Stories on Montreal Counter-information

Radical History: The Computer Riot

Sun, 18 Nov 2018 18:49:15 +0000

Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info

This series is an attempt to acknowledge and reflect on the history of militant resistance throughout the territories of so-called Canada. While the events we’ll be exploring do not necessarily involve anarchists, we think they’re important – as cultural markers or reference points from which we can be exposed to ideas or tactics. As the old saying goes, we learn from the past to prepare in the present and defend the future.

The following text is on the Computer Riot, which took place in 1969 at Sir George Williams University (present day Concordia University). In an attempt to provide context for the story, we start with a (very) short history of anti-black racism in eastern Canada.

Throughout the first half of the 19th century, tens of thousands of black slaves escaped from American plantations and headed north in search of liberation. Many crossed into Canada, where slavery had been formally abolished in 1834. They settled throughout the eastern provinces – in Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia – forming small, tight-knit communities in urban centres.

Radical Bookshops in 1930s Montreal

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

From the Graphic History Collective Poster by Adèle Clapperton-Richard Introduction by Andrée Lévesque

The 1930s are remembered as a time of widespread hardship when the world was rocked by capitalism’s economic crisis. Montréal, with its large working-class population, was particularly hard hit by mass unemployment and a falling standard of living. The dismal conditions for working people prompted a renewal of activities by protest movements, largely led by the Communist Party of Canada. Labour strikes, unemployed demonstrations, and marches to protest against welfare cuts were just the most visible manifestations of popular unrest.

Stories of Struggle: Riots and Eagles - My World Opened

Wed, 04 Apr 2018 04:03:17 +0000

The story below is the first of the Stories of Struggle series from MTL Counter-info. This series will give voice to experiences of anarchist struggle in the territory dominated by the Canadian State. We believe that the practice of story-telling is important, as it gives life to our collective memory and allows us an opportunity to learn from past experiences.

While Riots and Eagles is a tale of riotous joy, celebration, and magic, we hope to also create space for accounts of small everyday victories and failures, as well as the depths of isolation and despair that mark anarchist struggles. We want to transmit stories that will be shared around a campfire. The moments that inspired us, that made us feel more alive than ever, that challenged us to our core. There are innumerable moments that shape our history. Let us carry them forward through our fractured generations.

No Gods! No Masters!