Russell Maroon Shoatz Needs a Coronary Angiography!

i received this from Theresa Shoatz, Russell Maroon Shoatz' daughter, telling of her father suffering from chest pains at SCI Greene Prison and not receiving appropriate medical care.

Russell Maroon Shoatz is a Black Liberation Army veteran who has been in prison for much of the past thirty some years.

Please call the number given below and demand that Maroon be taken to hospital and seen by a qualified doctor!

Urgent Action Alert from Theresa Shoatz:

New Afrikan POW Russell Maroon Shoats has been suffering from chest pains.

He has repeatedly been ignored by guards when requesting the medical attention he urgently needs. On May 13th he filed a grievance to address the situation. Only after receiving calls from his family did they move him to the medical department.

Now he is in medical but has yet to receive an X-ray or any treatment.

Please call to demand that Russell Shoats (inmate #AF-3855 at SCI Greene) receive a coronary angiography (heart X-ray) and medical care.

Erma Vhilatal (spell name and a receptionist will transfer the call) Medical Department CHCA- 724-852-2902

Superintendant, Warden Mr. Folino- 724-852-5505

And write letters addressed to Dr. Jin and to Superintendent Folino and mail them to Russell Shoatz, supporters, P.O. BOX 9476, Phila, PA 19139

More on Russell Maroon Shoats:

http://www.abcf.net/abcf.asp?page=prisoners#

http://www.myspace.com/freerussellshoatz


For Freedom,
NYC Anarchist Black Cross Federation
nycabc[at]riseup[dot]net

Bad Day? Try Blogging...

i'm a third of a way through my most recent copy of my fave magazine, and came across an article by Jessica Wapner ("The Healthy Type", Scientific American June 2008) about the therapeutic effects of blogging.

Alice Flaherty, a neuroscientist at Harvard University, is quoted explaining that "humans have a range of pain-related behaviors, such as complaining, which act as a 'placebo for getting satisfied.'" The point being that blogging about stressful experiences may work similarly.

In other words, life can suck, or if it doesn't, at least the world we're stuck living in leaves much to be desired. Complaining about this makes you feel a bit better. As the culture of a thin privileged section of the world's population begins to be based more and more on computers, things like blogs begin to play the same role.

According to Wapner's article, blogging can even make you sleep better. Plus, it "might trigger dopamine release, similar to stimulants like music, running and looking at art."

Well there you go.

Blogging: the opiate of the cyber-petit bourgeoisie.

(If i have to have an opiate, i can think of worse.)

More Charges Laid: Clampdown Intensifies, Support Tyendinaga Mohawks!

This from the Tyendinaga Support Committee:

More Charges Laid: Clampdown Intensifies, Support Tyendinaga Mohawks!

(MAY 20, 2008) In the wake of recent road closures, OPP intimidation, and jailing of Mohawk community members, charges have now been laid by the OPP against at least 9 additional Tyendinaga Mohawks. These charges, according to police, stem from "events that occurred in and around Deseronto," between April 21 and 26. According to the OPP, the investigations are ongoing and additional charges may be laid against other Mohawks. While none of the 9 people recently charged were forced to remain in police custody, and are free to go home to their families, all carry conditions of 'no protests' and 'not to be present at the quarry site'.

Three men remain in custody at this time, awaiting trial - Clint Brant, Matt Kunkel, and Shawn Brant. Shawn Brant's trial date has been set for mid-June.

The current situation in Tyendinaga is developing into a sweeping crack-down on community members, the stifling of resistance to increased policing and further development of the Culbertson Tract, while federal monies are being poured into the Territory for policing matters and an RCMP report is released, citing federal government intentions to dedicate police "to fighting contraband, which he [Stockwell Day] said is funding organized crime and possibly even terrorists" in three Mohawk communities, including Tyendinaga.

It is important to remember that the feds' concern with Native-made smokes and sales go much deeper than their own pocket book. It is not simply the lost tax revenue that they suffer, but the fact that the lost dollars go to sustain Mohawk families and other services and allows for the Mohawk Nation to stand, as it always has, as a clear and organized force of resistance against the Canadian government's practices of assimilation and control of First Nations peoples.

It is the efforts to strengthen Mohawk Nations' economies and sovereignty that threatens the implementation of Canada's colonial agenda. The policing agendas of the Canadian government aim to crack down on this assertion of self-sufficiency and strength, not, as they claim, "organized crime".

- Tyendinaga Support Committee
** NEW WEBSITE: http://ocap.ca/supporttmt/
support.tmt@gmail.com

--------------------------------

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. Please send letters to the men in jail:

Shawn Brant
Clint Brant
Matt Kunkel
c/o
Quinte Detention Centre
89 Richmond Blvd
Napanee, ON K7R 3S1

2. Donate money to the Tyendinega Legal Defence Fund, which divides funds raised between legal costs and maintaining the quarry reclamation site. Cheques can be made out to "Tyendinaga Legal Defence Fund" and mailed to the address below.

3. Host a facilitated workshop or information session with a member of the Tyendinaga Support Committee. Contact us at support.tmt@gmail.com

4. Put forward a resolution in your local or organization in support of Shawn Brant and the struggle of the Tyendinaga Mohawk community to reclaim their land.

5. Officially endorse the TSC campaign to support Shawn Brant's legal defence and the quarry reclamation site by contacting us at supporttmt@gmail.com

6. In Toronto, contact us to become actively involved in the work of the TSC and come to one of our meetings.

7. Visit our website to sign an online petition or to join our mailing list: http://ocap.ca/supporttmt/

Tyendinaga Support Committee
c/o 10 Britain St. Toronto ON
M5A 1R6
support.tmt@gmail.com
http://ocap.ca/supporttmt/

Man Arrested Torching a Montreal Police Car

The Canadian Press and Info690 are reporting a man was caught setting fire to a police car in Montreal's east end last night. It seems unclear whether or not this is connected to the attack on police cars which took place in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve a couple of months back.

