Blockade Defense: Call to organize letter-writing nights!

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Remember during Shut Down Canada, when so many of were together disrupting Canada’s rail network, attending marches ten thousand strong, seeing communiques of pipeline and critical infrastructure sabotage and supporting the Wet’suwet’en frontline? That was a powerful upswell in a long-term movement and we need to continue the fight, including supporting people dealing with charges.

It has been an isolating year for so many people because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Facing repression for political action is also often a very isolating experience. From the … and …short explain

We want to remind the people facing charges that they are not alone and the movement still has their back. We are inviting you to host letter writing events. Read More …

Settlers on the Red Road: A Conversation on Indigeneity, Belonging, and Responsibility

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This zine is not going to be comfortable for some people to read. It is likely to personally challenge a few of you out there who may yourself be dipping a toe in the pond of indigeneity, trying it out to see how it feels. This zine is not going to beat around the bush, because the bush has been thoroughly beaten around.

This is the start of a larger discussion on indigeneity, belonging, and responsibility in our anarchist community. But there is something here for everyone, even if you don’t call yourself an anarchist. At the time of it’s writing, it is already long overdue. In the past two years in southern Ontario, there have been multiple incidents of settlers claiming indigeneity within our intersecting anarchist circles, incidents which caused great harm to relationship and undermined solidarity with Indigenous communities. In Quebec, the rise of the “Eastern Métis” threatens to bleed over into radical spaces. In this era of state-sponsored reconciliation, the line between settlers and Indians is being purposefully blurred by Canada in an attempt to gently complete the assimilation initiated long ago and, try as anarchists might to keep ourselves separate, the dominant culture has a way of creeping in. Read More …

Toronto IWW Statement on Trans Day of Visibility

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Trans Day of Visibility celebrates the trans community and brings awareness to the trans struggle against discrimination faced daily under class society. The IWW wants to strengthen and embolden our trans, non-binary and genderqueer comrades by bringing visibility to their struggle. We stand in solidarity with the trans community; the working class struggle is the trans struggle, no one can be free when others are oppressed.

The capitalist state, police and military will always be a force of oppression against marginalized groups and the entire working class. We stand in solidarity with our trans comrades, a united working class defeats capitalist oppression. An injury to one is an injury to all! Read More …

Call for Solidarity! Contact the Hamilton Crown’s Office on March 25th to ask for Blockade Charges to be Dropped!

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Le français suit l’anglais

Out of the charges laid for the 2020 Shut Down Canada blockades, some of the most serious are the ones against defendants in Hamilton. These charges stem from a 24 hours shutdown of the CN and CP tracks through the city on February 24th to 25th, which was a direct response to the OPP’s attack on Tyendinaga territory that morning and in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en.

Initially, six people were charged for this action, but we are pleased to announce that charges against two of them were withdrawn in the past couple of months. Each remaining defendant is charged with four counts of indictable Mischief over $5000, each of which carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison. Read More …

Hamilton: Negotiations underway inside the Barton Jail

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It’s been a big week. The short version is the admin at Barton promised movement on a crucial demand by striking prisoners, the ability to order books from outside. However, they have not yet followed through. Negotiations are ongoing, but public attention is needed to remind the admin that stalling or dishonesty is an unacceptable way of dealing with the legitimate demands of Barton Jail prisoners. Here’s the longer version: Read More …

Statement from (former!) Toronto Defendants on the ongoing #ShutDownCanada Repression

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Over a year has passed since the initial wave of #ShutDownCanada actions. This wave included protests, blockades, occupations, and disruptions held in support of Wet’suwet’en land defenders, actions which garnered a broad amount of coverage and public support. 

We the undersigned were amongst the dozen or so arrested on February 26, 2020, at a #ShutDownCanada blockade staged in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en and the arrestees at the Tyendinaga Mohawk territory. Months later, our charges were withdrawn without us having to offer any concessions to the state, which we believe is a tacit acknowledgement that those charges were groundless to begin with. We were amongst 150 others arrested at different actions during this period. Read More …

Blockade Defense: Website launched to support #ShutDownCanada defendants

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New website project compiling information and solidarity initiatives related to the ongoing charges from the Shut Down Canada blockades from winter 2020.

https://dropthecharges.ca

There are currently at least sixty people still facing serious criminal charges from the 2019 and 2020 raids on Wet’suwet’en territory and the solidarity movement known as Shut Down Canada. Dealing with criminal charges is often an isolating and scary experience, especially when the legal system intentionally tries to make people feel alone and powerless. We think a support campaign is the best way we can fight back against these forces and show the state that we will not allow our friends and comrades to be criminalized. If we can support one another now, then we can support one another in all the struggles to come. Read More …

Hamilton: There is Always Resistance — Prison Demo Reportback & Solidarity with Koufodinas

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Prisoners always find ways to resist, even during the outbreak. The prison’s power over them is arbitrary and nearly total — they are not given even basic information about the covid status of people on the range, let alone throughout the prison, and there is no consultation about how to deal with the situation. And yet, this past week, we heard that one range initiated a collective meal refusal while another collectively refused to be tested yet again for covid. Prisoners continue to use the few minutes they have out of their cells to call us and let us know what’s going on.

There is always resistance, but it is stronger when prisoners know they are not alone. With outside solidarity, we can change the balance of power between the institution and those it cages by amplifying their acts of refusal and responding with action. Read More …

Hamilton: Rally and hunger strike as conditions worsen at Barton Jail during outbreak

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Since the covid 19 outbreak was declared at Barton jail, things have gotten drastically worse, and the information being released by the administration doesn’t tell half the story.

We are therefore calling for a public demonstration outside the jail this Saturday, March 6, at 1pm on the east side of the jail off Ferguson St.

While the jail is now officially reporting 58 cases, prisoners we’ve spoken to believe this number is way too low. One person reported that there are around 50 cases on his floor alone. Read More …

The Toronto IWW GMB Stands in Support with the Hamilton Pride Defenders

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During the 2019 Pride Festival in Hamilton, Ontario, a group consisting of white supremacists, homophobes and Christian fundamentalists crashed the festival spewing hate and intolerance, even resorting to violence against Pride goers. However these attackers were met with resistance from the LGBTQ community and its allies. Following the attack, the Hamilton Police Department proceeded to prosecute the very people who defended the LGBTQ community. Read More …