NOII Montreal and Anti-Canada Day Action

In advance of the action, I encouraged people to support a demo in solidarity with indigenous struggle targeting the CN Rail headquarters in Montreal.

While I was out of town, one of the organizers of that event forwarded me an email that talks about what happened at the action...it's a little on the late side, but I wanted to be sure to post it. It also includes a link to the flyer they handed out and to some photos of the event:

MONTREAL, July 1, 2007 -- About 75 demonstrators gathered in the main hall of the Central Train Station in Montreal in an "Anti-Canada Day" protest against CN Rail.

Demonstrators highlighted their opposition to CN's current lawsuit against three Mohawk activists at Tyendinaga, and expressed their support for indigenous sovereignty and self-determination.

-> The text of the FLYER that was passed out in the hundreds to passers-by is below and linked here.


A large banner reading: "When Justice Fails, Block the Rails!; Quand CN attaque on bloque la track!; Solidarity with native resistance" was raised with over one-hundred red and white helium balloons in the main hall of the station. Another banner reading: "CN: Drop your racist lawsuit" was also unfurled.

-> PHOTOS from the protest are linked here.


Several members of the Kahnawake Mohawk community, south of Montreal, attended and spoke at the picket, as well as a member Inter-tribal Youth Council, a speaker from Six Nations, and a special guest from the Skwelkwek'welt Protection Center in British Columbia.

The Canada Day demo follows from actions on Mohawk territories near Montreal on June 29. In the early morning, Highway 30, and then highway 138, was blocked. Later in the day, the Mercier Bridge between Montreal and the South Shore was shut down for a period of time. In Kahnesatake, it was reported that the main road from Oka to the reserve was blocked for most of the day.

The July 1st Anti-Canada Day demo was also part of local mobilizations against the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) -- a NAFTA plus Homeland Security model for Canada, the USA and Mexico. CN Rail's CEO is part of the North American Competitiveness Council, a group of CEOs that "advises" the SPP leaders. Those leaders -- George Bush, Stephen Harper and Felipe Calderon -- are meeting just 90 minutes from Montreal at the Chateau Montebello this August 20 and 21.

The July 1st Anti-Canada Day picket was organized and supported by: Block the Empire-Montreal, Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement, Liberterre, No One Is Illegal-Montreal, Pointe Libertaire, Solidarity Across Borders, Tadamon! Montreal, and others.

I would also encourage folks to check out No One Is Illegal-Montreal's blog. Along with material about actions in Montreal and Quebec, they regular post descriptions of and links to downloadable versions of the group's radio show, including this one that announces their July 5, '07 show talking about the recent National Day of Action and Anti-Canada Day events by and in support of indigenous people, as well as links to a number of other shows they have done showcasing voices of indigenous resistance over the last year.