Filed under: Canadian Tire Fire, Featured
This week we look at a student organizing in Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario, a labour action in Subdury, a housing justice rally in Toronto, and migrant rights actions across the country.
Settler colonial violence continues from one end of the country to another, while Indigenous nations and supporters resist. On the west coast, Gidimt’en checkpoint continues to receive near daily visits from RCMP. Just last week, cops cut chains to break through gates into the camp.
A date for hearing Foxgate’s open threat against our people and lands will be heard before another superior court judge on September 12th and 13th. Where once again they will try to manipulate this process to inflict more violence on our people. pic.twitter.com/PogYphCASx
— Skyler Williams (@landbackskyler) March 27, 2022
Meanwhile, a date has been set for an Ontario Superior Court hearing to determine whether developer Foxgate will be granted another injunction against 1492 Land Back Lane.
This week also marked the beginning of a 10-day pre-trial hearing for four animal rights activists charged with break and enter and mischief for filming animal cruelty at the Excelsior Hog Farm in Abbotsford, BC. On the first day of the hearing, supporters rallied at the court house, holding up images of pigs from the farm.
On day 1 of pre-trial, members of the community have rallied outside of the courthouse in support of @theexcelsior4 holding signs of images of pigs from #ExcelsiorHogFarm pic.twitter.com/5zat9kHE87
— The Excelsior 4 (@theexcelsior4) March 28, 2022
In Montreal, anarchists organized a small demonstration to the Russian consulate in solidarity with war resisters in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. Banners were hung on the gates of the consulate, and the building was egged. An account on twitter concludes: “Solidarity with people resisting war and occupation, not with states, not with any fascists, and not with NATO.”
Photos: A small group of Montreal anarchists gathered earlier today, and marched to the Russian consulate in solidarity with anti-fascists & the anti-war movement in #Ukraine, #Russia & #Belarus. #UkraineUnderAttaсk #AnarchistSolidarity #Antifa #cdnpoli #polmtl 1/ pic.twitter.com/VY669OAlK0
— No Borders Media (@NoBordersMedia) March 28, 2022
Finally, earlier this month, the Fairy Creek Blockade re-opened their calls for people to join them on the frontlines in the fight to defend old growth forest.
From Fairy Creek Blockade
Occupations and Student Strikes in Montreal, Toronto, and Alberta
After pausing for a few days due to a possible COVID outbreak, the student occupation at McGill University in Montreal has started up again.
Goodnight from Burnside Hall, where members taking part in #OccupyMcGill are currently holding the space + watching a movie! Earlier today, we held a discussion on occupying spaces + the movement which has begun across universities. Occupation 2.0 + 14 days of occupation total. pic.twitter.com/19dtqnAt5d
— Divest McGill (@DivestMcGill) March 25, 2022
But McGill wasn’t alone last week. For several days, an occupation of nearby anglophone Concordia University took place as well, though it is now over. A social media post from student group SEIZE Concordia explains some of the motivations for the action:
The Concordia hall building has been occupied! Among the demands of student organizers are for Concordia University to follow through on its promise to divest from fossil fuels, improve COVID-19 procedures for vulnerable students, citizenship and permanent residency status for international students who want it, and free tuition for all.
Last week also marked the 10 year anniversary of the massive March 22nd demonstration during the 2012 Quebec Student strikes. In Montreal, multiple events took place including daytime and nighttime demos, a walkout at McGill, and several day occupation at the Université du Québec à Montreal (UQAM).
Also at UQAM, the Association facultaire étudiante des sciences humaines de l’UQÀM (AFESH-UQÀM) held a week long strike demanding the remuneration of internships and an end to student precarity. Starting April 1st, another strike will begin, this one a Climate Strike.
In Ontario, students walked out on March 21st as part of a coordinated response to the provincial government’s gradual removal of public health measures, while COVID cases begin to tick up again. “We just want PCR testing, we want to be notified about the amount of cases that are in our schools for our own safety, and for our health to above our academics,” one grade 11 student told media. While we don’t think the path through the pandemic lies in government measures like mask mandates and vaccine passes, we think the students are correct in their assessment that the provincial government’s removal of the measures is driven by economic imperatives that put education over health. When the students grow frustrated with appeals to the provincial government, we hope they will take things into their own hands and organize with their peers to keep each other safe in schools.
🚨SCHOOL WALKOUT 🚨
March 21, 2022 @ 11amRemoving mask mandates after March Break made it clear student needs are not being prioritized – let’s show them that safety still matters!
SIGN UP YOUR SCHOOL HERE: https://t.co/yqIuhP8Kfq
1/3#onted #onpoli #COVID19 #cdnpoli— Ontario Students For COVID Safety (@trillium4safety) March 9, 2022
In Alberta, drama students at the University of Calgary were on strike on March 28th calling for a reversal of $700 million of post-secondary funding cuts and a tuition freeze. This strike is the first student strike in the history of Alberta.
