Drop the Charges! Free Cedar! Day of Action Report Back

Overview of outpouring of solidarity seen on June 28th for the call of solidarity with Cedar and others facing repression. To see the full roundup and photos, check out North Shore Counter-Info.

On Friday, June 28th, We called for a Day of Autonomous Action to drop all the charges against pride defenders and to free Cedar immediately. This Day of Action comes on the heels of repeated harassment of queers by the police, city Councillors, mayor Fred Eisenberger and the far-right since the fall out of the Hamilton Pride festival.

June 28th was also the 50th anniversary of The Stonewall riot in NYC which catalyzed the modern Queer and Trans Liberation movements and what we’ve come to know as Pride. Getting back to our roots, this Day of Action wasn’t a music festival, there was no banks invited, no personalities, no celebrities, no boards, no cops, no CEO’s. Our Day of Action was one of people coming together and rejecting piecemeal offerings of tolerance and demanding liberation. This is our Stonewall. This is our Bathhouse Riot.

There was over 47 actions around the world responded to our call, with graffiti, postering, stickers, marches, rallies, demonstrations, phone zaps, messages of solidarity and fundraisers. It has brought us to tears time and again seeing the love people have to give, and encourages our call to drop the charges and free Cedar.

We’ve collected together all the actions that were shared with us below. Please keep posted as things develop because this is far from over.

Participating Cities: Hamilton (x8), Thunder Bay, Peterborough(x3), Orillia, Barrie, London, Toronto(x4), Kitchener(x2), Kingston, Rural Ontario, Montreal(x3), Calgary, Edmonton(x2), Gidimt’en, Hazelton, Halifax, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago(x2), Detroit, Richmond, St. Louis, Rural Vermont, Berlin, Manchester, Helsinki, Rural Scotland, and Barcelona.

See full roundup with photos here.