Anti-Colonialism

Racist John A. Macdonald Monument vandalized with paint

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Jun 172020

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

Montreal, June 15, 2020 — Last night — in a post-Victoria Day / pre-Canada Day action — the Macdonald Monument at Place du Canada was sprayed in purple paint by local anti-colonial vandals.

-> Photos of the vandalized statue are available here: https://postimg.cc/gallery/XY4WtR4

The anti-colonial statue vandals practiced physical distancing, wore masks, and washed their hands before and after the action.

According to Seamus Grewal, one of the statue vandals: “The Macdonald Monument is the Canadian equivalent of a racist, Confederate statue in the United States; it stands as a symbol of colonialism and the subjugation of Indigenous peoples. The Macdonald Monument celebrates an individual whose policies are directly responsible for the genocide of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and the celebration of white supremacy.”

Grewal adds: “The Macdonald Monument must be taken down immediately and put into a museum with proper historical context about racism and colonialism, and not remain celebrated in a major Montreal public space.”

Last night’s attack on the Macdonald Monument (1895) is, at least, the 15th paint attack on the statue in the past three years. This most recent action occurs as colonial and racist statues are being targeted for vandalism and removal worldwide. Racist and colonial statues have been toppled, beheaded, and otherwise attacked in the past two weeks all over the United States and beyond. Beyond the inspiring direct actions, even elected officials are pro-actively ordering the removal of racist statues.

Meanwhile, in Montreal, Mayor Valerie Plante publicly refused to remove the racist Macdonald statue in her response to a recent petition with more than 15,000 signatures demanding removal.

In response to Mayor Plante, Siobhan Dosanjh, another statue vandal,replies: “Relative to other public officials across North America, Mayor Plante is consistently indecisive in the face of racism and colonialism. She is a fake anti-racist, who continually delays or uses empty words when faced with demands for meaningful, structural change in response to racism.” Dosanjh adds: “From refusing to pro-actively defund the police, to her weak responses to Islamophobia, to her recent comments refusing to support the removal of a statue that is offensive both to Indigenous peoples as well as non-white Montrealers, Mayor Plante never misses an opportunity to miss an opportunity to meaningfully confront racism.”

Mayor Plante did propose the idea of a plaque to contextualize the Macdonald Monument. The #MacdonaldMustFall group in Montreal suggests the following wording: “John A. Macdonald was a white supremacist. He directly contributed to the genocide of Indigenous peoples with the creation of the brutal residential schools system, as well as other measures meant to destroy native cultures and traditions. He was racist and hostile towards non-white minority groups in Canada, openly promoting the preservation of a so-called “Aryan” Canada. He passed laws to exclude people of Chinese origin. He was responsible for the hanging of Métis martyr Louis Riel.”

Seamus Grewal of #MacdonaldMustFall states: “Nothing is stopping Mayor Plante and the City of Montreal from erecting a contextual plaque,something they could have done years ago. But mentioning a plaque now just serves as a distraction from the inspiring anti-racist momentum targeting symbols of racism and colonialism for removal. In the meantime, the paint we sprayed today should not be removed, because if it is, the statue will almost certainly be attacked again.”

P.S. Respect to the other anti-colonial vandals who recently spray painted “RCMP kill native women and men” on the Macdonald Monument.

Source: #MacdonaldMustFall Montreal

Contact: MacdonaldMustFall@riseup.net

Call for International Solidarity: Storm Their Fragile Bastions of Power

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Jun 032020

From Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement

Revolutionary greetings from the insurrection sweeping throughout the occupied territories of the so-called United States of America. We are asking comrades across the world for immediate and unrelenting acts of solidarity against the United States.

In the past few days, we have accumulated experiences that amount to decades of learning. In doing exactly what we previously thought was impossible, we have exposed this country for what it truly is: nothing more than a fragile paper tiger. Tearing at its massive technological police state, the black people of America have demonstrated that they will from hereon refuse to ever be intimidated by a power structure upheld by white terror and violence.

In its desperation, the State is now propagating the falsehood that this rebellion is being led by white outside agitators. We’ve all heard these lies before, most prominently in their history books, where they trot out fictional narratives about how Lincoln freed the slaves. This is nothing other than a more recent installment of an old paternalistic trick by the white supremacist establishment to deny black people the intelligence, the spirit, and the autonomous will to direct their own rebellion and free themselves. As the history of this miserable nation repeats itself once again, what has become clearly evident is that black people have been and will continue to be the only revolutionary force that is capable of toppling the oppressive status quo.

Everywhere the pigs have lost their will to fight. Their eyes, which only yesterday were windows to empty hatred and contempt, now display stultifying self-doubt and cowardice. For once, their behavior portrays their weakness as every step they take back is marked by hesitation.