🎭 DRAMA STRIKE! 🎭
Their demands include a reversal of the $700 million post-secondary cuts and a tuition freeze! This strike will be taking place on the Alberta Student Day of Action, and is the first of many to come! pic.twitter.com/8EsfNx2hmS
— Alberta Coalition for Affordable Tuition (@ABstudentaction) March 27, 2022
Sudbury Food Delivery Drivers Stage One-Day Strike
Almost 300 Skip The Dishes delivery drivers took collective action on Friday, March 18. The drivers stopped working to raise issues about fair compensation for their work. Workers said that Skip The Dishes has ignored them when they have raised issues about their rate of pay compared to the distances they are expected to travel for orders. They say that they are not paid enough to cover gas costs, especially with current prices. Other drivers have raised concerns about not receiving the money they are tipped through the app.
"…if our problem is not solved, then we will see, then you will see more strikes in future, too."
Incredible job action by 300 non-union workers in Sudbury! The grievances: compensation for fuel and the employer stealing tips#canlab #cdnpoli #onpolihttps://t.co/Z0vXfbdhYI— Rankandfile.ca (@rankandfileca) March 19, 2022
Skip the Dishes workers aren’t currently unionized – food delivery drivers are considered independent contractors, a designation that denies them many of the protections that other workers employed by large corporations benefit from. In 2020, delivery drivers with Foodora won a court case that would grant them the opportunity to unionize, shortly after which Foodora shut down their Canadian operation. Exploitation of workers appears to be a staple of the food delivery industry’s business model. However, Sudbury Skip the Dishes drivers have put the company on alert that they are willing to strike again as long as their mistreatment continues.
Stop Criminalizing Homelessness Rally in Toronto
This morning: The mayor of Toronto talks on the phone in his office above as activists below demand that by-laws (608-13 & 608-14) which prohibit sleeping in city parks be repealed. #TOpoli #HousingCrisis @TOR_C_H pic.twitter.com/sjVqWpYTQn
— Martin Reis (@BikeLaneDiary) March 24, 2022
Housing justice organizers in Toronto staged erected tents and rallied outside of city hall to demand an end to encampment bans on public property. Like many other cities, Toronto bylaws prevent people from “lodging” and erecting tents and other structures in public parks. The same day as the rally, Toronto City Councillors were meeting to discuss closing temporary shelters that had opened in the city as part of pandemic response.
@springmagca report back from the @OCAPtoronto action this morning in front of City Hall: Stop criminalizing encampments! https://t.co/sYZVAf0VtX
With invaluable insight from @sam_riots @Gruesomebrat— Krisna Saravanamuttu (@KrisnaS85) March 24, 2022
Last summer, the City spent over $2 million evicting residents from City parks. With firsthand knowledge of the violence and force that the City is willing to use to enforce park bylaws, and an expectation that park encampments will only grow with shelter closures, activists are pushing hard for policy change.
A coalition of worker, housing, and anti-poverty campaigners rallied outside Nova Scotia's legislature in Halifax to demand politicians put anti-poverty issues on the agenda! pic.twitter.com/MnX2kXQoWP
— Spring Magazine (@springmagca) March 24, 2022
Status for All Actions Across Canada
Migrants across the country and the Caribbean took action to #UniteAgainstRacism and demand #StatusForAll on #IDERDhttps://t.co/2tkKzcCU5l
— Migrant Rights Network #StatusforAll (@MigrantRightsCA) March 21, 2022
On March 21st, the international day for the elimination of racism, people across the country rallied for Status for All. Their campaign calls for all migrants, refugees, students, workers, and undocumented people to be given full and permanent immigration status. Migrant-led marches, rallies, and actions at politician’s offices took place in over 20 cities in Canada, including Ottawa, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Leamington, Sault-Ste-Marie,Quebec, Ottawa, Guelph, Edmonton, Calgary, St. John’s, Burnaby and Toronto. Actions in Canada were also coordinated with actions in other countries, including Jamaica, Trinidad, St. Vincent, and the Cayman Islands.
Powerful rally led by migrants 💪🏿💪🏾💪 demanding full immigration status for ALL – and so much solidarity!
🔥 What better message to send to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination?
➡️ There's no #Justice4Workers without #StatusforALL! #IDERD2022 pic.twitter.com/IboJ3ZXHnd— Justice for Workers! (@fairwagesnow) March 21, 2022
Without full immigration status, migrant workers, undocumented people and others with precarious immigration status lack the protections and services afforded to many others living in so-called Canada. Workers are forced into precarious jobs where they have few labour rights, and can face deportation for leaving an abusive employer. As the COVID-19 pandemic persists, those without status face great risks when accessing government services like health care. In a country built on stolen land, it is unacceptable for the state to regulate who is worthy of full “status.” However, even in the absence of any change in state policy, this day of action demonstrated the strength of solidarity between migrants and all those willing to gather and demand an end to racist immigration policies.
Migrant workers made history today in #Niagara! First ever anti-racist march in Virgil and it was led by migrant farmworkers ✊🏾 We marched to #UniteAgainstRacism and call for equal rights for all community members – that means full & permanent immigration #StatusForAll! pic.twitter.com/h2KxVrtJhB
— Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (@MWACCanada) March 21, 2022
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