Toronto: Anti-PEGIDA after-action report

From the Toronto IWW General Defence Committee Local 28 On Saturday May 4th, 2019, PEGIDA Canada (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West) – the anti-Muslim, anti-immigration, white nationalists, along with their collaborators – assembled for a rally and a march outside Staples’s University and Armoury location just steps away from City Hall with alarming numbers yet again. The fact they did this on Star Wars day out of Read More …

Toronto: Fuck Ford: Solidarity with the vandalism at Queen’s Park

On the night of April 30th, the night before May Day, International Workers Day, some brave person heavily tagged Queen’s Park with spraypaint. “Fuck Ford” was written at multiple points and “Murderer” was painted across the statue of John A MacDonald. These acts didn’t get a lot of coverage, so I thought I’d post them here to express full solidarity with them and also with the person who was arrested and charged with carrying them out.Actions like these remind us that opposition to Ford’s cuts can’t be merely rhetorical – to everyone who took part in one of the “general strike” actions on May Day, let’s keep finding ways to push things further and go beyond the limitations democracy and its police place on our opposition. Because regardless of whose in power, this system will always protect the walls of power over the needs of human beings, and values obedience more than health, education, and dignity. Read More …

Toronto: Antifascist Mobilization Shuts Down Far-Right Anti-Muslim Groups

On March 23, 2019 PEGIDA, members of a far-right anti-Islam organization descended on downtown Toronto to hold one of their monthly anti-Muslim rallies. They were joined by far-right extremists from the Northern Guard, Wolves of Odin and Yellow Vests Canada, a grassroots wing of the Conservative Party of Canada.This rally took place in the aftermath of the horrifying al-Noor mosque and Linwood Islamic Center massacres in Christchurch, New Zealand. 50 worshipers died in those attacks. Hundreds of community members, anti-racists, anti-fascists and allies turned out, shut PEGIDA down and sent them packing, making it clear once and for all that there is no room for hatred in Toronto. Read More …

Toronto: Memorial March for Dave Vasey

Last Friday, we honoured a great person and activist, and a dear friend, who had a presence at and behind the scenes of so many actions for justice around Tkaronto. He also played a key role in founding MISN and supporting us over the past decade.We celebrated him in a way that he would have us: with art, ceremony, music, words from our hearts, followed by a candlelit march with a marching band, fireworks, and a route covered with posters commemorating him and his words. Finally we gathered together to share a meal and performances celebrating his life. Hundreds of people came out to honour this wonderful person and activist, who brought so many into the movement and inspired us with his actions. Read More …

Rest In Power, Dave Vasey

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our friend, comrade, and local 28 Fellow Defender Dave Vasey.

An outspoken advocate for environmental justice, anti-fascist organizing, and decolonization, Dave dedicated his life to fighting against state and corporate powerhouses that he saw as a threat to the working class, and to the world as a whole. In spite of the fact that he was years older than your average frontline activist he was always the first to lead the charge, to organize a fight back, and to deliver a rousing speech that would put fire into the belly of even the most apprehensive revolutionary.

A true fighter to the end, he spent his last days on the frontlines of some of the largest anti-fascist actions Toronto has seen in decades, and was heavily engaged in the soaring eagles camp, as well as solidarity actions in support of the Unist’ot’en camp.

He is survived by his cat Tom who has been adopted by two local 28 members, and his memory will echo in all of our future actions.

“Love is the movement.” Read More …

Parkdale: 1340 King Tenants Organize Against Eviction

From Parkdale Organize Today tenants at 1340 King along with members of Parkdale Organize delivered a letter to landlord Evan Johnsen at his Parkdale home. Johnsen is trying to evict 1340 King tenant Stanislav, a masonry worker who has lived in the building for twenty years. In summer 2018 Stanislav transferred to a new unit in the building. At that time Johnsen had Stanislav sign a sublease agreement with a Read More …

Toronto: Report from Far-Right “Yellow Vest” Rally

Ants showed up yesterday to provide some sabotage to an alleged ‘yellow vest’ rally at Nathan Philips square. We dropped a banner over the proto-fascist trash that read “IMMIGRANTS AND REFUGEES WELCOME, RACISTS NOT”.

For two weekends running, racist scum have rallied in Toronto under the guise of ‘yellow vests’ with two main talking points: climate denial and xenophobia. It’s apparent that the movement in France is contested territory between the far right, and our international comrades. However, here on Turtle Island, the ‘yellow vests’ are primarily the same xenophobic groups like Northern Guard, Soldiers of Odin, III%ers, CCC, and the rest of the garbage who have been propagating hate on our streets. Read More …