Confrontations erupt at Mi'kmaq Anti-Fracking Blockade

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

APTN Coverage (http://aptn.ca/pages/news/2013/10/17/rcmp-officers-enforce-injunction-against-mikmaq-led-anti-fracking-blockade/)
Earth First Journal (http://earthfirstjournal.org/newswire/2013/10/17/update-mikmaq-resist-6-rcmp-cars-torched-fracking-equipment-confiscated/)
Halifax Media Co-op (http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/)

Shit is heating up (like, literally, there are burning RCMP cruisers). This is just the latest development in a Mi'kmaq led blockade that has been ongoing for over a month resisting SWN Resources' - a Texas-based company - attempts to carry out exploration for shale gas.

[blake 3:17]

This is massive.

Couple of my dear dear friends have been arrested & shit hitting the fan.

Here's a link to solidarity actions : http://www.wearepowershift.ca/stand_with_elsipogtog_actions

[blake 3:17]

good piece

http://aptn.ca/pages/news/2013/10/17/elsipogtog-solidarity-is-spreading-across-canada/

[Sasha]

Solidarity demo tomorrow at the Canadian embassy in the Hague; https://www.facebook.com/events/541134295964833

[blake 3:17]

A solidarity action from Toronto's native community happening Friday at 4pm at Front and John 255 Front Street West

And anti fracking action same location Saturday organized by Stop Line 9 Toronto Saturday at 12

Peace up to all those struggling against ecocide genocide police brutality and capitalist destruction

[Sasha]

video's and pics:
http://www.submedia.tv/stimulator/2013/10/17/crisis-in-elsipogtog/
http://www.submedia.tv/stimulator/2013/10/16/mikmaq_blockade/
http://www.submedia.tv/stimulator/2013/10/09/kahsatstenhsera-indigenous-resistance-to-tar-sands-pipelines/

cjfMx-qf2wY

[boiler]

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine saluted the Indigenous strugglers in New Brunswick, Canada on October 18, 2013, expressing its solidarity with the struggle of Native people in North America against colonialism, exploitation and genocide.
“The United States and Canada were built as settler colonial states on land stolen from Indigenous peoples and have enacted viciously racist policies of apartheid, racism and genocide against Indigenous peoples,” said Comrade Khalil al-Maqdisi of the PFLP. “We stand alongside the Native peoples of their land in resisting colonialism and land theft.”
Indigenous protesters led by the Mi’kmaq Warrior Society, who have blockaded a highway to prevent the use of Indigenous land for resource extraction and environmental destruction, were attacked on October 17 by Canadian state polie agencies who used tear gas, rubber bullets and mass arrests against the protesters.
“We are very familiar with these weapons of oppression used by settler colonial regimes in order to colonize our land and dispossess our people,” said Maqdisi. “The policies and practices of the occupation state in Palestine: the dispossession of our people, the theft and colonization of our land, the construction of settlement colonies, the mass imprisonment of our people, apartheid, segregation and the creation of subservient ‘self-rule’ systems in isolated cantons – these were practiced first by Canada, and by the United States, against the Indigenous people of their land.”
Maqdisi noted that the Canadian state is one of the most prominent supporters of the occupation state and a constant supporter of the occupation’s assaults on the Palestinian people and violations of Palestinian rights, saying this is no surprise considering its own settler colonial nature.
Maqdisi said that indigenous people on their land have resisted for hundreds of years and have been met time and again by state violence and brutal repression yet have continued their struggle and their resistance. “We salute the Mi’kmaq Warriors and all Indigenous people who are struggling, fighting and resisting settler colonialism and who have been doing so for centuries, facing the armed force of the Canadian state. Our struggle to liberate Palestine and ensure the right of return of our people confronts the same enemies and powers. We are united in struggle.”



http://pflp.ps/engli...and-land-theft/

[blake 3:17]

Police prepare for more anti-fracking protests

STRATHROY, Ont. — Police are warning motorists of potential traffic disruptions around London, Ont., on Saturday, due to a possible demonstration by First Nations protesters.

