Montréal Counter-information

Anonymous submission to BC Counter-info

Following the approval of the PRGT in June, dozens of track circuits throughout BC have been shorted, disconnected, or otherwise tampered with.

The vast majority of track circuits operate on direct current (DC) and are relatively easy to induce a fail state. The quickest and most discreet method has proven to be the simple snipping of the cable bonding track blocks, requiring little more than a good pair of cutters. Alternatively, a 4 AWG copper wire (commonly found connecting residential main service panels) can be securely fastened to the rail head. And, of course, there is always the option of disabling the power supply. This may include damaging the grounding, which is more time-consuming but notably harder to detect and locate.

Technical details and diagrams of track circuits, and specifically how to compromise them, are readily available in engineering textbooks at your local library, past communiqués, and even neatly presented in certain PDFs hosted on the Government of Canada’s website.

Not much more needs to be said. However, recall that one of the discursive characteristics of the Canadian state is its spatiality, which is also, perhaps, its most exploitable vulnerability. Reflect on past moments in struggle and assertions of sovereignty and recall how strategically positioned rail blockades effectively stretched and divided state forces, offering land defenders at key rupture points critical time to reorient and regroup. That said, disrupting the logistics of extractivism is often most effective when undertaken unilaterally.

Look no further for evidence of the effectiveness of such actions against a wholly undefended infrastructure than in the words of one counterinsurgency state operative:

“If ever there was a military showdown between Indigenous people and the Canadian army, the first target would be the railway lines and burning cars would be on every railway line in Canada … would almost be impossible to stop despite all the Canadian military and police alerted to the potential. A burning car on a railway track is not simply a blockade, it is also a very efficient and economical weapon. A car with a full fuel tank would burn at a temperature high enough to warp the track and require extensive repairs.”

Until paths cross in the night, on the frontlines of the only good war: the war against PRGT, against Empire, and against all forces that seek to estrange and domesticate.

From the Collectif Emma Goldman

« … the state, the bourgeoisie and even the working class have been constituted in part through the destruction of First Nations, the dispossession of their territories, the extortion of their resources and settler colonialism– Francis Dupuis-Déri et Benjamin Pillet, 2019. L’anarcho-indigénisme. Lux Éditeur, Montréal. p.35

Over the past few weeks, blockades of forestry roads have been carried out in Haute-Mauricie and in the north of Lac-Saint-Jean by the MAMO Alliance (First Nation). These actions, conducted to contest Bill 97 on forestry regime reform, have interrupted or disrupted forestry operations.

Uniting First Nations for Sovereignty and Territory Protection

It was on April 11, 2025 that an assembly was held in La Tuque to found the MAMO Alliance. This alliance, whose name means « Together » in the Atikamekw (Nehiromowin) and Innu (Innu-aimun) languages, aims to bring together First Nations in exercising their sovereignty. It was initiated by the land guardians of Nehirowisiw (Atikamekw), Nitassinan (Innuat) and Ndakina (Abénakis).

Opposition to Bill 97 and Sovereignty

The land guardians express their disagreement with Bill 97, which modifies Quebec’s forestry regime. They believe this law endangers forest caribou and forest sustainability, thus compromising the traditional Indigenous way of life during the climate crisis.

Numerous blockades and demonstrations of sovereignty have generated tensions between Indigenous protesters and (non-Indigenous) forestry workers, also fueling hateful comments on social media. In response to this situation, the Quebec government has promised to negotiate with First Nations to find consensus and consider amendments to the bill.

Traditional Indigenous groups (like the MAMO alliance), who rely on ancestral rights and traditions, maintain that true authority over forestland belongs to families and land guardians. They consider that current band councils, established by the Canadian government’s Indian Act system, do not reflect traditional sovereignty and are perceived as accomplices of the colonial system. These groups believe that band councils cannot negotiate on behalf of all members of the nations.

The Petapan Treaty and Forest Management

This tension between band councils and traditionalists is not new; it also appears in other negotiations, such as the Petapan Treaty. Under negotiation for more than forty years, this draft treaty involves the Petapan Group, which brings together the First Nations of Essipit, Mashteuiatsh and Nutashkuan, as well as Canada and Quebec, and aims to recognize, confirm and protect Innu rights. However, traditionalists oppose this treaty, claiming that the traditional governance of hereditary chiefs and territory guardians is being set aside in favor of band councils.

Conclusion

There will be no reconciliation without reparation. The Canadian and Quebec states were established on the appropriation of Indigenous peoples’ lands and resources. To achieve true reconciliation, it is essential to support and engage in decolonial and environmental struggles. It is crucial to become true allies in this battle to protect the living world. That is to say, to avoid in our relationships between non-Indigenous and Indigenous people within decolonization movements: « the invisibilization of Indigenous people or the appropriation of their voice, the use of token Indigenous people, the imposition of tactical and strategic choices or a general attitude of guilt relief to give oneself a good conscience » (L’anarcho-indigénisme, p.10)

Footnote:

(1) Unlike other regions of Canada where historic treaties were signed, vast expanses of territory, notably in British Columbia and Quebec, have never been subject to land cession treaties.