Tag: blockade defense

Blockade DefenseCharges dropped for all 15 Lennoxville QC Defendants! (en/fr)

Posted on

We are a group of people who, back in february 2020, held an all-day railroad blockade in so-called Lennoxville, Quebec, on stolen Abenaki land, in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en land defenders and against the ongoing violence of colonialism. We have recently learned that the criminal accusations that had been laid against us have finally been withdrawn and that our case has been closed.

On the one hand, it brings us joy to avoid the stress and hassle of a criminal trial, and even moreso considering how the Sherbrooke police shamelessly lied to us and broke their own protocols in order to arrest us on that sunny winter day.

Le français suit l’anglais Read More …

Blockade Defense: Call to organize letter-writing nights!

Posted on

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 …

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

Posted on

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six people were charged for this action, but we are pleased to announce that charges against two of them were withdrawn in the past couple of months.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 …

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

Posted on

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

Posted on

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 …

Wet’suwet’en territory: #ShutDownCanada Anti-Repression Posters Up

Posted on

A few shots taken a week or two after an experimental exercise in the quaint little picturesque mountain town of Smithers (glad to see most of the posters stayed up!). This little hamlet/colony happens to be located in one of two yintah’s (territories) of the Cas Yikh (Grizzly Bear) – part of the Gidumten Clan of the Wetsuweten – the other Cas Yikh yintah is where the Gidumt’en Checkpoint kicked of the “shutdowncanada” movement with two years of winter blockades.

Read More …

Gidimt’en Territory: Solidarity is inclusive: We are one

Posted on

It has been almost one year since the call went out for peoples across so called canada for solidarity; to respect Wet’suwet’en laws and jurisdiction to our lands and to fight together against colonization, industrial genocide, and to stop CGL and RCMP from invading our yintah.

As we asserted full control over access to our yintah and brought industry to a halt, many others rose up with us. From large demonstrations to rail blockades to clandestine sabotages against the infrastructures of colonization, many nations, groups and people fought alongside us. These actions gave us strength in the face of the looming buildup of militarized police. Read More …

After a Winter of Blockades: Updates on criminal charges from #ShutDownCanada (en/fr)

Posted on

It’s been almost a year since the wave of blockades in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land defenders known as Shut Down Canada. Since then, there has been no shortage of urgent issues, and public attention has moved on. However, for both those on the front lines and those still facing charges,  moving on has not been an option.

—–

Presque un an est passé depuis la vague de blocages en solidarité avec les défenseurs de la terre wet’suwet’en. Par la suite, de nombreuses questions urgentes ont fait que l’attention du public est passé à autre chose. Toutefois, pour celleux en première ligne aussi bien que pour celleux avec des accusations en justice, il n’y a aucune possibilité de passer à autre chose.

Includes posters in English and French — Il y a des posters en anglais et en français Read More …