trucks to be towed, eventually a working consensus began to emerge that if they agreed to us removing all flags, signs, decals from their trucks, they would then be escorted out of the line, and into a parking lot from where they could access the eastbound lane away from blockade. Once those first few trucks broke ranks, the rest soon followed. But they were made to leave in intervals, one at a time, picket line style. Some of them even had to submit to a search of their trucks for jerrycans. The humiliation and defeat on their faces as they inched their trucks through the gauntlet of counter-protestors was quite palpable.
Yesterday's spontaneous autonomous actions (this blockade was just one of at least four - each organized independently from the others) felt like a turning point. For many, I'm sure it was their first time participating in a demonstration of any sort. They saw firsthand the power of ordinary people when we act in solidarity with our neighbours. They saw how inept and useless the cops are. I am excited to think of how yesterday's participants will apply those lessons moving forward.
And now there's a guerrilla commemorative plaque at the site.
https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/plaque-commemorates-battle-of-billings-bridge-...
Sat, 2023-02-18 09:52
#741
Commissioner Paul Rouleau said on Friday that the federal government met the "very high" threshold needed to invoke the Emergencies Act last winter, citing "a failure in policing and federalism."
"Lawful protest descended into lawlessness, culminating in a national emergency," he wrote in his highly anticipated report, tabled Friday in the House of Commons.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poec-report-released-friday-1.6750919
Sat, 2023-02-18 18:57
#742
Apparently Rouleau comes from the same law firm as Jean Chrétien and PET. I suppose the Liberals wanted to ensure they received a favourable grade for evoking the Emergencies Act.
Wed, 2023-02-22 15:38
#743
Good editorial from the globe on Rouleau's report.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-the-failures-...
"We disagree, for instance, with his conclusion that the invocation was justified. Justice Rouleau is prepared to give the Liberal government the benefit of the doubt for not establishing that existing policing plans and powers were not up to the task of ending the protests. That generosity stretches too far, in our view.
Justice Rouleau does note that the factual basis for his conclusions “is not overwhelming” and that reasonable people could reach a different conclusion. And he points out that his opinion is not legally binding, and that it will be up to the courts to render a decisive verdict."
... There were “extreme elements” within the protest, he wrote, but “many and perhaps most” of the protesters were simply looking to protest lawfully. Yet, much of the media coverage simply lumped the protesters together with a handful that espoused loathsome and violent views.
So did the Prime Minister. As the protesters made their way to Ottawa, Mr. Trudeau called them a “small fringe minority of people” that held “unacceptable views.”
... Justice Rouleau is circumspect in his critique of Mr. Trudeau’s comments, inferring that he was not referring to all Freedom Convoy participants. That is an overly optimistic assessment, and one that ignores the political motivations at work for the Liberals as they sought first to delegitimize the protest by painting it as a nest of neo-Nazism, and then to tie it to the Conservatives.
But the justice does go on to point out what the Prime Minister and others should have been saying: that the majority of protesters were “exercising their fundamental democratic rights.”
Wed, 2023-02-22 17:13
#744
The Globe and Mail sure loves supporting the Conservatives! They want more tax cuts for corporations and the rich even if it means supporting the indefensible. The Globe and Mail should have instead heavily criticized Doug Ford’s PC government for being the primary cause of the far right wing inspired convoy crisis through the Ontario government’s completely inept handling of the crisis.
Tue, 2024-01-23 14:33
#745
A federal court judge has ruled that the invocation of the Emergencies Act in this matter was unreasonable, and infringed on protestors' rights.
Tue, 2024-01-23 15:43
#746
..good to hear. the feds should have never used the act.
Tue, 2024-01-23 23:03
#747
JohnInAlberta
Wow. First SNC-Lavalin and now this. Trudeau is positively Trumpian in his flagrant violations of the law.
He is solely responsible for Poilievre's victory in 2025.
Wed, 2024-01-24 15:30
#748
Very glad to see this. It's gotten some international coverage too:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/23/canada-trudeau-emergencies...
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68038172
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PvTxrBaly0
And then there's this article in the Toronto Star:
https://www.thestar.com/politics/emergencies-act-ruling-reopens-emotiona...
which describes the ruling as "re-opening an emotional debate", with a bizarre summary under the photo:
"A judge's declaration that the federal government was unjustified in using Canada's emergency legislation to quell a weeks-long protest in Ottawa has left the administrator of a downtown church feeling the court disregarded infringements of her rights."
Way to elevate the discussion, Toronto Star.
Wed, 2024-01-24 15:50
#749
The strange thing is that all the government had to do was to deal with this protest in the same way as they have the anti-pipeline protests. Get an injunction ordering the truckers to clear the streets, then start arresting them one at a time for contempt, and impound their vehicles at the same time. This most likely would have made the rest leave after only a few had been arrested and lost their trucks, but even if not it still would have cleared the streets within a few weeks. No need at all for special powers.
Wed, 2024-01-24 17:00
#750
Could this ruling possibly influence the outcome of the Tamara Lich / Chris Barber trial? Or possibly lead to their charges being dropped?
Wed, 2024-01-24 17:53
#751
Good question. I was once a lawyer for a few years, but that was long ago in a galaxy far away. I do know that the answer would depend on the particulars of the charges. For example, if the charges are for events that happened before the Emergencies Act was declared, it is hard to see how this ruling could have any effect.
On the other hand, if the events that are alleged to be criminal happened after the Emergencies Act declaration, there might or might not be an argument to be made for dismissal. A real lawyer with access to the details of the charges could give a much better answer. Perhaps such a person will publish an article on the subject.