Here is a translation of the Canadian Press article, by yours truly:

A Suspect is Arrested After Setting Fire to a Montreal Police Car

Montreal - A forty year old man is in custody after having been surprised by a police officer as he set fire to a Montreal Police Department squad car last night, in the city's east end.

The vehicle was damaged. It was parked in an area next to Station 35 on Belanger Street East.

Realizing he had been spotted, around 12:25am, the arsonist fled but was quickly captured by police officers. He did not resist arrest. It has not yet been determined if the individual has a criminal record.

At the moment, the Montreal Police Department is unable to establish any link between this attack and the arson of six police cars in mid-March, outside Station 23, on the corner of Hochelaga Street and Bennett Street, in the city's east end. The six vehicles were heavily damaged.

This time, surveillance cameras captured images of the events.

Political Police Probe Punks

This just out from the Toronto Star:

Anti-terror cops probed Ottawa punk band
May 21, 2008 04:30 AM

OTTAWA–All it takes to get noticed by Canada's top anti-terrorism team is a shocking band name and a provocative logo.

At least, that's the contention of The Suicide Pilots, a self-described "no-name punk band" based in Ottawa that promotes itself with a cartoon image of a plane swooping toward the Parliament Buildings.

Access to Information documents released by the band's lawyer yesterday show the RCMP's Integrated National Security Enforcement Team took a look at the group last year as a result of the band's outspoken and politically active drummer, Jeffrey Monaghan.

Monaghan was alleged last spring to have leaked the environmental plan of the Conservative government, and was marched in handcuffs by the RCMP out of his contract job at Environment Canada.

He was never charged with anything, but his musical tastes, including a song titled "Harper Youth," quickly attracted state scrutiny.

"Subject is a self-described anarchist and drummer in a punk band that compares (Prime Minister Stephen) Harper to Hitler," says an RCMP report dated two days after Monaghan's May 9, 2007 arrest.

The band's MySpace page depicts a "9/11 type drawing showing an airplane crashing into the Parliament; there is also anti-Harper songs from the band," says an assistance request from the national security team to the Tech Crime unit.

The documents show that the force's integrated cyber-analysis team, the commercial crime unit and national security team were all involved.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service was apprised. "Advise CSIS of our findings," states a timeline for May 29.

The last entry is dated Sept. 8 and is marked "NFAR, CH" – RCMP jargon for No Further Action Required, Cancelled Here.

The band, in a statement, said the investigation is indicative of "Harper's `War on Terror' gone mad."

The RCMP declined to comment.

The Canadian Press

Radical Principles vs. Poisonous Politics

It would be nice to always see "the big picture", to be able to act fully informed, to see every angle. You could then act on a case by case basis, always sure that you were not being misled or manipulated, that you were not wasting your energy or working against your own interests.

In life, however, such happy circumstances rarely if ever present themselves. We often must act on partial information, on rumour or hunches. We risk being wrong, and having our own efforts prove to be detrimental to our own goals. We thought we were advancing, only to learn later that we were heading down a blind alley.

To the degree that this is so, that we cannot be sure that our next step is actually bringing us closer to our destination, principles, including but not limited to morals or ethics, become important. Principles establish a way of acting and relating, a methodology or stance, and by acting in a principled manner we become better at adopting this stance, one which will serve us well even if it was first developed in the service of some dead-end activity in the past.

This does not have to be some grand exercise with deep moral implications (though it can be). It may be as simple as taking ourselves seriously. For instance, if we are working on some campaign, just the fact of learning to be on time, to do the work we promise to do, to not dominate conversations or allow them to be dominated, will all serve us well in the longterm even if at some point we realize the campaign we were working on was ill-advised. That stance or principle of being a responsible comrade is worth developing regardless.

i normally don't write about the pissing contests and sectarian shit between activists, in part because it's demoralizing, and in part because it can often feed the noise, contributing to problems that i have found do some harm both to activists and to the radical scene in general. Plus, i myself have been involved in a fair number of squabbles, some of them intensely unpleasant, and i don't want to allow this blog to become a part of that.

Nevertheless, at times it's irresponsible not to say what you think. If you're wrong, speaking out gives others an opportunity to correct you and thus you have an opportunity to learn. And if you're right, then the responsibility is obvious.

So here it goes.

John Zerzan, an anarcho-primitivist intellectual, is coming to speak at Montreal's anarchist bookfair this weekend. Zerzan is not only against class society and the state (like all good anarchists) he also holds some beliefs most people find shocking, namely that the key technical advances people have made - literacy, music, metal-working, agriculture - were all bad things which led us to the oppressive society we live in today.

To be clear, i disagree with Zerzan. i'm not going to critique him here, because that's not the point of this post, but i find his ideas unconvincing, no matter how intriguing they might be on a science-fiction level.

Furthermore, i tend to have little in common with so-called "primitivists" and "post-leftists", those anarchists who find Zerzan most useful. Often these folks are amongst the most narrow minded when it comes to dealing with other currents of the left or learning from the real experiences of the oppressed. Their arrogance can be phenomenal, breath taking in fact. While i have friendly exchanges with some primitivists who i meet briefly in other cities, i think i'm probably on bad terms with every single primitivist in Montreal, and happy to stay that way.

It is because i disagree with Zerzan, and because i am less than chummy with "primitivists" locally, that i feel i have to publicly express how disgusted i am with the post-situationist "hors d'oeuvre" website, which has publicly posted threats to Zerzan, warning him not to come to Montreal because it's "primitivist season". The folks behind this website are doing the state's work with shit like this.

i am also concerned at the email circulating calling for a demonstration against Zerzan outside the bookfair. As i said at the beginning of this post, i do not know what everyone's angle is, and i don't know what connection this demo and the "Coalition for Progress in the Anarchist Milieu" which organized it have to the "hors d'oeuvre" website. However, the wording of the email in question (also posted to CMAQ), which calls for a "war" against Zerzan, manages to combine macho posturing with a very superficial critique.

