From Embers

An interview with Dtsa'hyl, a hereditary chief of the Wet'suwet'en Nation. The Wet'suwet'en people have defended their land against pipelines for more than a decade. After an RCMP raid on their territory on February 6th, a national movement was sparked to shut down Canada and protest against the infringement of Indigenous sovereignty.

Music in this episode by Lee Reed and Snotty Nose Rez Kids

Conversation with an organizer of this year's Winter Fair in Montreal: a book/zine fair as well as discussions annd workshops around trauma, dealing with conflict, and building resilient and strong communities of struggle. This year's event is focused on the many ways to mitigate the harms that often accompany conflict - both from the state and from within our interpersonal relationships. Check it out if you're in the area: Saturday February 8, 1611 avenue d'Orléans, 11h - 20h. Free dinner (6 pm) and childcare available.

An interview with John Clarke, a founder and long-time organizer with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty in Toronto. OCAP has played a key role in the anti-poverty movement in Ontario over the past three decades, deploying a creative variety of militant and confrontational tactics in the interests of meeting the immediate needs of poor and working class people.

Last year John retired as a paid organizer of OCAP, although he remains an active member. We spoke about the history and philosophy of the organization and what he believes is in store in the future for social movements in Ontario.

We referenced the book Poor People's Movements: Why They Succeed, How They Fail.

Music by Bakunin's Bum with words from Shawn Brant and Sue Collis.

Conversation with an anarchist and anti-repression organizer about how conspiracy charges have been used against anarchists in Canada and the United States, some challenges and lessons learned from supporting J20 defendants and others, the Tilted Scales Collective's upcoming book project, Representing Radicals: A Guide for Lawyers, and more.

Check out the links below for more in-depth discussion of some of the cases discussed in the episode as well as related texts about repression, security culture, and conspiracy charges.

The Age of Conspiracy Charges

Guilt By Association – How the Prosecution of the RNC 8 Threatens Dissent and all Political Organizers (pdf)

Toronto G20 Main Conspiracy Group – The Charges and How They Came to Be (pdf)

We've Got Your Back: The Story of the J20 Defense: An Epic Tale of Repression and Solidarity

Confidence, Courage, Connection, Trust: A Proposal for Security Culture

Solidarity With Our Comrades in Hamilton: To Stop Gentrification, Destroy Capitalism

Matt Hern is a long-time writer and community organizer in Vancouver.

We discuss the projects and ideas he's engaged with over the past several decades, including his upbringing and politicization, having kids and establishing alternative schools, a critical perspective on social ecology, community organizing and gentrification, and shifting focus to Surrey where he works with racialized youth to establish workers co-operatives.

Links: matthern.ca / solidstate.coop

Music by Warsawpack

A conversation with Stu, a founding member of Dragonfly Farm. Dragonfly is a rural communal land project near Bancroft, Ontario that was founded in 1978. We talk about how he and his friends got the land, how they've endured and navigated conflict over the years, and advice he has for folks wanting to live rurally and/or communally today.

Music by Perth County Conspiracy

Links for further reading:

Dragonfly Is 25 (2003)

Jim Campbell, Remembered (with links)

Someone's master's thesis with a lot of details about the project

The Perth County Conspiracy

An interview with two anarchists from Vancouver about their efforts to intervene in the climate strike and extinction rebellion actions in that city. We talk about the context in Vancouver, their critique of Extinction Rebellion, black blocs, critical solidarity, and moving beyond hope and hopelessness. For the privacy of our guests, this interview was re-voiced by volunteers.

Links:

Anarchist Critique and Analysis of Recent Climate Mobilizations in Vancouver

Imagining New Worlds - Anti-Capitalism and Climate Justice (Kitchener, Ontario)

Extinguishing Rebellion (Montreal)

Printable Outreach Materials for Climate Strike Actions (It's Going Down)

-with music from the Subhumans and Bombs Away

A conversation with Jonathan Vallely and Eric Levitt of Gay 4 Pay Press, a zine distro largely focused on radical politics and gay/queer men based out of Toronto and Ottawa. We talk about cruising, a world without police, community conversations around consent and accountability, crystal meth, and, of course, zines.

Music in this episode:

FAGGOT - Mister Wallace

Excerpt from Breaking the Ice/Letters to Meth video - composed by Don Vaillancourt

This week's episode features an interview with Kate Klein of the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network.

We talk a bit about the group's work opposing the mining industry and supporting mining-affected communities outside of Canada in their struggles against Canadian mining corporations. Mostly, we discuss the group's use of drama and comedy in their campaigns, and discuss a recent workshop that Kate and another member gave on "humour as an activist tactic."

Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the world measured from its oceanic base and one of the most sacred sites for spiritual Hawaiians. A consortium of government and university scientists from Canada, the United States, Japan, China and India have been trying to build the Thirty Metre Telescope on its summit for nearly a decade, coming up against fierce opposition from native Hawaiians every step of the way.

Things heated up again this summer as TMT planned to start construction for the second time. In response, land protectors established a resistance camp on the mountain. After two and a half months and dozens of arrests, the camp is still standing and a mass movement has emerged to defend the mountain.

We caught up with Pua'ena Ahn, who is part of the Hawaiian movement and currently active to protect Mauna Kea.

With music from Anti-Flag and PUNAHELE695

In Canada, the National Research Council and the Association of Canadian Universities for Research in Astronomy (ACURA) are important partners in the TMT Corporation. Some prominent Canadian astronomers have already spoken out against the project. Add to the pressure!

Board Members of TMT (Canada)

• Donald Brooks – Professor, University of British Columbia
• Greg Fahlman – General Manager, NRC Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Kim Venn – Professor, University of Victoria

ACURA Institutional Members and Representatives

• Athabasca University – Martin Connors
• Bishops University, Sherbrooke - Lorne Nelson
• Brandon University - Tyler Foster
• McGill University, Montreal - Nick Cowan
• McMaster University, Hamilton - Christine Wilson
• Queen's University, Kingston - Stephane Courteau
• Saint Mary's University, Halifax - Robert Thacker
• Trent University, Peterborough - David Patton
• University of Alberta, Edmonton - Gregory R. Sivakoff
• University of British Columbia, Vancouver - Aaron Boley
• University of Calgary - Robert Thompson
• Laval University - Gilles Joncas
• University of Lethbridge - Erasmus Okine
• University of Manitoba, Winnipeg - Stefi Baum
• University of Montreal - René Doyon
• University of Toronto - Vivek Goel
• University of Victoria – Kim Venn
• University of Waterloo - Charmaine Dean
• University of Western Ontario, London - Stanimir Metchev
• York University, Toronto - Patrick Hall

And finally, don't forget to check out the Toronto Anarchist Bookfair this weekend!