In different parts of the colonized territories, there’s been tearing down, demolishing or destruction of statues of slavers, rapists, colonizers and genociders. Why let go of these symbols? What do they represent? And what values keeps them standing? [The video has English subtitles.]
Delhi-Dublin Anti-Colonial Solidarity Brigade declares: End the monarchy in Canada; end monarchies everywhere! March 17, 2021, Montreal – The Delhi-Dublin Anti-Colonial Solidarity Brigade re-united in Montreal last night on an anti-colonial Saint-Patrick’s Day. They defied curfew to again vandalize the landmark bronze statue to Queen Victoria – unveiled in 1900 and located on Sherbrooke Street at McGill University – this time in red paint. According to Pádraig Patel of the Delhi-Dublin Anti-Colonial Solidarity Brigade: “There is a renewed focus on the brutal legacy of the British monarchy, which is a clear symbol of racism and colonialism. Forget about celebrity distractions, let’s focus on getting rid of monarchs as one important action linked to our movements for social justice.” ...
— Nore (@noreornot) August 29, 2020 Anonymous submission to MTL Counter-info Demonstrators took down the statue of John A. Macdonald today in downtown Montreal, at the end of the demonstration to defund the police. Macdonald was Canada’s first prime minister. He is responsible for the creation of the residential school system, the adoption of laws aiming to exclude people of Chinese origin, and the hanging of Métis martyr Louis Riel. A symbol of the colonialism and racism that persist in this country, the Macdonald statue had already been vandalized with paint many times. Further details will follow.
Montreal, July 2, 2020 – As part of #CancelCanadaDay actions throughout the Canadian state, the #MacdonaldMustFall group in Montreal has once again vandalized the Macdonald Monument in Montreal, this time in yellow paint. According to Roy G. Biv of #MacdonaldMustFall in Montreal: “This statue should either remain vandalized with paint, and we can declare a truce, or better yet, it should be taken down. Taking down a statue celebrating a racist person does not erase history, it is part of the ongoing struggle to resist racism and to properly contextualize our collective past.” ...
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.” ...
-> Photos: https://postimg.cc/gallery/odqgsg22/ January 16, 2020, Tiohtiá:ke/Montreal – Earlier this morning, a small group of anti-colonial artists attacked the Macdonald Monument in Montreal with blue paint, marking at least the 12th time in the past three years that the statue has been attacked in such a fashion, with clear anti-racist, anti-colonial motivations. We undertook our action in solidarity with frontline Indigenous Land Defenders, who continue to oppose and resist the construction of pipelines on their traditional lands. We are thinking specifically of the Wet’suwet’en and Secwepemc, among others, who for years have maintained on-the-ground opposition to the construction of the Coastal GasLink (CGL) and Trans Mountain projects on their respective territories. They are not involved, directly or indirectly, in our action, but we vandalize the John A. Macdonald statue as a simple message of anti-colonial support from across Turtle Island. We encourage others to do the same. ...
Halloween, October 31, 2019, Montreal – The living dead attacked the John A. Macdonald Monument with orange paint last night, during an action being claimed by anti-colonial zombies. The zombies rose up from the Old Saint-Antoine Cemetery (1799-1855) that is located underneath what is now called Dorchester Square and Place du Canada, where the Macdonald Monument is located and was unveiled in 1895. The anti-colonial zombies issued the following media statement for the living, shared anonymously with some autonomous media outlets in Montreal: ...
A few anti-colonial anarchists in Montreal decided to “vote” a few days before Canada’s federal election, using paint. Once again, for what is perhaps the 10th time in three years, the John A. Macdonald Monument was attacked, this time with blue paint. The Queen Victoria statue on Sherbrooke Street West was also targeted. -> Photos: https://postimg.cc/gallery/285o60j9e/ According to Jagandrew Trumaychet of the #MacdonaldMustFall group in Montreal: “We decided this time to use blue paint, to show our opposition to Conservative blue Andrew Scheer’s offensive idea that more should be done to honour John A. Macdonald.” (background: https://globalnews.ca/news/6001074/andrew-scheer-political-correctness/ ) ...
For at least the 8th time in less than two years, the racist and colonial John A. Macdonald Monument (1895) in Montreal has been vandalized by anti-colonial artists. Between the two nationalist holidays in Quebec - St-Jean Baptiste Day on June 24 and Canada Day on July 1 - the #MacdonaldMustFall group in Montreal once again targeted the controversial statue, this time with blue paint, for an anti-colonial message. ...
As the Victoria Day weekend begins, the Macdonald Monument and the Queen Victoria Statue at McGill have once again been vandalized. Montreal May Anarchists (MMA) sprayed the Macdonald Monument in anti-colonial green, and the Queen Victoria statue in anti-imperialist red. In the words of the #MacdonaldMustFall group: “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. Macdonald’s statue belongs in a museum, not as a monument taking up public space in Montreal”. ...
Montreal, March 24, 2019 – A landmark bronze statue to Queen Victoria, unveiled in 1900 and located on Sherbrooke Street at McGill University, was vandalized last night, in advance of the upcoming Demonstration Against Racism and Xenophobia. Queen Victoria statues in Montreal were targeted at least three times last year: this past Christmas Eve by Santa’s Rebel Elves, on Victoria Day by the Henri Paul Anti-Monarchy Brigade, and on St. Patrick’s Day (2018) by the Delhi-Dublin Anti-Colonial Solidarity Brigade itself. ...
MONTREAL, March 17, 2019, 5am – At dawn today, on the International Day Against Racism, the racist and colonial John A. Macdonald Monument (1895) was again vandalized with paint. This time, the #MacdonaldMustFall group in Montreal claims responsibility. Our action is undertaken in solidarity and support with worldwide actions and mobilizations against racism and fascism, including #UniteAgainstRacism demonstrations across Canada, coordinated by the Migrant Rights Network . ...