Within the radical milieu, threats of violence or even just exclusion of those we disagree with have to be justified. In the case of people with coercive personal behaviour, or people who make the scene unsafe or unfriendly through their sexism, racism, or other shit, there is sometimes a place for threats or actual violence to get rid of them (although over the past ten years a number of groups have pioneered more interesting strategies). But that is not the case here.

As for the idea of demonstrating against Zerzan at the bookfair, with the view that he should not be allowed to speak, one has to wonder what will be gained. While such an action will certainly underscore the fact that not all anarchists are "primitivists", and that there may be unresolvable contradictions between the "primitivists" and the rest of us, don't most of us know that already? If the idea is to challenge Zerzan's ideas, couldn't that be done in the form of debate, which the workshop he is giving would seem to facilitate?

Like i said above, i'm not a Zerzanite, i'm not a primitivist. i don't have to be, in order to think that using threats to solve political disagreements within the radical left is reactionary. Similarly, if one is a part of a campaign in which others are making threats, one has a responsibility to denounce this behaviour. To not do so means one risks discrediting oneself.

Finally, on a strategic level, nothing could please the police more than this kind of setup, whereby a public call is made to demonstrate against an anarchist event, where public threats are made. Not only do such threats undermine solidarity and poison the political culture in which resistance is grounded, they can also serve as a pretext for surveillance, repression and suppression.

Living in an imperialist country, riddled with sexism and racism and a moribund culture, we certainly cannot prefigure a communist or anarchist society in the here and now. It's an uphill battle, and it's bound to fail. But in trying to do so, and persisting in these efforts despite inevitable failure, all the while taking up the necessary work as best we can, we develop a stance, a set of principles, which will serve us well.

If we stop trying to do so, one has to ask - what's the fucking point?

Algonquin Political Prisoner Begins Hunger Strike

This just in:

Ardoch Algonquin First Nation
May 15, 2008 - For Immediate Release

Jailed Algonquin Leader Begins Hunger Strike
Second Algonquin Chief Going to Jail - McGuinty Government Does Nothing

On February 15, 2008 Ardoch Algonquin First Nation (AAFN) Spokesperson Robert Lovelace was sentenced in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Kingston to 6 months in maximum security, plus crippling fines, for peacefully protesting uranium mining in the Ardoch homeland. Chief Paula Sherman was fined $15,000 and given until today to pay the fine, failing which she will be jailed.

On March 17, a Superior Court judge in Thunder Bay sentenced six leaders of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) to six months after they were found in contempt of court in dispute which is virtually identical to that of the Ardoch Algonquins.

The jailing of respected, law-abiding community leaders has had a devastating impact on our communities, particularly on the families of those incarcerated. The indifference shown by the McGuinty government towards the rights of First Nation communities and the imposition of long jail terms and crippling fines in the name of "the rule of law" has further eroded respect for both the legal system and the government of Ontario in the eyes of First Nations people in this province.

The cases of the KI Six and Robert Lovelace are strikingly similar. In both cases Ontario gave approvals to mining companies to conduct aggressive mineral exploration on land claimed by First Nations as their own. In both cases this approval was given without any consultation with affected communities, forcing the First Nations to take action to end the illegal exploration when the government refused to act. In both cases the mining company sought and obtained court injunctions to end the peaceful protests of the First Nations, while lawyers representing Ontario supported the mining industry's legal manoeuvres at every stage.

For the first month of Bob Lovelace's incarceration, the government of Ontario said nothing, remaining indifferent to this travesty. Since the jailing of the KI Six, and public outcry which followed, the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, Michael Bryant, has told the media that he has "bent over backwards" to try to resolve the disputes which led to the incarceration of seven First Nations leaders from our two communities. He also claims that he wishes to see the incarcerated communities leaders freed from jail.

We want to set the record straight.

In fact, there has been no response from Minister Bryant to any of our proposals for peacefully resolving the dispute. Minister Bryant's staff also has not responded to several calls and emails seeking a response to our proposals. To put it bluntly, Michael Bryant is a liar.

Bob Lovelace is now entering his fourth month in jail while the KI Six are about to begin their third month of incarceration. They are prisoners of conscience, jailed by the government of Ontario to send a message that the interests of the mining industry will trump Aboriginal rights and the environment of Ontario.

Lovelace, who turned 60 in jail, announced that he will begin a hunger strike tomorrow to press the government to respond to Ardoch's request for good faith negotiations. "I do not want my children and grandchildren to have to go through what we are going through" he said. "Starting tomorrow I will consume only water in the hopes that our cry for justice will be heard by Mr. McGuinty and Mr. Bryant."

Chief Paula Sherman said: "I will soon be going to jail because I cannot and will not pay this unjust fine. I am a single mother with three dependents whose only crime is the defense of our land. Like Bob Lovelace and the KI 6, I would rather go to jail than take food out of my children's mouths or let our land be destroyed ."

Acting Co-Chief Mireille Lapointe added "We are sickened by the hypocrisy of the McGuinty government. While honest, conscientious community leaders languish in their jails for peacefully protecting our land from uranium mining, all these politicians care about is their public image. They are lying when they say they are trying to resolve these disputes. They have done nothing at all and continue to show total indifference. They do not even respond to our letters, calls and emails asking for negotiations, meanwhile claiming they care about us and our land".

Ardoch and KI remain committed to resolving these disputes peacefully, through negotiations which lead to responsible, cooperative land use planning. We call on all citizens of Ontario to support the unconditional release of our leaders and negotiators by joining us at Queen's Park on May 26 at the Gathering of Mother Earth's Protectors.

