Wind In Our Sails: On Repression & the #FreeCedar Explosion

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In this episode of the It’s Going Down podcast, we speak with two long-term anarchists from so-called Hamilton about the period of time from the Locke Street Riot to the recent events at Pride and the explosion of solidarity and action in the wake of targeted repression.

We begin the discussion talking about how anarchists in Hamilton within the aftermath of the Locke Street Riot were in a place of defending unpopular politics while also facing a wave of arrests and repression. Our guests describe that by continuing to have conversations and organizing projects in the wider community while also doubling down on defending their ideals, when the events of Pride happened, they were in a much more powerful position.

We then talk about how anarchists intervened and took action as anger grew in the streets following the arrest of several Pride defenders, along with Cedar, who was charged with violating parole simply for giving a speech after the events of Pride which “made the police feel unsafe.” We talk about people seizing on the moment, the failure of the State and the police at implementing strategies of repression and recuperation, and also the power of solidarity, having infrastructure, and the role of the media in terms of disinformation.

More Info: North Shore Counter-Info and The Tower