Saturday, March 31, 2012

#Robogate protest 2 -- March 31, 2012

On March 31, 2012, as part of nation-wide protest against electoral fraud and voter suppression in the last election (the robocalls scandal), Occupy NL and concerned citizens congregated at Colonial Building in St. John's.

Check out our press release for more info. And download our Postcard to send to your MP.
Find your MP here.


People came out, despite a blizzard, to voice their concerns against questionable and potentially fraudulent tactics (#robocalls) during the last Canadian federal election, and to call for a full public inquiry. This is an issue that cuts to the core of Canadian democratic values. The attack on civil society must be stopped!


Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Get Fraud out of Parliament! -- Protest #2

When: Saturday March 31, 12-2pm (the rally is still happening despite the storm)

Where: Colonial Building, St. John's (and cities across Canada)

Why: Protest against fraud and voter suppression during the May 2011 Federal Election

Occupy NL has organized a second protest against questionable and potentially fraudulent tactics (#robocalls) during the last Canadian federal election. Come out and make your voice heard... Join in the call for a full public inquiry... This is an issue that cuts to the core of Canadian democratic values. The attack on civil society must be stopped!

For more information, and to see a recap of the last protest, check out our earlier post or the facebook event page.

Download our Postcard to send to your MP (printing instructions here)
Front
Back


Sunday, March 25, 2012

Film Screening of Gasland + discussion Tues. March 27


OccupyNL invites the general public to attend a film screening of Gasland this Tuesday, March 27th, at 8 PM at MUN (Science Building room 4068). Local journalist Justin Brake will lead a discussion following the screening and share what's he's found in researching the natural gas industry, including where we currently stand in terms of exploration and extraction on the island.
On Wednesday, March 28,  7:30 PM, the Harris Centre is hosting a public discussion on Natural Gas as a potential energy source in Newfoundland. We encourage everyone to attend this meeting with the information brought up during our workshop on natural gas extraction (specifically hydraulic fracturing, more commonly known as “fracking”). 



Public Event: Non-Violent Direct Action Training and Climate Justice Outreach Session

Climate Justice St. John's will be hosting a Non-Violent direct action training session tomorrow, March 26, from 12-2 PM at The Loft, 3rd Floor UC, MUN Campus. The training and outreach session will introduce people to alternative methods of making change, Non-Violent Direct Action, that groups can use beyond normal tactics.

Check out Climate Justice St. John's Facebook page here. 

Friday, March 23, 2012

Public Event: The Future We Want -- A Discussion Panel


A Discussion Panel: Sustainable Development in Newfoundland and Labrador

Sunday April 1, 2012 at 2:00-4:00 pm at The Lantern

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Massive student protests in Montreal

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

The Maple Spring is important to all Canadians, and not just Quebec. Here's why.

