Reportback on Hamilton’s Abolitionist Pride
On August 26, the night before Hamilton’s official Pride event, a bunch of rowdy queers marched through the city’s North End in an autonomous, abolitionist march. Read More …
Tag: Queer
From Embers: Drag Defence in Quebec
By From Embers LISTEN HERE Talking with Louve Rose from P!nk Bloc Montreal about Quebec’s transphobic far right, drag defence, and building a revolutionary anti-capitalist queer organization for both community self-defence and to intervene against gay assimilationism. Links P!nk Bloc MTL – Instagram, Facebook, Linktree August 12 Rad Pride (Facebook Event) Montreal Antifasciste MAF reportback from April 12 drag defence From Embers – Anti-Fascism in Quebec Revolutionary Trans Politics and the Three Way Read More …
Ottawa: Reportback from February Drag Storytimes at NAC and Winter Pride
Anonymous Submission to North Shore Counter-Info DRAG STORYTIME AT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE On Wednesday, February 8th, 2023, community turned out in big numbers to protect drag storytime at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, ON. This was the first major action called by the Save Canada boys since Renfrew, but despite the event being in the middle of the day, drag defenders outnumbered the fash about 200 to 30. Read More …
Ottawa: Anti-Fascists Kettle Bigots
From Anti-fascism in Ottawa on Instagram Today Billboard Chris, the fascist youth organization “Save Canada”, Derek Sloan and a conglomerate of reactionary media personalities arrived to attempt to march up and down Broadview Avenue. They were confronted by a diverse coalition of antifascists. The antifascists today not only managed to break police lines but also kettled the fascists for 2+ hours, effectively denying them the space and ability to demonstrate. Read More …
Brockville: Drag Storytime Reportback
From Gay Mafia Protection Racket Like the world’s worst game of whack-a-mole, we were out again yesterday, December 17, in Brockville, Ontario to protect a drag story hour at their local library. And once again, we outnumbered them from the start, successfully keeping them out of the event and away from LGBTQ+ kids. Library staff were happy to see us when we arrived ahead of time and set up our Read More …
Renfrew Pride Defence Reportback
On November 25, around 30 people rallied outside a Catholic high school in Renfrew, Ontario, against trans girls using the women’s washroom. While officially, it was called by a Grade 11 student, it brought out a mix of their local and big-city far right. The poster for the event had the logos for Freedom Fighters Canada, Save Canada, and Ontario Party, a few of the many groups that have come from the anti-mandate movement. The organizer’s own social media also makes it clear that he’s familiar and integrated with the far-right ecosystem of the Ottawa occupation. Read More …
Hamilton Queer Community Defence Reportback
On November 24, people in Hamilton showed up to support a drag storytime event after word spread online that haters would be coming to protest it. Some of the apparent organizers of the event emerged from the ‘freedom convoy’ movement but lately seem to have been focusing on queer/trans-related issues, especially those concerning kids. Read More …
Hamilton Pride 2022 Report Back
Remember Hamilton Pride 2019? Expecting an attack by christian hate groups and far-right trolls, folks organized themselves to defend pride. … This year was the first Hamilton Pride festival since that summer, and the “official” Pride offerings couldn’t have been further from those roots. Pride was to be held indoors, in a convention center, under the heavy surveillance of Hamilton police. It was a slap in the face to those who fought so hard to defend our space in 2019, to keep each other safe while being visible, joyful, and true to ourselves in public. Read More …
Toronto IWW Statement on Trans Day of Visibility
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 …
Hamilton Pride Defender Update! Some charges withdrawn, others going to trial
Update from the Pride Defender Solidarity Committee and a solidarity statement from CUPE 3906
It has been nearly two years since Hamilton Pride was attacked by white supremacists, homophobes and fundamentalist Christians. Nearly two years have also passed since a group of determined people stood their ground and drove the attackers out of the park. In the aftermath of that bloody event, the Hamilton Police showed their true colours by dedicating their efforts to tracking down and identifying Pride Defenders, while letting all but one of the attackers off the hook (despite having clear video evidence at their disposal). Of the six Pride Defenders initially charged, three of those people are still facing charges today.
Two of those three people have recently accepted a peace bond that will see their charges effectively withdrawn. The peace bonds will come with one year of probationary conditions, which is essentially the same punishment doled out to Chris Vandeweide who was caught on film committing multiple brutal assaults both at Pride, and again the following weekend in Toronto. Read More …