Sgt. Dave Rektor says Highway 402 near Strathroy, west of London, could be closed starting at 10 a.m., if the protesters show up as expected.

Rektor says police do not condone the protest and they are holidng discussions with organizers of the protest in hopes of finding a safer location.

The demonstration follows one on Thursday, when provincial police said 30 to 40 protesters shut down Highway 6 between Hagersville and Caledonia, southeast of Brantford.

[Ele'ill]

get the rocks

[blake 3:17]

Derrick O’Keefe: Seize the moment, stand with Elsipogtog

by DERRICK O'KEEFE on OCT 18, 2013 at 11:30 AM

Canada’s colonial past is present, however much Prime Minister Stephen Harper seeks to obfuscate the reality of the history of this land.

This week has served as a prime example of how denial of past colonialism helps to perpetuate ongoing colonial relationships.

The current flashpoint is the small town of Rexton, New Brunswick. There the Elsipogtog First Nation and their supporters are facing down massive RCMP repression of their protests against activity by SWN Resources, a company that is carrying out seismic testing for proposed shale gas fracking operations in the area.

On Thursday (October 17), hundreds of RCMP officers, many heavily armed and including snipers, moved in against Elsipogtog land defenders who have maintained a protest camp and presence in the area for months. Dozens were arrested, and there were reports of rubber bullets fired by police forces. Several RCMP vehicles were set ablaze.

Fracking may have been the latest spark, but Harper’s government has been fanning the flames for years—denying the true colonial history of Canada even while continuing to actively undermine the sovereignty and rights of First Nations.

On Wednesday (October 16), the Conservative government presented their much-hyped speech from the throne. In it, they asserted that the founders of Canada “dared to seize the moment that history offered. Pioneers, then, few in number, reached across a vast continent” and “forged an independent country where none would have otherwise existed.”

This was no one-off rhetorical flourish. This was just the latest expression of “Harper’s History”. In 2009, Harper, with a straight face, informed a press conference at a G20 summit that Canada “had no history of colonialism”.

These seem like astounding and easily disproven assertions, but colonialism denial is real and useful because it serves colonialism present; it serves the primary purpose of the Conservative government today, which is to push through resource extraction projects—many of which are in direct contradiction with indigenous peoples—at all costs.

The repression at Rexton and Harper’s latest bald-faced lie about Canadian history come in the same week that James Anaya, the UN’s special rapporteur on indigenous rights, issued a scathing report after a nine-day visit across the country. Anaya concluded that “Canada faces a crisis when it comes to the situation of indigenous peoples of the country.”

Rexton, New Brunswick—Elsipogtog—now takes its place in a long and shameful history, joining Oka, Ipperwash, Gustafsen Lake, and so many more. At Ipperwash, unarmed protester Dudley George was killed by the OPP. At Gustafsen, 14 sun dancers asserting indigenous sovereignty were met with 400 RCMP officers, troops, armoured personnel carriers, and 70,000 rounds of ammunition.

And this is just recent history.

Contrary to the myth of seamless and peaceful nation-building, the modern Canadian state was built through the projection of force over and against indigenous peoples. The RCMP, and before it the Northwest Mounted Police, was formed for this express purpose.

This is the colonial reality behind all assertions of the “rule of law”, past and present. It’s all about whose laws get enforced. Indigenous law? International law? Not in Harper’s Canada today, where the law of corporate profit rules.

Only we can change that, and solidarity actions with the courageous land defenders of Elsipogtog are the first order of business.

Susan Levi-Peters, a former chief, makes it clear that they remain determined in the face of RCMP sniper rifles, rubber bullets, and tear gas: “Nobody is leaving. We don’t want shale gas here. We have been asking for consultations for three years now and nothing has happened. Instead they just put our people in jail.”