That's why Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, past student leader of CLASSE, has undertaken a cross-Canada speaking tour to help spread the message of resisting austerity and defeating the stranglehold of neoliberalism across this country.

  ~~~~~~
Massive student protests have been ongoing in Montreal since March 22nd, when 200,000 protesters took part in a demonstration in downtown Montreal. Exactly a month later, on Earth Day, another 200,000 people took to the streets. And yet another month later, only picking up steam, a wave of people in red packed downtown Montreal on May 22nd, more than 300,000 strong.

June 22, as expected, was a massive show of solidarity across Canada (and of course massive amounts of people on the streets of Montreal and across Quebec).

Every month has a 22nd, so here's to ongoing shows of solidarity and support! Check out the global call to resistance on the 22nd of every month.

As of Sept 20th, after the inauguration of Pauline Marois' minority Parti Quebecois government (and the defeat of Jean Charest's government (he was also defeated in his own riding)), the tuition fee hikes have been repealed.  However, the Concordia Graduate Students Association, still fighting for a very realistic goal of free education in the province, along with other student groups such as CLASSE, will show that they are still organized and come out for a demo on Sept 22.

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Click here for a refresher on what this conflict is about: The Conflict: 101 
Here is a great explanation of the context for the current mobilisation of students in Quebec. Free education is not a new idea, neither is it impossible. In fact, "it was the state’s very own idea on the recommendation of a Royal Commission, a choice that was respected and prized for four decades."

Downtown Montreal on May 22, 2012
Great recap: Ten Things Everyone Should Know about the Quebec Student Movement.

In response to the emergency law passed, Law 78, people have this to say: Arrest me!

Concordia Student Union General Assembly operates using horizontal decision making like that used by the Occupy movement, and they spearheaded the student strike originating at Concordia. More info here about how this started. View this video on the 8 Myths of Tuition Hikes.

For up-to-date and reliable info on the Montreal student movement, check out the Montreal Media Co-op and Concordia University TV (CUTV) to watch the recap videos and livestream from the student protests.

Resources

You can also visit the Concordia Student Union site. And the McGill Student Union has a Student Strike FAQ up on their site.

Visit the CLASSE website for more info as well. CLASSE is a temporary national student organization that includes, across Quebec, more than 76,000 members in many student unions from both colleges and universities. 

Visit the MobSquad website for info on the campaign against tuition hikes.

Click here for more images from the March 22 demonstrations.


ONGOING UPDATES:

Demands to Concordia's Administration from students on strike 

Here's a good overview of what's been happening since March 22. 

April 11th -- Occupy Wall Street reports on Montreal student protests

April 20th -- CUTV footage of violent police encounter with student protesters

April 20th -- Footage of protests at the Montreal Palais des Congres

April 22th-- Crowd shot of Earth Day protest

April 28th -- Montreal demonstrators march in protest of Jean Charest  (here's why)

May 4th -- Montreal Students Stage Nearly-Nude Protests

May 14th -- Quebec's Education Minister Resigns as Protests Continue

May 17th -- Montreal students occupy University of Quebec

May 17th -- Quebec announces emergency law to restore order and thousands protest in Montreal

May 19th -- Quebec steps closer to martial law to repress students

May 22nd -- Anatomy of a conflict after 100 days of student protest

May 30 -- We are immense (translated from Le Devoir)

June 3 -- Protests shine spotlight on skewed priorities

June 7 -- Canada's Maple Spring (via Aljazeera)

June 22 -- Highlights from the Streets of Montreal 

Sept 20 -- It's official: Quebec tuition hikes are history (proof that radical movements can win).

Monday, March 19, 2012

Film Screening of "The Take"

This Tuesday, March 20th, we will be viewing the documentary "The Take." Everyone is welcome and discussion will follow! We will meet, as usual, in SN 4068 at MUN at 8 PM.

Here is a short description of the film via TopDocumentaryFilms:

Sunday, March 11, 2012

#Robogate protest in St. John's, NL

On March 11th, as part of nation-wide protest against electoral fraud and voter suppression in the last election (the robocalls scandal), Occupy NL and concerned citizens congregated at Colonial Building in St. John's. Much of the sentiment, regardless of individual political belief, was disgust at flagrant disregard for democratic processes Canadians hold dear. For more information and background on voter suppression, please see our press release and the facebook event page.


Friday, March 9, 2012

Press Release: Robocall Protest in St. John's

Media Advisory - For immediate release
March 9, 2012
Robocall protest planned for St. John’s
Where: The Colonial Building in Bannerman Park
When: Sunday, March 11, Noon
Why: Protest fraud and voter suppression during the May 2011 federal election

On Sunday, March 11th citizens across Canada will gather to protest the use of illegal voter suppression tactics during the last federal election of May 2011.  

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Get Fraud out of Parliament! March 11th, noon at the Colonial Building

On Sunday, March 11th, Occupy NL will take part in a co-ordinated, nationwide protest against the perversion of Canadian democracy in the last election (the robocalls scandal). For more information, please see the Get Fraud Out of Parliament! event page, which brings together a comprehensive list of background links.

99% Film Fest and Workshop Series

Protest Movements and Contentious Politics workshop with Dr. David Close

When: Tuesday, March 13th, 8:00 pm

Where: MUN Science Building, room 4068 – free parking in lot 15B


Join us on Tuesday, March 13th, for the latest in the 99% Film Fest and Workshop Series. This workshop, facilitated by Dr. David Close from the Political Science Department, focuses on protest movements and contentious politics. Contemporary examples, like the Spanish Indignados and the Occupy movement, will be discussed alongside earlier examples, such as the anarchist collectives after the Spanish Revolution, organized protest in the wake of the Great Depression, and the 60's counter-culture movements.

Along with a discussion of these and other examples, the workshop will be a chance to talk about common issues social movements face, such things as questions of organization and identity, questions of strategy and perception, questions about the future, and any other topics of interest to you. Professor Close writes about, and teaches courses on, protest movements and contentious politics, so it’s sure to be an informative workshop for local activist groups... See you there!

Monday, March 5, 2012

The House of Assembly is Open!

If you missed the throne speech, don't worry! You can tune in and watch the House of Assembly online live or archived episodes at
http://www.assembly.nl.ca/business/Webcast/default.htm 

Webcast Schedules

House of Assembly
Regular broadcast times for the House of Assembly while in session:

Monday 1:30 - 5:30 pm
Tuesday 1:30 - 5:30 pm
Wednesday 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Thursday 1:30 - 5:30 pm 

Full throne speech (pdf)
CBC Article about throne speech

Friday, March 2, 2012

Solidarity Package from Occupy Berkeley


On March 1, the coldest day of the year so far  here in St. John's (-14 Celsius), a solidarity package arrived at Harbourside camp from Occupy Berkeley. And as serendipity goes on a chilly night in Newfoundland, this gift was just in the nic of time...

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