For more information contact Paula Sherman: (613) 329-3707
Or Chris Reid, lawyer: (416) 629-3117

Montreal's 9th Anarchist Bookfair: May 17th 2008

Just one week away - hope to see you there:

*The Montreal Anarchist Bookfair on SATURDAY, MAY 17 (followed by a Day of Anarchist Workshops, Discussions and Presentations on SUNDAY, MAY 18) is less than 10 days away! Read below for updates and final details about programming OR click here: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/64*

*SOME HIGHLIGHTS: *

*- More than 100 book, distributor, zine and group tables from Montreal, Quebec, North America and beyond (on May 17 only)

- Introductory Workshops to Anarchism (May 17), including: "Demanding the Impossible: Sharing Visions of Anarchism" (with the views of thirty local anarchists) and "An Introduction to Anarchism and its Aspirations"

- KidZone! (May 17): A program for kids and their parents

- Resistance 2010 Info Room (May 17), including: "No Olympics on Stolen Land", "An Anarchist Attack on the SPP and G8", and "Anarchists Supporting the Tyendinaga Mohawks"

- Autonomous Media Room (May 18), including: Screen-printing, Sonic Resistance & Video Editing

- English workshops (May 18) include: "Anarcho-Primitivism, Archeology and Anthropology" - "Organizing in Solidarity with Prisoners" - "What To Do in Times of Crisis? Using Harm Reduction to Support Responsible Decision-Making in Our Communities" - "Colonialism, Anarchism and Indigenism" - "Anarchist Legacy: A facilitated discussion about struggle and resistance" – "Abolition of the State: The Nature of the State; How it Could be Abolished; What Could Replace it"

- Workshop presenters include: Autonomous Social Center (Pointe-St-Charles), La Balancelle (Paris), Beehive Collective (Maine), Gord Hill (Coast Salish Territories), Cindy Milstein (Vermont), Philly's Pissed (Philadelphia), People's Global Action (PGA) Bloc (Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City), Wayne Price (New York City), Angela Sterritt (Coast Salish Territories), Tyendinaga Support Committee (Toronto), John Zerzan (Eugene, Oregon) and many others

- Art Exhibits (May 17&18) & Film Screenings (May 17).*

*Read BELOW for more details.*
-----
*
MONTREAL'S 9th ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR
Saturday, MAY 17, 10am to 6pm
CEDA, 2515 rue Delisle
(near the Lionel-Groulx metro)
**
--> Part of the month-long Festival of Anarchy (May 2008).
--> Followed by a full day of Anarchist Presentations and Workshops (May 18,
2008).
--> Bring your kids! Kids activities and free childcare on-site.
--> For anarchists, allies, and those who are interested or curious about
anarchism.
--> Free! Welcome to all!*

[The main space is wheelchair accessible. For more information or to inquire about other accessibility needs, see our accessibility policy -- http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/6 or contact the collective.]*

----------
More Info Below:
a) Booksellers, distributors and political groups (May 17)
b) Introductory Workshops (May 17)
c) Resistance 2010 Info Room (May 17)
d) KidZone! (May 17)
e) Film Screenings (May 17)
f) Art Exhibition (May 17-18)
g) Day of Anarchist Workshops, Discussions and Presentations (May 18)
h) Autonomous Media Room (May 18)
i) Festival of Anarchy (May 2008)
j) Contact Information and Volunteering
----------*

The Montreal Anarchist Bookfair (May 17, 2008) brings together anarchist ideas and practice, through words, images, music, and day-to-day struggles for justice, dignity and collective liberation. The Bookfair is as much for people who don't necessarily consider themselves anarchists, but are curious about anarchism, as it is a space for anarchists to meet, network and share. All are welcome.

The Bookfair is organized in a spirit of openness towards the different traditions, visions, and practices of anarchism. Together we share a commitment to promoting anarchism through the values of mutual aid, grassroots democracy, direct action, autonomy and solidarity, while opposing oppression in all its forms.

*What Happens at the Montreal Anarchist Bookfair? Read more here: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/3*


*::::: a) Booksellers, distributors and political groups :::::*

The heart of the Bookfair is the main auditorium on May 17, 2008 (10am-6pm) that will include over 100 booksellers, distributors, independent presses and political groups from all over Montreal, Quebec, North America, and abroad. A list of vendors from the 2007 bookfair is listed here: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/58


*::::: b) Introductory Workshops :::::*

SATURDAY, MAY 17, 11am-5pm
Introductory Workshops (for people new to or curious about anarchism):

- *"Demanding the Impossible: Sharing Visions of Anarchism"*, with the views of thirty local anarchists! – 11-1pm (FR) and 1-3pm (EN) in room 125

- *"An Introduction to Anarchism and its Aspirations"*, presented by Cindy Milstein (EN) – 3-5pm in room 302

- *"Vivre l'anarchie dans l'ici et le maintenant**"*, avec des militantEs de Québec (FR) – 13-15h, salle 302

- "*ABC de l'Anarchisme*", avec Anna & Marco (FR) – 15-17h, salle 125

- "*Re-Thinking Property, Re-using Space*" (EN, FR) (outdoor discussion, weather permitting) – 1-3pm.

All workshops will include whisper translation in English or French. Longer workshop descriptions are available at: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/57


*::::: c) Resistance 2010 Info Room :::::*

Saturday, May 17, 11am-5pm, room 305

In the year 2010, three major international events will be taking place in the Canadian state: the Winter Olympics in Vancouver/Whistler (Feb 12-28); the G-8 Leader's Summit (June/July, TBA), and the meeting of the NAFTA leaders as part of the so-called "Security and Prosperity Partnership." This room is for organizing resistance leading up to 2010.

11am: *No Olympics on Stolen Land* (EN)

Presentation on the resistance to colonialism on Turtle Island, including current organizing against the Olympics. The presentation will include photos and short video excerpts. Facilitated by Angela Sterritt and Gord Hill, anti-Olympics indigenous organizers/artists from occupied "British Columbia".

1pm: *Anarchists Supporting Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory Struggles *(EN)

This workshop will present current struggles on Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory from a supporters' perspective, and the impending trial of spokesperson Shawn Brant, who faces 12 years in prison. Facilitated by Tyendinaga Support Committee, concerned citizens, allies & activists who support of the Mohawks of Tyendinaga in their struggles.