Idle No More has already shown us that creative, determined actions can reach across a vast continent, creating powerful movements where none would otherwise have existed.

So let us seize the moment that history is offering. Let us stand with Elsipogtog.

Find your local solidarity action on the We Are PowerShift site.

http://www.straight.com/news/509291/derrick-okeefe-seize-moment-stand-elsipogtog

[blake 3:17]

A petition from Leadnow demanding police not use violence against First Nations protesters:
http://you.leadnow.ca/petitions/tell-the-rcmp-don-t-violently-intervene-in-peaceful-first-nations-protests

Please sign!

[blake 3:17]

Just got a report that National Energy Board meeting got shut down in Toronto by native folks and allies!

[Radio Spartacus]

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine saluted the Indigenous strugglers in New Brunswick, Canada on October 18, 2013, expressing its solidarity with the struggle of Native people in North America against colonialism, exploitation and genocide.
“The United States and Canada were built as settler colonial states on land stolen from Indigenous peoples and have enacted viciously racist policies of apartheid, racism and genocide against Indigenous peoples,” said Comrade Khalil al-Maqdisi of the PFLP. “We stand alongside the Native peoples of their land in resisting colonialism and land theft.”
Indigenous protesters led by the Mi’kmaq Warrior Society, who have blockaded a highway to prevent the use of Indigenous land for resource extraction and environmental destruction, were attacked on October 17 by Canadian state polie agencies who used tear gas, rubber bullets and mass arrests against the protesters.
“We are very familiar with these weapons of oppression used by settler colonial regimes in order to colonize our land and dispossess our people,” said Maqdisi. “The policies and practices of the occupation state in Palestine: the dispossession of our people, the theft and colonization of our land, the construction of settlement colonies, the mass imprisonment of our people, apartheid, segregation and the creation of subservient ‘self-rule’ systems in isolated cantons – these were practiced first by Canada, and by the United States, against the Indigenous people of their land.”
Maqdisi noted that the Canadian state is one of the most prominent supporters of the occupation state and a constant supporter of the occupation’s assaults on the Palestinian people and violations of Palestinian rights, saying this is no surprise considering its own settler colonial nature.
Maqdisi said that indigenous people on their land have resisted for hundreds of years and have been met time and again by state violence and brutal repression yet have continued their struggle and their resistance. “We salute the Mi’kmaq Warriors and all Indigenous people who are struggling, fighting and resisting settler colonialism and who have been doing so for centuries, facing the armed force of the Canadian state. Our struggle to liberate Palestine and ensure the right of return of our people confronts the same enemies and powers. We are united in struggle.”



http://pflp.ps/engli...and-land-theft/

Fuck the PFLP. They are a sham, a nationalist movement dressed up in leftist rhetoric yet completely out of touch with the working class. The revolution will be violent, but butchering civilians is not a productive strategy for global revolution or ending the oppression of the Palestinians. I thought we were about the working class overthrowing the bourgeoisie, not a bunch of nationalist terrorists killing people indiscriminately. Why promote them with this quote?

[blake 3:17]

@ Radio Spartacus -- I would really prefer this thread not get derailed into a debate on the PFLP. I would however suggest that there parallels between indigenous struggles here in the Americas and the struggles of the Palestinian people. One of the central means in which colonialism has and is happening here in Canada and in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza is the exclusion of its native peoples from work. Unemployment is incredibly high amongst Canada's native peoples and amongst the Palestinians. Conventional Marxism actually has few answers to these problems.

Now, having said that, I'd also like to point out that it in terms of workers organizations it has only been the most radical and either Marxist, syndicalist, or left trade unionists or community based class struggle fighters who have been supportive of native struggles here in Canada or the Palestinian struggle. We're the folks that see beyond an extra few dollars or a short term growth in employment.