Whether on the domestic or international front, we can see the Man’s backs up against the wall and so it is the time to be at our most tenacious. We cannot give him an inch to squirm wherever he has put pilfering uncalloused hands. This means that we are calling for all revolutionaries around the world to swarm with antagonistic actions and flood the streets with public demonstations.

Together, if we keep pushing, this land of chattel slavery, indigenous genocide, and foreign imperial aggression can finally be wiped out so that it will only be remembered as one of the more ugly chapters in human history. In turn, each step ushers in the freedom and the solidarity that crowds out the space of our once silent and unheard screams.

All power to the black insurgency!

Storm their vulnerable bastions of power!

Revolution now and always!

Hamilton: Rail Sabotage in Solidarity with Wet’suwet’en struggle

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May 212020

Anonymous submission to North Shore Counter-Info

Using the jumper-cable and wires method described elsewhere the track signalling system on a CN mainline in Hamilton was sabotaged last week. This was done in continuing solidarity with Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs and land protectors. Work on TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink pipeline continues without the consent of the chiefs and despite the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the chiefs with BC and Kanada. the colonial governments and capitalist industry do not indicate that they will respect the sovereignty of the Wet’suwet’en.

This action was done to support and amplify this struggle and to encourage others to expand solidarity actions beyond letter writing and phone ins. Especially with KKR investment firm’s final investment decision in CGL later this month it is important to continue pressure. The RCMP and CGL mancamps aren’t respecting social distancing but we can still social distance and shut shit down!

From Embers : Reflections from Kanonhstaton

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Mar 132020

From From Embers

Talking with a non-native anarchist who spent time at Kanonhstaton in 2006, a land reclamation led by members of Six Nations blocking the development of a private subdivision on their territory.

We discuss his experience at Six, dynamics on the ground before and after the police raid, and the possibilities and complexities of anarchist-indigenous solidarity with the current wave of Wet’suwet’en solidarity in mind.

With music from Tru Rez Crew and Lee Reed.

Ontario: Three Railway Sabotage Actions in Solidarity with Land Defenders

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Mar 082020

Anonymous submission to North Shore Counter-Info

It seems worth sharing that we have managed to shut down, (if only for a few to several hours), different rail lines in Southern Ontario using the ol’ copper wire technique. We did this three separate times targeting a junction in Milton, on lines that connect Kitchener-Waterloo to Toronto and Burlington. Using paper maps to follow where lines go, we had fun finding places to act with most impact. We learned more about how this was done following some of the other informative and inspiring posts here on North Shore.

These have been quick, successful, and gleeful ways to contribute to the efforts behind Shut Down Canada. Clandestine sabotages are meaningful tactics to popularize and normalize for many reasons:

-repression easily takes an upper hand in public protest

-it takes very little time out of one’s life to sabotage a line with copper wire, (once at a site, maybe 15 minutes or a bit more if the connection is not ideal at first)

-you can do this alone or with just one trusted person. This fact alone makes risk really very low

-social media posts and populating a google map of actions are not the end goal of settler solidarity The goal is to align with land defenders in actions that are strategic and that send fear into the hearts of the immensely powerful industries they are up against

-it is good for our hearts to strike back in these ways

towards the many beautiful possibilities!

Solidarity Action with Wet’suwet’en Land Defenders Blocked Access to Port of Montreal

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Mar 082020

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

A group of around 100 protesters blocked the Viau entrance of the Port of Montreal Saturday afternoon for about 30 minutes. The group arrived at the port at around 2:15pm today and erected a barricade and several banners in front of the port entrance, blocking incoming and outgoing traffic. The group then held a demo through the streets of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve.

This action took place in solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en who are fighting against the continued occupation of their unceded territories by Coastal GasLink (“CGL”) and the RCMP. This action comes on the heels of multiple rail blockades which have taken place in so-called Montreal in recent weeks.

We are here to show our solidarity with Indigenous people all over “Canada” who have been blocking ports, government offices, roads, and railways to create economic disruption and force an end to the occupation of Wet’suwet’en land.

On March 2nd, the Gidimt’en checkpoint published a video calling for continued solidarity actions, asking allies everywhere to keep the pressure on and clarifying that no agreement had been reached regarding the CGL pipeline.

We are here in support of the Wet’suwet’en and inspired by the firekeepers who kept a rail blockade going for more than three weeks in Kahnawake. While this blockade was dismantled voluntarily on March 5th, the firekeepers have moved their fire and acknowledged that they are ready to take more action as is necessary, given that CGL and the RCMP are still in the territory.

