rabble news

Lawsuits pile up as Kinder Morgan opponents prepare next pipeline battleground in the courts

Michael Stewart — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 18:28:35 +0000

Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Whales, corruption and contempt for Indigenous rights are just some of the court cases that activists hope will halt the controversial Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion project.

While the provincial and federal governments may have announced their support for Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline, opponents are continuing to strengthen their fight against the project in court.

Black and trans voices frustrated by lack of inclusion in Vancouver Women's March

Michael Stewart — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 17:52:01 +0000

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Organizers of Vancouver's Women's March on Washington express remorse at lack of communication, while omission sparks wider conversation of inclusive organizing.

Controversy over the lack of Black and trans voices at the Vancouver Women's March on Washington has opened up a conversation about how to move forward with inclusive feminist organizing.

Organized by a group of five core volunteers, the Vancouver event labelled itself an inclusive march for all groups. The B.C. Government Employees Union estimates that as many as 15,000 people attended. However, on the night before the march, Black Lives Matter-Vancouver released a statement saying it had not received an invitation to participate and the chapter would not attend.

Revolutionary program empowers girls with media literacy and activism skills

taniaehret — Tue, 20 Dec 2016 13:55:48 +0000

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

#HerDigitalVisions is an afterschool program that works with self-identified girls, building media literacy skills in order to better establish power in an online world.

In this social media age where the youth demographic is expected to be proficient in all media platforms and propel this technological evolution at an unprecedented rate, it truly matters who continues to take up space and whose voices are at the table.

If young people, particularly marginalized and underrepresented voices, "don't have the skills to use online, they don't have a voice in society," said Megan Ryland, program coordinator of #HerDigitalVisions, a project of B.C.-based organization Access to Media Education Society (AMES).

'Entwined' a call to action for the rights of the disabled

rabble staff — Sun, 04 Dec 2016 21:16:00 +0000

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Judith Scott, whose art now hangs in the Museum of Modern Art, was institutionalized for 35 years. A new book tells her story.

A magnificent talent was almost destroyed by social prejudice masked as "care." Artist Judith Scott, whose art now hangs in the Museum of Modern Art, was locked away in an institution for 35 years.

Her twin sister, Joyce Scott, tells the true story of her journey to help free her sister in her new book, Entwined. Judith was born in 1943 with an intellectual disability. Her story is a profound lesson in moral courage. It shows the power of one compassionate individual to act. It demonstrates how each of us can work to shift society in a positive, caring direction.

Survivors Totem Pole marks resilience in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside

Michael Stewart — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 19:49:37 +0000

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

A gorgeous, moving photo essay documents the landmark raising of a monument to the Indigenous women lost and murdered in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside -- and their incredible resilience.

Grey skies did not deter the hundreds of people who marched together through Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) to celebrate the installment of the Survivors Totem Pole at Pigeon Park, Saturday, November 5.

Carved out of a 1000-year-old 27-foot cedar tree by community members of the DTES, the Survivors Totem Pole is a symbol of community survival, resistance, persistence, and inclusion.

Make Muskrat Right activists celebrate cautious victory

rabble staff — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 16:14:07 +0000

Friday, October 28, 2016

Action over Muskrat Falls gained momentum following occupation of the project's work site. Premier Dwight Ball met with Aboriginal leaders on Tuesday, which ended with an agreement on the project.

Last Saturday afternoon, 60 people cut the lock to the gates of the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project work site, TheIndependent.ca reported. The independent news site's editor, Justin Brake, closely documented protest activity at the site over the past week.

Third hunger strike this year highlights despair of Canada's detained migrants

Michael Stewart — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 16:33:13 +0000

Monday, October 24, 2016

Minister Ralph Goodale has shown no sign of turning his promised reforms into action -- leading detainees to the third hunger strike this year and second in less than four months.

On October 17, 17 immigration detainees at Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ontario began refusing food, just two months after nearly 60 immigration detainees in two Ontario facilities ended a 19-day hunger strike protesting the indefinite detention of migrants.

The hunger strike is the third of its kind this year, and detainees' demands remain unchanged: an end to indefinite detention of migrants with a 90-day limit on detentions as an interim measure.

Harvesting freedom and sowing resistance: Migrant workers in Canada demand permanent immigration status

rabble staff — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 12:35:26 +0000

Thursday, October 13, 2016

A historic caravan of migrant agricultural workers undertook a 1,500-kilometre journey to Ottawa to rally for permanent immigration status.

A historic caravan of migrant agricultural workers completed a 1,500 kilometre journey to Ottawa to deliver a clear and pointed message to members of Parliament -- "We want permanent immigration status now!"

