Indigenous Peoples Lead Largest Climate Change Rally in Los Angeles History!

Idle No More!

“Stephen Harper has awoken a sleeping giant”

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Idle No More – Montreal, Friday at Noon

****An English version will follow****

FRANÇAIS:

17/12/2012 – Mouvement historique – Les autochtones se réunissent sous la bannière Idle No More pour dénoncer les politiques du gouvernement Harper – Joignez-vous à eux le 21 décembre à Montréal.

Suivant l’impulsion d’un mouvement spontané, lancé par le mot-clic #IdleNoMore sur Twitter, des manifestants se sont rassemblés à travers le Canada le 10 décembre dernier pour protester contre l’adoption du projet de loi omnibus C-45 et contre l’indifférence du gouvernement du Canada à l’égard des Premières Nations. Le slogan, véritable appel à la mobilisation autochtone, a depuis fait boule de neige et motivé des dizaines de manifestations allant de Vancouver à Halifax, et maintenant Montréal.

Afin de faire écho à la grande manifestation prévue le 21 décembre à Ottawa, des membres des Premières Nations du Québec et leurs sympathisants se réuniront pacifiquement à Montréal ce vendredi. Ils témoigneront par le fait même de leur appui à la chef d’Attawapiskat Theresa Spence qui a débuté une grève de la faim le 11 décembre dernier, afin de réclamer une rencontre avec le Premier Ministre Harper et la Reine. Au cours de la dernière semaine, l’Assemblée des Premières Nations du Québec et du Labrador (APNQL) et l’Assemblée des Premières Nations du Canada (AFN) ont donné leur appui officiel à Theresa Spence et réclamé que le Premier Ministre accepte de la rencontrer.

La manifestation du 21 décembre se veut un premier effort de mobilisation au Québec et les membres du mouvement entendent poursuivre leurs actions jusqu’à l’établissement d’un réel dialogue de nation à nation entre le gouvernement du Canada et les Premières Nations. Ils invitent également toutes les organisations sympathiques à leur cause à le manifester publiquement et à se joindre à eux le 21 décembre.

Contacts
Mélissa Mollen Dupuis, Widia Larivière,
Amanda Tap’we IronStar, Marie-Celine Charron idlenomoreqc@gmail.com

Pour plus d’informations sur le mouvement Idle No More:
Le site web officiel: http://www.idlenomore.ca/

La page Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IdleNoMoreCommunity?ref=ts&fref=ts
Les comptes Twitter canadien et québécois: @IdleNoMore / @IdleNoMoreQC
Groupe Facebook Idle No More – Québec: http://www.facebook.com/groups/466954116690346/
Un site web regroupant les faits saillants du mouvement: http://peuplesvisibles.tumblr.com/

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ENGLISH:

Historic movement – Indigenous people unite under the Idle No More banner to denounce Harper government policies – Join them on December 21 in Montréal.

17/12/2012 – Under the impulse of a spontaneous movement launched with the #IdleNoMore hashtag on Twitter, protesters joined across Canada on this past December 10 to protest against the adoption of omnibus bill C-45 and the Canadian government’s indifference regarding First Nations. Truly appealing to indigenous people to rally, the slogan has since gathered momentum and motivated dozens of protests from Vancouver to Halifax, and now in Montréal. To echo the big demonstration planned in Ottawa on December 21, members of Québec’s First Nations and those who support them will meet peacefully in Montréal on Friday. They will express their support to Chief of Attawapiskat, Theresa Spence, who has undertaken a hunger strike since December 11, demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Harper and the Queen. This last week, the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL) and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) have officially given their support to Theresa Spence and demanded that the Prime Minister accept to meet her. The demonstration on 21 December is meant as a first mobilization drive in Québec. The movement’s members intend on continuing their efforts until a true nation-to-nation dialogue is established between the government of Canada and the First Nations. They also invite all organizations who are sympathetic to their cause to express it publicly and to join Friday’s demonstration.

Idle No More Demonstration in Montréal
21 December at noon Cabot Square (Atwater / Sainte-Catherine)

Contact
Mélissa Mollen Dupuis, Widia Larivière
Amanda Tap’we IronStar, Marie-Celine Charron
idlenomoreqc@gmail.com

For more information on the Idle No More movement:
The official website: http://www.idlenomore.ca/

The Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/IdleNoMoreCommunity?ref=ts&fref=ts
The Canadian and Québec Twitter accounts: @IdleNoMore4 / @IdleNoMoreQC
The Idle No More – Québec Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/466954116690346/
A website documenting the movement’s main events: http://peuplesvisibles.tumblr.com/

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Day of Action on Friday

Vendredi. Montréal. 3 bloquages de rue consecutives. Mile-End à midi.
St-Henri 15h30. Center-Sud 17h30. À diffuser largement.