This is a crucial time for all of us to act. We are here to send a clear message out west that people all over Canada have their eyes on Wet’suwet’en, and that we know that the tentative agreement reached between the government and the hereditary chiefs last week doesn’t include the removal of CGL from their territory, which is a principle demand of theirs. Places like Tyendinaga, Kahnawake, and Listuguj have been holding it down for so long. We understand this is also a time to gather energies and prepare for the struggles to come. To settlers living in Tiotià:ke and elsewhere, this is a moment where our solidarity is needed more than ever.

CP Rail’s Secret Injunction – and what it tells us

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Mar 062020

Anonymous submission to North Shore Counter-Info

Sometime on Friday March 6^th, 2020 in a secret courtroom on University Ave in Toronto, CP Rail will make a motion to have their interim injunction be extended to an interlocutory one. Didn’t know CP had an injunction just like CN Rail’s? Neither did anyone but CP Rail & Justice Myers – until they decided to serve recent Hamilton arrestees at their homes after 9pm last night.

We spent too much time thumbing through several hundred pages of documents today, and grace you with the highlights here.

The Superior Court of Justice (Ontario) heard the motion for an interim injunction on February 25^th before Justice Myers. It was granted, and then varied on the 26^th. There’s a hearing on March 6^th to extend the injunction. That said, evidence sheets were captures and printed in early February, so they’ve been preparing for awhile.

The injunction itself has an enforcement order, directing police to enforce it immediately. Upon arrest, one would sign a condition stating they’ll abide by the injunction and released, or be brought before the court to be proceeded against for contempt of court.

The injunction not only includes an order to stay 50 feet away from the outside rails of the tracks, and to not trespass, obstruct or block, but also “directly or indirectly intimidating any of CPR’s employees, contractors, agents…”. It also includes interfering with deliveries and contractors to a site, as well as “aiding, abetting, counseling, procuring or encouraging in any fashion any person or entity to commit or attempt to commit the actions mentioned”.

Very thought-crime esque.

But also nearly an exact replica of the CN injunction overall.

Things get slightly more interesting when it comes to the section that includes the evidence needed to file for the injunction – namely to prove or affirm that blockades will irreparably harm their business.

Most of it is still boring, but here are the clif notes:

William Law, who is the district inspector in charge of Ontario and Quebec within the CP Rail police confirmed that red flags and flares on tracks indicate operators must stop immediately. Crews observing them are not permitted to pass beyond them.

General Impacts of Blockades

Rails lines run high value, time sensitive shipments
CPR operates a schedule based railway. Ever wake up a few minutes late and it ruins the flow to your entire day? That’s what blockades do to rail lines.
There is “often no way around a blockade on the main line”
- Train delays will cause backlog on tracks and in some yards, while causing car shortages in other years which compounds disruption.
- Additionally, once the blockade lets up train crews can’t just continue on – the trains must be re-crewed because of service hour limits
In their words, blockades cause “significant economic damage”
24 trains pass on the CP mainliner per day in the Toronto area. Half of them are intermodal (long distance consumer products) and half are mixed manifest.

“The Hamilton Blockade” (their words, not ours)

The Hamilton blockade, while only lasting two days, interrupted rail traffic between Buffalo-Toronto, Chicago-Buffalo-Montreal, Montreal-Chicago, and London-Buffalo.
Tarps strung across the rails successfully blocked the view of officers and photographers from afar
Hamilton Police had a meeting on February 25^th at 9am with the Public Order Unit to discuss and decide a course of action to end the protest. The POU takes approximately 3 hours to convene.
Based on the heavy and increasing police presence, leaving at 5pm on the second day of the blockade saved a lot of people from arrest.

That’s it. We did say only slightly more interesting.

Now mask up, get out there, and get away with it.

Alberta: Reportback on Pipeline Sabotage Behind Enemy Lines

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Mar 062020

Anonymous submission to North Shore Counter-Info

before the sun rose in the early early morning of 02/20/2020 we took direct action against pipeline infrastructure in Acheson AB
outraged by the Reactionary Colonial Mounted Pigs invasion of sovereign Wet’suwet’en territory and in solidarity with the Secwepemc we decommissioned a section of pipe that the klanadian state (financers of this project) had left sitting in the open air with little defense
solidarity means attack

“smile for the camera, boys” shouted the security guard after us
even though the camera could not capture it we were smiling beneath our masks
“joy is arming itself”

we hope to discourage a lot of the fear that currently surrounds resistance
it has now been weeks after a direct attack on a large corporation with no sign of police repression
there are many others living in this colony ready and willing to act
neither the pigs nor reactionary gangs can stop sabotage
do not wait for permission
strike hard while your enemy is unprepared
find your friends and act with joy!
Kenney said we are in a state of anarchy, prove him right!
there are online field guides teaching sabotage