2pm: *Anarchist Attack on the SPP and G8* (FR)

A presentation on the anarchist case against the G8 and SPP (Security and Prosperity Partnership), and more generally, the anarchist attack against colonialism, capitalism, imperialism and global apartheid. Facilitated by members of the PGA (People's Global Action) Bloc in Montreal.

3pm: *North Amerikan Resistance 2010 Strategy and Networking Session* (EN, FR, SP)

An opportunity for bookfair participants, from all over North Amerika, to network and strategize around Resistance 2010 efforts, also providing a space for American allies to talk about efforts to oppose the RNC and DNC, as well as cross border alliances at the US-Mexican border. Organized by members of the People's Global Action (PGA) Bloc in Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec City.

Info: info@amp-montreal.net - 514-848-7583
http://www.resistance2010.net -- www.no2010.com


*::::: d) KidZone! :::::*

Saturday, May 17, 10am-6pm.

Feel like wandering around the Bookfair without your kid(s)? Are they itching for some games, fun activities and snacks?? Alternatively, do you guys need a quiet space to chill out? Bring your kid(s) to the KidZone for tons of radical childcare fun! There will be outdoor activities, a craft/quiet room and workshops for any interested kids. Parents welcome!

Workshops include:
** Instrument making and musical mayhem with the Chaotic Insurrection
Ensemble
* Drumming with Mark
* Face painting and body art with Emily "Mamma Bear"
* Hip Hop dancing with Dylan
* Zine-making with the St. Emilie Skillshare
* Pirate games with Loïc
* Learn how to DJ with DJ Diasporaface
* Soccer with Lissa and Mark*

And more! For workshop times, check out the poster by the front entrance.

The entrance to the KidZone is located at the far end of the Main Hall, on the right side of the stage. Make sure to register your kid(s) before you drop them off!

Kids programming and childcare is organized by the Montreal Childcare Collective. If you're interested in finding out more about who we are, what we do, or you would like to get involved, come talk to us in the KidZone, or get in touch.

Info: childcarecollective@riseup.net - www.childcarecollective.blogspot.com


*::::: e) Film Screenings :::::*

Saturday, May 17 -- Room 202 --10am-6pm
Full film descriptions and schedule linked at: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/11


*::::: f) Art Exhibition :::::*

May 17-18, 2008, on all three floors of the CEDA (2515 Delisle). Art exhibition descriptions linked at: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/12

*
::::: g) Day of Anarchist Workshops, Discussions and Presentations :::::*

Sunday, May 18, 10am-5pm

There will be more than 10 panels, workshops and discussions during the day. All workshops will include translation for English and French. Confirmed workshops and presenters:

10am-12pm:

* *"Anarcho-Primitivism, Archeology and Anthropology"* (EN), presented by John Zerzan from the Green Anarchy Collective (Eugene, Oregon) and La Mauvaise Herbe (Montreal). (Main Hall)

* *"Organizing in Solidarity with Prisoners"* (EN), presented by members of Anarchist Black Cross Federation (Toronto/Montreal) (Room 305)

* *"Diverse Experiences of Autonomous Social Centres"* (FR), presented by members of the Autonomous Social Center in Pointe-St-Charles (Montreal) (Room 119)

* *Anarchist Theatre Workshop *(FR), presented by La Balancelle (Paris) (Room 302)

12-1pm:

* *Anarchist People of Colour (APOC) Strategizing Session* (EN, FR, SP) (outdoors, weather permitting, or somewhere indoors if it rains).

1-3pm:

* *"What To Do in Times of Crisis? Using Harm Reduction to Support Responsible Decision-Making in Our Communities"* (EN), presented by Philly's Pissed (Philadelphia), providing direct support to survivors of sexual assault. (Room 119)

* *"Colonialism, Anarchism and Indigenism" *(EN), presented by Gord Hill, Kwakwaka'wakw, editor of Warrior Publications, as well as the author of "500 Years of Indigenous Resistance." (Room 305)

* *"Atheism and Anarchism"* (FR), presented by Francois Jean (Montreal) (Main Hall)

* *"Free School: One is not born an anarchist, one becomes one"* (FR), facilitated by Barbara and Marike, with the collaboration of local mothers and kids. (Room 302)

3-5pm:

* *"Anarchist Legacy: A Facilitated discussion about intergenerationality, struggle and resistance*" (EN), with Mostafa and Amanda, anarchists based in Montreal, and special guests! (Main Hall)

* *"Abolition of the State: The Nature of the State; How it Could be Abolished; What Could Replace it"* (EN), presented by Wayne Price (NEFAC-New York City) (Room 305)

* *"Anarchism and the Quebec Conscription Riots of 1917-1918" *(FR), presented by Marc-André Cyr (Montréal) (Room 119)

* *"Anti-imperialist Anarchist Action and Analysis"* (FR), discussion and panel presented by Block the Empire-Montreal. (Room 302)

More detailed workshop descriptions linked at: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/57


*::::: h) Autonomous Media Room :::::*

Sunday, May 18, 10am-5pm, Room 125

This room will include hands-on workshops that are bilingual and all-ages. The Autonomous Media Room is dedicated to sharing the skills and knowledge of different mediums as deployed by anarchists.

10-11:45am
Hands-On Screen Printing for Women Identified Folks (building a frame and making a screen to take home), please sign up - limited to 5 people.

10am-3pm
Hands-On Workshop Building a Battery-Powered, Bike-Portable (and Loud!) Sound System (with Sonique Resistance)

1pm-2:45pm
Editing Video and Posting on the Internet (hosted by HomelessNation.org and CUTV)

3pm-5pm
A Behind-The-Scenes Look at the Beehive Design Collective's Anti-Copyright Images for Education (60mins) <> Net Neutrality, Internet Privacy, and the Open Source Software Revolution (60mins)

**Making Live Radio**
This day of workshops will be proceeded by a participatory LIVE radio show on Saturday, May 17th: Set-up begins at 12:30pm and we go live ON CKUT 90.3fm from the Bookfair between 2-4pm. Join us to learn how to setup a mixer, microphones, and a webstream for making live radio on the fm dial.