The caravan launched on Sept. 3 in Leamington, Ontario (Canada's tomato capital) has made stops to cities and towns across southern Ontario. Workers have been sharing not only their demands, but personal stories of exploitation and injustice under Canada's Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP), a federal program now in its 50th year.

On Sunday morning in Toronto, community members and supporters welcomed the caravan with a rally at the Ontario Food Terminal, a place where the fruits of migrant labour are bought, sold and profited from.

Montreal citizens strike a blow against gentrification with Parc Madeleine-Parent

rabble staff — Tue, 27 Sep 2016 14:26:11 +0000

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Activist Madeleine Parent has been honoured with a new park thanks to the determination of the citizens of a working-class district where, in 1943, she started her career as a union organizer.

It was a splendid afternoon in late summer and everyone was smiling. The happy occasion was the inauguration of the Parc Madeleine-Parent in Saint-Henri, just south and west of central Montréal.

Trade unionist, feminist, independentist, pacifist, Madeleine Parent has her park thanks to the determination of the citizens of a working-class district where, in 1943, she started her career as a union organizer at Merchant Cotton (Dominion Textile).

Fifth annual Downtown Eastside powwow shifts focus to future generations

rabble staff — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 14:45:54 +0000

Monday, September 19, 2016

Organizers this year emphasized that simply bringing people together is a form of resistance.

Regalia-clad dancers and a "we support Standing Rock" banner filled Vancouver's Oppenheimer Park Sunday for the fifth annual Downtown Eastside powwow on Sunday.

The focus of the celebration shifted this year from elders to children, a move that's not only part of a four-year cycle of change but also symbolizes looking to the future.

"We're big supporters of Standing Rock. I think it ties in so nicely with the powwow because that's what they're standing up for -- it's the future generations," said Patrick Smith with Culture Saves Lives.

Fight for affordable housing in Vancouver intensifies as units sit empty

rabble staff — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 13:34:07 +0000

Monday, September 19, 2016

The now two-tier housing market in Vancouver has split the population into people who have a lot of money and the rest. Two rallies over the weekend demanded immediate action.

Pressures for affordable housing continue to rise in Vancouver as the city saw two housing rallies take place over the weekend.

The first drew a crowd of 50 activists on Friday, who gathered outside of Vancouver's City Hall to demand that affordable housing be made a priority in the municipality. The rally was organized by COPE, the Coalition of Progressive Electors, which calls for investments in co-ops and social housing, zoning for rent controls and enforcement of health standards in buildings.

Indigenous resistance grows as Standing Rock solidarity actions continue

rabble staff — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 14:24:33 +0000

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Yesterday, the National Day of Action against the North Dakota Access Pipeline saw thousands of people in support, including nearly 100 demonstrators in the Toronto solidarity action.

Yesterday afternoon nearly 100 demonstrators marched through downtown Toronto to protest the North Dakota Access Pipeline marking Toronto's third solidarity demonstration with Standing Rock.

The $3.8 billion pipeline would extend from North Dakota's Bakken oil fields to carry around 500,000 barrels of crude oil a day through South Dakota, Iowa, and into Illinois.

Members of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and hundreds of other Indigenous communities across North America have since joined the resistance.

Standing up for Standing Rock rally focuses attention on Indigenous resistance

rabble staff — Fri, 09 Sep 2016 15:20:52 +0000

Friday, September 9, 2016

Indigenous youth and elders protested the Dakota Access Pipeline outside of the U.S. consulate in Toronto yesterday, emphasizing the importance of cross-border solidarity.

Solidarity demonstrators gathered outside of the United States consulate in Toronto yesterday morning to support the Standing Rock Sioux community protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Members of the Dakota and Lakota nations established the Sacred Stone encampment near the confluence of the Missouri and Cannonball rivers to protest the pipeline, a $3.8 billion project that extends through Indigenous burial grounds.

CUPW and Canada Post reach tentative agreements for postal workers

rabble staff — Wed, 31 Aug 2016 13:21:41 +0000

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers and Canada Post have tentatively agreed to new working conditions for Canada's posties, announcing two separate agreements for CUPW's mail carriers.

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The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) and Canada Post have tentatively agreed to new working conditions for Canada's posties.

The two parties announced last night two separate tentative agreements -- lasting two years -- had been drawn up for CUPW's 50,000 urban, and rural and suburban mail carriers, respectively.

Postal workers postpone planned strike action for 24 hours

rabble staff — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 22:16:45 +0000

Monday, August 29, 2016

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers extended its strike deadline at 11 p.m. last night as negotiations continue with Crown mediator William Kaplan.

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Postal workers have postponed planned strike action for a day as mediated negotiations with Canada Post continue into another week.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), which represents 51,000 postal workers across its urban and rural and suburban mail carrier units, extended its 72-hour strike deadline about an hour before it was due to expire at 12 am Monday.