Mile-End
http://www.facebook.com/events/408559369180806/
St-Henri
http://www.facebook.com/events/482661268413843/
Centre-Sud
http://www.facebook.com/events/263542447090391/

From the Saint Henri page.

Vendredi 10 août, 15h30
Rendez-vous en face du métro Place-Saint-Henri (de l’autre côté de la rue)
À l’angle des rues St-Ferdinand et St-Jacques
(Nous nous déplacerons ensuite ensemble vers l’endroit où aura lieu la fête de rue)

Plusieurs assemblées populaires de quartier montréalaises se sont coordonnées afin d’organiser une journée d’action le 10 août s’inscrivant dans la perspective de plus en plus populaire d’une grève sociale contre l’austérité capitaliste et la répression gouvernementale ainsi qu’en solidarité avec la grève étudiante historique. À St-Henri, nous investirons une portion de rue et l’utiliserons comme un espace temporairement libéré pour y faire exister une fête avec de la nourriture gratuite, des ateliers d’éducation populaire ainsi que de la musique, des arts et autres contributions de membres de notre communauté. Nous prévoyons tenir des discussions autour de divers enjeux touchant la population de Saint-Henri, notamment la gentrification, l’échangeur Turcot, la grève étudiante et l’historique des luttes sociales dans le quartier.

Vendredi le 10 août est le dernier jour de semaine avant le retour du piquetage devant les cégeps (dès le lundi 13 août). Par l’organisation d’actions dans nos quartiers en cette journée, nous désirons signifier aux étudiantEs qu’elles/ils ont des nouvelles/nouveaux alliéEs dans cette lutte et qu’ils/elles ne doivent pas abdiquer. Nous considérons cette journée d’action comme faisant partie d’une grève sociale plus large, s’inscrivant aux côtés du mouvement étudiant. Si les grèves consistent en l’abandon temporaire des systèmes de pouvoir et des institutions, notre but pour le 10 août est de soustraire nos quartiers à la normalité d’un quotidien rythmé par le travail. C’est un objectif modeste. Nous l’envisageons comme une première étape dans un plus grand effort impliquant les syndicats, l’organisation autonome des travailleurs/travailleuses, les prisonniers/prisonnières, les organisations communautaires, les étudiantEs, les communautés autochtones et touTEs ceux et celles qui veulent s’organiser pour faire exister un monde meilleur.

Pour plus d’information, visitez le https://apaqsh.wordpress.com/
contactez apaqsh@riseup.net

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August 10: Saint-Henri Street Party!
Whose streets? Our Streets!

Friday, August 10th at 3:30pm
Meet across the street from Metro Place-Saint-Henri
At the corner of Saint-Ferdinand and Saint-Jacques
(after gathering at the metro we will move together to the final location of the street party)

Neighbour assemblies across Montreal have coordinated a day of action on August 10th as part of the growing social strike movement against capitalist austerity and government repression, and in solidarity with the historic struggle of the student strike. In Saint-Henri, we plan to take over a main street, and use this temporarily liberated space to hold a street party with free food and free education, as well as music, arts, and other creative contributions from members of our community. We plan to have discussions of a variety of issues affecting people in Saint-Henri, such as gentrification, the Turcot Interchange, the student strike, and the history of social struggle in the neighbourhood.

Friday, August 10th is the last weekday before the return to pickets at CEGEPs on Monday, August 13th. By organizing neighbourhood actions on this day, we want to send a message to the students that they have new allies in this struggle, and that they should not give up hope. We see this day of action as part of a larger social strike movement, alongside the students. If strikes are the collective withdrawal of our participation in powerful systems and institutions, then our goal for August 10th is to temporarily withdraw parts of our neighbourhoods from their normal day-to-day of business as usual. This is a modest goal, and we hope that it can be a first step as part of a much larger effort involving unions, autonomously organized workers, prisoners, community organizations, students, indigenous communities, and everyone else who organizes for a better world.

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Sunday Protest In Montreal

It was hot as hell and I really have to admire the spirit of the people who came to march in this heat. This is the real Montreal, having a party even under what many would consider to be serious circumstances. This Revolution likes to have fun!