Info: 514-448-4041, x6788 or news@ckut.ca


*::::: i) Festival of Anarchy (May 2008) :::::*

The Festival of Anarchy has begun! Upcoming events include:

MAY 13-14: *Montreal Anarchist Theatre Festival*, with Bread & Puppet, La Balancelle, Le Comité de la fin du monde, and others.
info: www.myspace.com/anarchisttheatre_montreal

MAY 15: *The Global Economic Crisis: Radical Perspectives, with John Zerzan*(7:30pm, 200 Sherbrooke West, UQÀM).
info: mauvaiseherbe@riseup.net

MAY 16: *Anarchist Cabaret: A benefit for the Anarchist Bookfair* (8pm, Club Lambi, 4465 St-Laurent) with Please Don't Put Charles on the Money, Paul Cargnello, Du faim-fond d'notre ruelle, Team Rocket, Sofisticators, Homo Hobos, Jack Drill, Paula Belina & You!

MAY 20: *Resisting Colonialism on Turtle Island: From the Indian Act to the 2010 Olympics*; a multi-media presentation by Gord Hill and Angela Sterritt at the Native Friendship Center of Montreal (6:30pm, 2001 St-Laurent).
info: http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com

MAY 23: *The People's Camp*, organized by the Justice Coalition for Adil Charkaoui (12-6pm, Parc & Jean Talon); to be followed by a *Solidarity Across Borders Community Picnic* (6pm).
info: www.adilinfo.org or www.solidarityacrossborders.org

MAY 26: *Soirée de projection sur les squats et les centres sociaux autogérés* (7pm, Maison St-Columba à Pointe-St-Charles).
info: http://csa.revolte.biz

MAY 29: *Research and Activism*, organized by le Collectif de Recherche sur l'autonomie (5-8pm, Divan Orange, 4234 St-Laurent).
info: http://www.crac-kebec.org/

MAY 31: *Autonomous Gardening!* organized by La Pointe Libertaire (9am-1pm, St-Patrick & Island, metro Charlevoix). info: www.lapointelibertaire.org

Full Festival of Anarchy schedule linked at: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/13


*::::: j) Contact Information and Volunteering :::::*

If you would like to support the Bookfair collective in general, with organizing tasks between now and the Bookfair, get in touch!

If you have other ideas for the Bookfair or Festival of Anarchy, don't hesitate to get in touch with a proposal! Contact us to receive regular updates and announcements by e-mail.

post: Montreal Anarchist Bookfair
c/o QPIRG Concordia
1455 de Maisonneuve Ouest
Montréal, Québec, H3G 1M8
CANADUH

e-mail: info@anarchistbookfair.ca
phone: 514-435-2385
web: www.anarchistbookfair.ca

Nous parlons français. Se habla español.

Biofuels, Development and Patriarchy

From the May 6, 2008 issue of New Scientist:

The image of biofuels is rapidly tarnishing. Already under fire for displacing food production and tropical forests, they are now charged with marginalising poor rural women.

In a report published on 21 April, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization concludes that women subsistence farmers will be evicted to make way for huge biofuel plantations. The most vulnerable women already suffer extreme inequalities in African, Asian and Caribbean countries. These same countries are now hoping to cash in on the growing demand for biofuels in rich western countries.

"These women don't have access to land, or the land they do occupy is owned by men," says report author, Yianna Lambrou. "So if the men decide to set up a biofuel plant, the women would simply be evicted." That would push them onto marginal land barely capable of supporting crops, and also deny them easy access to water, as biofuel production would have first claim on the supply.

Even if jobs are on offer at a biofuel plant, they'll go mainly to men, and any women employed will receive lower wages for the same job, Lambrou says.

He believes that governments need to plan in advance to prevent these problems either by helping women form cooperatives to raise capital for their own biofuel plantations, or by experimenting with combining smaller-scale biofuel production with the methods of subsistence farming already in use in the area.

The patriarchal consequences of biofuel development seem no different than the consequences of any capitalist development of land use - on this same subject for instance, see Butch Lee's 2003 essay There's Fighting in Iraq but the Real Women's War is in Afrika.

The Truth Behind Shawn Brant's Latest Arrest: Racism in Ontario

The following released yesterday by Sue Collins, regarding the ongoing persecution of Shawn Brant.

Shawn Brant's Arrest – Statement by Sue Collis, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory

(May 4th, 2008) Eight days ago, on Friday, April 25th, 2008, my husband, Shawn Brant, was arrested and detained on assault and weapons charges. Since that time, Commissioner Julian Fantino and the Ontario Provincial Police have issued public statements that have, it seems, misstated the events leading to my husband's arrest.

I believe it is important to the public good for people to understand the circumstances that have lead to Shawn's incarceration at this time. Those circumstances are as follows:

On Sunday, April 20th, 2008, the community of Tyendinaga responded to threats from a Kingston developer to bring "a crew of 25 to 30 guys", in order to begin development on a property which falls within in the Culbertson Tract land claim. Mohawks from Tyendinaga did peaceful road closures on Highway 2, adjacent to this proposed development site on Mohawk land.

My husband Shawn has been living and complied with very strict conditions imposed when he was charged in relation to community rail and highway blockades on the June 2007 Aboriginal Day of Action. One of his conditions is not to attend protests. During the evening of Monday, April 21st, 2008, my husband was some distance away from the road closures erected in response to the Kingston developer, talking to a Tyendinaga community member, while he also checked a nearby creek for fish.