Act spontaneously, but do your homework
we broke our drill bit while eating through the steel pipe these companies publish comprehensive engineering reports which can be found on their own websites
study these and use proper materials
it is worth noting the existence of perimeter-monitoring technology
there was a thick black cable lining the top of the fenced perimeter around the material storage site
it is also possible for these sensor cables to be under topsoil
this perimeter sensor may have tipped off the guard or maybe he found us by the noise we made or by chance but the response was immediate and impotent

This action was done in support of all land defenders
Mohawks who consistently assert their autonomy
Zapatistas and other indigenists in southern Mexico
democratic forces of Rojava
pirates of Somalia
countless tribes of the Amazon
Mapuche in Chile
Standing Rock Sioux Nation
Quechua, Guarani, Aymara of Bolivia
Anishinaabe of Minnesota
feminists in Mexico
redneck coal miners in the Appalachian mountains
rebels of Haiti
farmers of la Z(A)D
to the many nations that inhabit the beaver hills meeting grounds

Many have put effort into reconciling with klanada
consistent colonialism has given only disrespect in return, reconciliation is now dead
to #shutdowncanada colonial land claims must be disputed everywhere alongside the current struggles in so-called BC
the entirety of klanada is illegitimate and there should be insurrection everywhere

Another world is possible!

– your friends in amiskwaciywaskahikan

Allies Against the Colonial State

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Mar 042020

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

Chambord, route 155, CN bridge
Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Tardigrades Cell

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

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Mar 032020

Anonymous submission to North Shore Counter-Info

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.

With resistance comes backlash, repression is a standard tactic used by the state when it is threatened. The history of social movements and liberation struggles is scattered with countless examples of this. Arrests and police harassment are used not only to target specific individuals, but more critically, to instill fear in people more broadly and in doing so, quell action. It is important that we do not let this happen. The best response to state repression is working to make it as unsuccessful a strategy as possible. This is not the time to let intimidation hinder action, rather this is a time to push ourselves and those around us to be brave and continue to act. Some people may choose to continue taking the same actions they have been doing, and others may choose to shift and try different things in response to changing contexts. In any case, the key is continuing to struggle and not allowing the flame of rebellion to be extinguished.

Related to the topic of action, we wanted to say a few things about risk. While risk is an ever-present reality, it is nowhere near a universal thing and different people face very different levels of risk. Tens of thousands of people have participated in actions across the country, and in proportion only a small handful of people have been arrested. There is strength in numbers, and the scope of this struggle has created a context in which it would be difficult (and likely very unpopular from a public opinion standpoint) for there to be large-scale arrests. In the case of Hamilton, only very particular people have been arrested. The people who have been arrested are by and large ‘the usual suspects’ to police in the city. These are people who are highly visible in their antagonistic politics and activities, are already known to (and regularly surveilled and harassed by) Hamilton Police, are currently facing other criminal charges and have conditions and/or just recently concluded other court matters. All of this is to say, if you are someone who participated in the blockade and are worried, the arrests of these people is not an indication at this time that police will be conducting sweeping arrests across the city. That said, this is a good moment to reflect on practices and think about how to reduce risks.

When taking part in these type of activities, we highly encourage folks to consider masking up. Covering your face and concealing your identity to the greatest extent possible does a lot to both decrease your own personal risk and help in keeping others around you safer. The more people who are masked, the harder it is to identify people in crowds. This is not only a matter of state repression. In addition to police taking photos and videos of the action, there were a variety of far-right individuals (and this is not uncommon) who also showed up and attempted to get photos of people involved. Being doxed online is as big of threat as being arrested, and it sucks in its own right. So cover up, you’ll thank yourself later!

Lastly, if others are targeted and do get arrested – know that we have your back. Do not talk to the police under any circumstances, ask to call a lawyer, and wait. You will not face repression alone and will be supported throughout the process. For better or worse we’ve got a fair bit of experience with this stuff, and are good at dealing with. We are a resilient bunch and will help you through any difficult times. Repression isn’t fun, but it is totally survivable and something that in the long run can actually make you stronger, rather than weaker.

See you at the next blockade ;)

Helpful Resources

On masking up and concealing your identity:

https://crimethinc.com/2008/10/11/fashion-tips-for-the-brave

On security culture:

https://north-shore.info/2019/11/05/confidence-courage-connection-trust-a-proposal-for-security-culture/

On lots of things:

https://the-tower.ca/

The Tower (your friendly neighbourhood anarchist social centre) regularly hosts free public events and workshops that cover topics such dealing with arrest, navigating the legal system, and other relevant topics. If you are contacted by the police, and/or want tips on how to prepare for all things repression related you can contact The Tower at thetower@riseup.net and folks involved in that project can provide support.

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