It's very unfortunate that most of the unions have not taken an anti-fracking stance and that many are supportive of fracking. They see it as a chance to grow their membership, develop their dues base, and work out deals with the bosses.

I had a difficult but constructive discussion with a good friend the other night about folks from Eastern Canada going to Alberta to work the Tar Sands. He was being very judgmental. But he's been able to get by.

I'm terrified of the direction Canada's moving in. We were hooked on resource extraction and exports to the US. For a period of time between say the mid 60s and the late 80s there were various attempts to create a healthier more diverse economy. This was largely a product of class, national and social struggles alongside some more enlightened fractions of the ruling class. Right now that's totally messed up, and there's interesting bits and pieces here and there (eg. food co-ops) but they're incredibly weak against the rule of the market.

The struggle in New Brunswick is amazing and has had deep resonance across the country and internationally. I just hope the struggle against market and state repression spreads, while people also start building alternatives. We cannot rely on any party or bureaucracy or sociological demographic.

[Radio Spartacus]

@ Radio Spartacus -- I would really prefer this thread not get derailed into a debate on the PFLP. I would however suggest that there parallels between indigenous struggles here in the Americas and the struggles of the Palestinian people. One of the central means in which colonialism has and is happening here in Canada and in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza is the exclusion of its native peoples from work. Unemployment is incredibly high amongst Canada's native peoples and amongst the Palestinians. Conventional Marxism actually has few answers to these problems.

Now, having said that, I'd also like to point out that it in terms of workers organizations it has only been the most radical and either Marxist, syndicalist, or left trade unionists or community based class struggle fighters who have been supportive of native struggles here in Canada or the Palestinian struggle. We're the folks that see beyond an extra few dollars or a short term growth in employment.

It's very unfortunate that most of the unions have not taken an anti-fracking stance and that many are supportive of fracking. They see it as a chance to grow their membership, develop their dues base, and work out deals with the bosses.

I had a difficult but constructive discussion with a good friend the other night about folks from Eastern Canada going to Alberta to work the Tar Sands. He was being very judgmental. But he's been able to get by.

I'm terrified of the direction Canada's moving in. We were hooked on resource extraction and exports to the US. For a period of time between say the mid 60s and the late 80s there were various attempts to create a healthier more diverse economy. This was largely a product of class, national and social struggles alongside some more enlightened fractions of the ruling class. Right now that's totally messed up, and there's interesting bits and pieces here and there (eg. food co-ops) but they're incredibly weak against the rule of the market.

The struggle in New Brunswick is amazing and has had deep resonance across the country and internationally. I just hope the struggle against market and state repression spreads, while people also start building alternatives. We cannot rely on any party or bureaucracy or sociological demographic.

I agree about the parallel between the two struggles (and with the rest of your post for that matter), I just don't see the group quoted as a proper representative of the struggle. That said, I'm happy to leave it at that and didn't intend to derail the thread.

[blake 3:17]

Social democrats call for business as usual http://www.nbndp.ca/node/862


NDP calls for end to all road blockades and talks to start with First Nations


October 17, 2013

FREDERICTON ¬ The New Brunswick New Democratic Party is calling on Premier Alward to immediately order the end to all road blockades before starting meaningful consultations with First Nations communities on the development of the shale gas industry.

NB NDP Leader Dominic Cardy said, "We echo the call of the Assembly of First Nations Chiefs to avoid violence on both sides. At a time when our province desperately needs investments and jobs companies will be watching to see if the risk of doing business in New Brunswick is too great. We need the Premier to take a stand, to defend the rule of law in our province, make sure our children can go to school and our goods get to market without any interference."

Cardy stressed that the peaceful end to the blockades is only the first step in a lasting resolution to this conflict.

[blake 3:17]

On a more positive note, the National Energy Board meetings got closed two hours early yesterday due to protest activity and were cancelled entirely for today, citing security concerns. This is blow back from the incredibly irresponsible, dangerous and stupid practices that have been employed in the tar sands and ongoing crimes committed against native people and communities.