During this conversation, Shawn became aware of some commotion down the road, and made his way towards the commotion, parking his car some 50 feet away from where a small group of people was gathered on one side of the road. The first thing Shawn saw a 10-year-old girl shaking and crying uncontrollably. He had no idea what was going on. As he approached the scene, someone yelled "Shawn help us!" The little girl screamed, "They hurt my Mommy! They're gonna hurt my Mommy." Someone else yelled, "He has a ball bat!" At this time, Shawn noticed two trucks were parked facing the people who were in obvious distress. Shawn returned to his car and retrieved his fishing spear. By the time Shawn returned to where the people were gathered, the occupants of the trucks were back inside their vehicles. Shawn shouted at the occupants of the trucks to leave. The windows were so tinted that he could not make out their faces. The drivers of the trucks sped away with such force that one of their truck tires was raised in the air, spraying much gravel and stone at the women and the child, some of which they later discovered was imbedded in their skin.

Shawn turned his head to avoid catching stones in the face, and held out his spear in an effort to create some distance between the group of Mohawks and the trucks, out of concern that those in the vehicles would strike those on the road with their vehicles. The trucks then sped away. That is the extent of Shawn's interaction with the individuals he is now charged with assaulting. To be clear, he is charged with assaulting the men in the trucks.

A 911 call was made during this incident on April 21st, 2008, in which the trucks' licence plates were recorded. Shortly thereafter, the women made statements to the police, identifying the men driving the trucks as known Deseronto inhabitants, subsequently identified as Jamie Lalonde and Mike Lalonde. The women also testified in police statements that one of the men swung a club at them, drove one of the trucks into them, and threatened further violence. The women also described being injured by flying stones, and described the trauma endured by the young girl. No one but Shawn has been charged.

The men from Deseronto sought out this group of people, deliberately caused them injury and issued threats of further violence. They were targeted for assault and abuse for no other reason than that they are Native. The actions taken by the men from Deseronto were driven by bigotry and racial hatred. By definition, these were hate crimes. Again, no one but Shawn has been charged.

The men are presumed to have filed a complaint against my husband, resulting in a police search of his car on Friday, April 25th, when his fishing spear was taken from his car, and charges of assault and possession of a weapon – the spear – were laid. My husband remains in prison, in maximum security, as a result.

It is our understanding that the prosecution is seeking yet another publication ban on all future court proceedings in this matter. A pattern has emerged with respect to my husband, Shawn Brant. The police and prosecution make sensational and vilifying statements about Shawn in the media, and then seek a publication ban during court proceedings, when the actual evidence is introduced. The starkly different narrative of events that emerges in court is withheld and the public forbidden from hearing it. The version of events I have just presented will all but disappear.

Less than a month ago, my husband was acquitted of charges he carried for more than 18 months. When issuing the ruling in this acquittal, the judge described the investigative practice and evidence employed and presented by the cops and the Crown as "problematic" and "troubling," as they related to Shawn. During this same period, CBC Radio aired a documentary in which several Mohawk people recounted conversations with OPP Commissioner Fantino that occurred during the 2007 Aboriginal Day of Action, in which they say he threatened to "ruin" Shawn. During Shawn's detention at the Napanee OPP detachment last week, several different police officers threatened to "slit his throat" and "cut off his head."

As I deal with the tears of young children who have been robbed of their father once again, Commissioner Fantino claims the OPP is an apolitical and professional organization, dedicated to upholding the rule of law. The events of the past week indicate it is anything but.

- Sue Collis
Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory

---------------------------------

Bad stuff, but not all surprising.

In fact, this is a fairly straightforward first-line tactic the State uses to silence dissent, identifying key activists and subjecting them to arbitrary arrest, even if the charges won't stick. The time spent in jail, the lawyers' fees, the constant uncertainty about when the police will take you next... it can severely disrupt an individual's life, cause great stress and fear to them and their loves ones, and also serves to intimidate others who might otherwise be inspired to stand up and fight back.

At the low-level, such repression amounts to harassment, but it can also escalate to actual frame-ups and violence, both by police and also by "members of the community" acting on the police's behalf, which seems to have been the case here.

The best protection against this repression is solidarity, and actions to turn the State's attacks into an embarrassment for them, by using them to expose the various mechanisms of oppression - in this case racism and colonialism - on which their system has been built.

Montreal Police attack Anti-Capitalist May Day Demonstration

Yesterday a demonstration organized by a number of radical left organizations, including anarchists and Marxist-Leninist and others, was attacked by police in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, a predominantly working class Quebecois neighbourhood in east Montreal.

As can be read below, neo-nazis were used to provoke a minor incident, which was then used as a pretext by the police to attack the march. This is not the first time neo-nazis have attacked members of the radical left in the area, nor is it the first time some of us have wondered at their relationship with the local police.

The communique from the Anti-Capitalist May Day Liaison Committee is reproduced here, translation courtesy of yours truly:

Comrades and Friends,
Here is a communiqué which will be sent out to the media throughout the day, to follow up on yesterday evening’s events in Montreal, where the police brutally attacked the May Day demonstration. At least three people were arrested, one of them is to appear in court this afternoon (Friday), though we do not yet know what charges they are facing.

The groups who organized the anti-capitalist May Day demonstration will meet early next week to review the event. In the meantime, we are asking for your solidarity. Please send any information you may have regarding the Montreal Police Department’s attack, the arrests, people who were injured (including photos and videos) to: 1erMai2008@gmail.com.

Thank you everyone, in solidarity!

The liaison committee

P.S. A video is already up at www.revolutionseulesolution.org.


Communiqué - For Immediate Release

Montreal : the Police Attack an Anti-Capitalist Demonstration

(Montreal, May 2, 2008) In a brutal and unjustified intervention, last night the Montreal police attacked the anti-capitalist May Day demonstration, on international workers’ day. Organized by twenty collectives and social, community and political groups (see list below), the demonstration brought out 800 people in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood – one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Canada, where people suffer the heaviest exploitation.

