Tag: indigenous solidarity

Hamilton Update: News About Arrests and Tips for Staying Safe at the Blockades to Come

Posted on

Several arrests in Hamilton have been made in relation to the recent blockade action that saw rail lines shut down in response to the OPP raid in Tyendinaga early this week. Police took people from their homes and workplaces, for a total of 4 arrests at this time. These people are currently all still in police custody and will be appearing in court for bail in the next couple days. While unfortunate and enraging, none of this is surprising. Over the course of the last month, wave after wave of blockades and other actions have swept across the country causing incalculable economic damage and throwing Canada and its treatment of indigenous communities into the global spotlight. It was only a matter of time until the state responded with force and began to target those involved. This week appears to have been a tipping point in this regard, with police increasingly making arrests in different cities.  Read More …

Updates from Hamilton Rail Blockade

Posted on

It’s a new day, and we started it by burning the injunction delivered by CN rail!

If you wanted to join us last night but couldn’t, today is the day to get down here. We know the spot we’re in has made it tricky, but folks showing up all through the night prove it’s still possible!

And so you know; we’re shutting down an effective junction that handles all rail traffic in and out of Hamiton. For each day we shut it down, it takes them twice that or more to recover! Read More …

Solidarity Blockade Underway in Hamilton

Posted on

As of 5pm today (February 24th) we have set-up a rail blockade in Hamilton, ON., in response to the OPP raid on Tyendinaga this morning. Our intention is to stay here indefinitely and we are calling on others to join us (See map below). Come for a couple hours or stay for the night, and bring your friends! If you plan on coming out, dress warmly, bring blankets and sleeping bags, and snacks are always welcome. If you can’t make it out, please help spread the word and share this with your networks.

The site is a bit tricky to get to, but not impossible. It can be accessed from either the West or East side of the tracks, and there is parking scattered around relatively close on both sides. Read More …

Report on Shutdown of Canada’s Second-Largest Rail Yard

Posted on

On Saturday February 15 about 400 people showed up in Vaughn, ON to blockade the tracks in and out of MacMillan Yard – Canada’s second-largest rail yard – for 7 hours. This action was just one amongst a wave of solidarity actions in response to Canada’s invasion and violence towards the Wet’suwet’en people on behalf of private industry.

Around 10am 50 trusted folks converged in a parking lot nearby. As the first wave of people to blockade the tracks, they made a phone call to CN rail and had crews 1.5kms east and west to put red flagging on the tracks. Red flags are a univeral indicator for rail crews to stop. After calls and flags were confirmed, folks cut through fencing and threw down large woodens boards so people could easily cross deep ditches filled with icy water and made their way past a (previously) stored train onto the rails. This first wave of people effectively shut down traffic on CN lines headed west out of Macmillan to Kitchener, London, Hamilton, New York and Michigan. Read More …

We Will Respond

Posted on

Anonymous submission to North Shore We Will Respond #shutdowncanada The OPP have told folks at Tyendinaga they will enforce the injunction, just not when. When they do, people in Hamilton will respond within 12 hours. We are asking people to be ready to respond with us. When you hear about an OPP raid on Tyendinaga, we encourage you to check https://north-shore.info/ for where to join us. Wear warm, layered clothing, Read More …

CN Rail Lines Blocked on South Shore of “Montreal” – Public Call for Reinforcement!

Posted on

A CN rail crossing in Saint-Lambert, Quebec is currently being blocked. The track connects Montreal to Eastern Canada as well as to the United States. We are acting in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en who are fighting against Coastal Gas Link’s proposed energy corridor through their territory and whose land was invaded by the RCMP in January. Read More …

We won’t stop: Toronto solidarity rail action

Posted on

Moved by the momentum of rail blockades and actions across the country, we set out last night to stop some trains. Toronto has seen a couple of well-attended and inspiring one-day blockades over the past week. Sustaining the numbers and energy for these kinds of blockades can be hard, and we want to experiment with ways to keep pressure on the rail system without expending that energy constantly. Luckily, there are many ways to disrupt the rails – see previous callouts! Read More …

Kingston: Report from #ShutDownCanada Action

Posted on

In response to the ongoing raid on Wet’suwet’en territory, more than 100 people gathered yesterday in a downtown park. After a couple of speeches the crowd piled onto two packed schoolbuses and a few extra cars and headed to the train tracks. The original plan was to shut down the rails, but Mohawks at Tyendinaga have held the line closed since Thursday despite being served an injunction from CN Rail. As the action got nearer, we decided to proceed whether or not the lines were still closed, to show our solidarity with everyone shutting down critical infrastructure across Canada. Read More …

Hamilton: Sabotage to CN Line

Posted on

As the Wet’suwet’en, the Mohawks of Tyendinaga, and Coast Salish people all burned injunctions handed down by colonial courts today, we thought to act in solidarity with  them.

Overnight, we burned a small road crossing signal box on the CN line. It’s default is to activate the road crossings if tripped, so no people were in danger.

We chose rail because it has a long history aiding in the colonization and confederation of Turtle Island and the displacement and death of Indigenous people with deep economic impacts. It is impossible to defend, even in the busy city – so tonight proves.

Fuck the state. Fuck the colonial courts. It’s time to stand up and shut shit down. Read More …

Solidarity Rail Sabotage in Guelph

Posted on

onight we sabotaged CN Rail at 3 different locations in Guelph, Ontario.

As settlers, we took this action in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en people who are currently facing violent attacks by the RCMP and are holding down the front line to protect the health of their territory. CN rail is a culprit in supporting this colonial and destructive project as partners in transporting the infrastructure that will build this pipeline and the man camps, which create an increase in violence against indigenous women on the territory. Read More …