People gathering at Berri Square.

 

 

 

 

Drummers are always good in my book.

Obligatory mask shot.

 

Some speeches were made.

 

It’s all because of people like this guy, maybe we should thank him?

 

 

There was some riot squad cops at the ready but they weren’t needed.

 

More drummers.

Democracy.

 

And the march begins.

 

 

The support from all  Montrealers is awesome.

 

Very compressed shot. My guess is that it would be at least a  15 minute walk to the front to the march.

 

Where is this all leading? Very hard to say right now. But a lot of people in Quebec are quietly organizing for an election where the message will be to vote for anyone but Jean Charest. And if the Ontario students go on strike for the  fall semester as they have indicated, this could go national in no time at all. People are ready, they don’t all just know it yet.

Mark August 22 in your calendars.

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Meanwhile, In Spain…

One Million Across Spain Protest Austerity Measures

Spanish police have clashed with protesters marching against the latest batch of austerity measures. Over a million public employees, trade union members and fed-up citizens have taken to the streets in over 80 Spanish cities.

Violence erupted in Madrid around midnight after dozens of protesters reached the city’s Puerta del Sol square and clashed with riot police. Security forces used batons, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse the crowd as it tried to enter the congress building located on the square. Some of the protesters lobbed bottles at officers.

In some urban areas, activists set trash cans on fire and tried to block police vehicle access with barricades of plastic bins and cardboard boxes. No injuries or arrests have been reported.

Demonstrators carried flags and banners decorated with scissors, symbolizing the country’s harsh spending cuts. The streets of Madrid were paralyzed by the boundless crowds of people bellowing “Hands up, this is a robbery!” An estimated 100,000 people participated in the demonstrations in the capital.

In Barcelona, similar scenes were reported. About a dozen protesters were arrested outside the local parliament building.

Eight firemen stripped naked in the northern town of Mieres near Oviedo. “With so many cuts we have been left naked,” declared a banner on the wall above them.

The demonstrations were organized by unions who have been outraged by the government’s new measures. One such measure is an end to Christmas bonuses for civil servants, which amounts to a 3.5 to 7 per cent reduction in annual pay.

“There’s nothing we can do but take to the street. We have lost between 10 and 15 per cent of our pay in the past four years,” demonstrator Sara Alvera, 51, a worker in the justice sector, told AFP.

“We are two and a half million votes. I hope they are thinking about that,” said Jose Luis Martinez, 52, who works at the interior ministry, told Reuters.

“We have to make some noise, because they’re making fun of us and of all working people,” said Iria, 34, an auditor in the treasury.

Story here.

(REUTERS / Sergio Perez)

(REUTERS / Eloy Alonso)

“With so many cuts we have been left naked.”

(REUTERS / Sergio Perez)

(REUTERS / Sergio Perez)

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10 Videos On Quebec Student Strike.

You can watch the remaining 7 videos over at Montreal Teachers 4 Change. org

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Casseroles in Verdun – June 16, 2012

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Casseroles in Verdun – June 13, 2012

Missed a few days  but went back last night. Turning into a kind of tam tam in front of the church.

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Casserole in Verdun – June 9, 2012

Stubborn little group keeping the flame burning.  Interesting to see protesters not jaywalk, though of course there was a cop right there:).

 

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Casserole in Verdun – June 8, 2012

About 15 last night. Still a lot of encouragement from passing cars, fire trucks and pedestrians.

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Casserole in Verdun – June 7, 2012

More people tonight, maybe 30 all together. Different ideas coming in to the mix.

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Woman Stands Her Ground In Montreal

There are those who call the student protesters lazy and spoiled.  Marching for over 100 days and standing your ground in front of the riot squad takes more energy, commitment, and courage than an army of  frustrated middle aged conformists. I am proud to know people like this young woman live in my city!

PHOTO: LA PRESSE CANADIENNE

Full story here.

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Casserole in Verdun – June 6, 2012

Just a small group tonight. Also hear it is thinning out around the city, just lousy weather or are people getting tired? Meeting the group coming down from The Monument (Verdun Metro) was very energizing.

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Casserole in Verdun – June 5, 2012

Had to miss it Monday, but Tuesday under threat of rain and cool weather left only these two hearty souls and myself to bang our pans for 30 minutes.

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Casserole in Verdun – June 3, 2012

Cold again. But the die hards were there. Ended up with about 20 people walking along Wellington. Small groups are fun in their own way. When will it get warm again?

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