Just on a side note about agents of change -- there was a victory last year against a mega quarry project in Ontario led by an unconventional coalition of native people, cottagers and urban foodies! The main urban solidarity efforts were led by chefs and folks involved in the local/organic food movement. It's also very positive to see non-indigenous people in the country working with indigenous people. Quite often they're in antagonistic relationships, either because of settler racism or screwed up policy which pits people against each other for objective material reasons. The official native leadership is pretty morally bankrupt at the moment, but there's a pretty broad autonomous movement that has its own organic leadership and is perfectly willing to act without official sanction.

[thriller]

This is bullshit. But I am happy to see people standing up against these capitalist intruders. I've been posting about this on Facebook and people seem excited, especially considering this fracking shit has started in my state.

[blake 3:17]

Excellent article, but as one brother said, Why's it in the Guardian and not the Toronto Star? http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/oct/21/new-brunswick-fracking-protests

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

Here's the reply I received from the New Brunswick NDP to an email I sent calling them condescending settler schmucks (not using those words exactly).

I've bolded some highlights.



Hi [The Garbage Disposal Unit],
First let me thank you for reaching out to express your opinions on the position taken by NB NDP Leader Dominic Cardy regarding the recent violence that engulfed Elsipogtog First Nation in Kent County, New Brunswick. It might interest you to know that among the three parties contending for power in the 2014 election the NB NDP is the ONLY party to have taken a clear position against fracking. The NB NDP first took this policy stance in 2011, and maintains it today. The NB NDP believes that in order to support the shale gas industry in New Brunswick the industry must pass two simple tests:

1. There has to be sufficient scientific evidence to prove that the environment can be protected. To date the scientific evidence does not support this.

2. That the economics will benefit the province. Today, given the glut of shale gas in the American market this seems unlikely. Until the shale gas industry can pass this test the NB NDP will remain opposed to it.

Regarding the NB NDP's position on the removal of roadblocks. The NB NDP believes in the right to protest lawfully, but does not endorse unlawful acts of protest. Blocking roads is an unlawful act.

It might interest you to know that the NB NDP's position on ending blockades, and other unlawful acts in the name of protest is a position that mirrors that of Elsipogtog Chief Aaron Sock, as well as the political leadership of the 14 First Nations communities represented by the Assembly of First Nations' Chiefs in New Brunswick. (I've included links to the AFNCNB website at the end of this e-mail, and attached a copy of the release issued by Chief Aaron on the evening of Friday, October 19, 2013)

The NB NDP does not believe that unlawful acts of protest are conducive to negotiating solutions to very serious problems; problems created by a lack of meaningful consultation with First Nations. The current Conservative government which is pushing ahead with the shale gas industry over and above the wishes of the First Nations people in Elsipogtog, has not taken their constitutional obligation to consult First Nations seriously. Nor did the previous Liberal government which signed the leases SWN is now acting on without consultation with the province's First Nation communities.

The NB NDP believes in nation to nation consultation with First Nations in New Brunswick. This includes due appreciation for the aboriginal perspective, revenue sharing and participation in New Brunswick's natural resource sector. Brad, I would like to thank you again for the opportunity to elaborate on the NB NDP's position.

I hope that any misgivings you may have felt towards our position have been assuaged, and I hope that you will continue to support the New Brunswick NDP.

Sincerely,
Mike Girard
Communications Director
New Democratic Party of New Brunswick
924 Prospect Street
Fredericton, New Brunswick
P: 506-458-5828
C: 506-999-6431
E: [email protected] (https://fulvetta.riseup.net/sm/src/compose.php?send_to=mgirard%40nbndp.ca)

[blake 3:17]

^^^Pass the buck pass the buck

A few folks who are normally a bit soft on the NDP publicly have been massive pissed off on this.

[blake 3:17]

& the injunction's been lifted anyways, so it's only sort of illegal