All day, Place Valois, on the corner of Ontario and Valois streets, was occupied by militants from the BAILS committee [trans. note: in French, “bail” means lease], who denounced the gentrification going on in the neighbourhood, the rent hikes and the more and more difficult conditions people in the neighbourhood are facing. Around 5pm, Place Valois was filled for a community supper, some entertainment and some speeches. It was a festive atmosphere, and many people from the neighbourhood were present, workers of all ages, whole families with their children. This was in striking contrast with the aggressive atmosphere which reigned amongst the police, who were already there in great numbers, and who seemed to be looking for any excuse to ban the demonstration. At least two superior officers from the Montreal Police Department (SPVM) were on the scene with their megaphones, ready to decree that it was an “illegal gathering”, even though nothing illegal had taken place and the participants simply wanted to exercise their right to demonstrate, as officially recognized by Canadian law.

Around 6:30pm, the demonstration began heading west along Ontario. It was a lively march, the crowd was shouting out slogans and many onlookers came to join and find out why people were demonstrating.

Suddenly, two people who are well known in the neighbourhood as neo-nazi militants appeared around a corner, decked out in all their gear, to heckle the demonstrators, in what appeared to be a clear provocation. Quick on their toes, some demonstrators went up to them to let them know that their presence was not appropriate, and that it would be better for them if they got lost. A dozen SPVM officers on bicycles were present beside the hecklers when they appeared but did nothing to separate them from the demonstrators.

After this incident, it took only a few minutes for hordes of riot police to circle the demonstration; then, without warning, they attacked the demonstrators, using their clubs and pepper spray. Remember that the crowd included a good number of families, children and elderly people, as the SPVM officers present at the rally had seen for themselves. The demonstrators attempted to regroup to defend the rally. Some of them succeeded in continuing the demonstration through nearby streets and to make their way to Papineau metro, where the demonstration ended.

The liaison committee of the anti-capitalist May Day demonstration vigorously protests this latest attack by the SPVM, an attack on democratic freedoms. We wish specifically to refute the SPVM’s claim that they intervened because “fights had broken out between demonstrators”. The truth is that there was no “fight” inside the demonstration; on the contrary, there was a festive atmosphere, full of solidarity, in the spirit of May Day. As we have explained, the incident which occurred was caused by two provocateurs who had nothing to do with the demonstration. That the police preferred to use this incident as an excuse to attack and break up a legitimate demonstration instead of simply neutralizing these provocateurs says a lot about what they had decided right from the start: for them, the anti-capitalist demonstrators do not have any civil rights and it is up to them to decide if the political views of this or that demonstration are worthy of being heard. It certainly seems that the champions of the police state who are in charge of the SPVM are more interested in “neutralizing” the anti-capitalists than in taking care of the neo-nazis who are making trouble in working class neighbourhoods.

We also protest the fact that the police carried out at least three arrests; one of the people arrested will appear in court this afternoon (Friday), though we do not yet know what charges they are facing. We demand their immediate and unconditional release.

If it wasn’t for this illegal, unjustified and brutal attack by the SPVM, the anti-capitalist May Day demonstration would have been a great success. The enthusiasm of the 800 or so participants made it one of the most important anti-capitalist rallies in Montreal over the past five years. Now these anti-capitalist militants will be joined by all those who defend the right to demonstrate and democratic freedoms and refuse to live in a state where the cops do as they please.

- 30 -

For more : 1erMai2008@gmail.com

Six Nations Defendants in Solidarity With Others Being Charged For Land Rights Stands

The OPP has withdrawn its offensive in Tyendinaga and the blockade of Highway 6 at Six Nations has been taken down and rail traffic is being allowed through. For your information, some people from Six Nations who are being charged with criminal offences as a result of land rights stands made the following stand earlier this week in solidarity. From the Upping the Anti blog:

Six Nations Defendants in Solidarity With Others Being Charged For Land Rights Stands

Statement by Skyler Williams At The Cayuga Court House Six Nations of Grand River Territory

April 28, 2008
My name is Skyler Williams. I am a Mohawk, Wolf, from Six Nations of The Grand River Territory. I am speaking on behalf of myself and several others that have been charged with criminal offences in connection with defending our land rights at Six Nations.

We have instructed our lawyer today not to proceed with our legal defence, so long as police have guns turned on our brothers and sisters in Tyendinaga.

Over the past months, Canada’s efforts to criminalize those of us who are standing up for our land rights has reached epic proportions. The message is clear: participate in negotiations that go nowhere as our lands are developed and destroyed - or go to jail.

Today, Six Nations is standing in steadfast solidarity with those in Tyendinaga whose lives and freedoms are in jeopardy because they are standing up for their rights. We also stand with those in Akwesasne, Kanawake and all peoples who have joined in this stand.

Also, we stand with those leaders of Ardoch Algonquin and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug that are in jail because they refuse to betray their people and allow for mining exploration in their traditional territories.

Canada has had generation after generation to take seriously the issues that we are raising. They continue to violate the treaties, they continue to destroy traditional territory, they continue to criminalize our people. Today, our very survival is at stake, the future of our children is at stake.

Generation after generation, my people have continued to deal with Canada in the spirit of peace and friendship. However, Canada has done more than just thumb its nose at the treaties that were made in order to define our relationship and bind our nations. If Canada will not respect the treaties and will not negotiate solutions in good faith, then we will be forced to take a stand. Canada makes this stand necessary and then arrests us for making it.

It is our intention to highlight the connection between land rights struggles and criminal charges. The weight of criminal charges on native people is obvious when we are put in jail. But, it needs to be recognized that the process of defending ourselves also has a real and profound impact.

For example, there is no part of our lives that is not affected by the bail conditions that have been imposed upon us. The intent of these conditions is to demean us, force us to learn Canadian-style obedience or go back to jail. Like generations before me, I will not, I can not be forced to surrender my identity or abandon my responsibilities to my children, my clan or my nation. I have respected the conditions of my bail because my relationship to Canada is defined through treaty and I believe it would be a violation of these treaties and of the Great Law for me to betray my word – even to Canada.

We have been, to date, denied anything that resembles adequate disclosure in order to properly defend ourselves. The police and the Crown are trying to manipulate and control what makes it to court, determining for themselves the relevance of any and all evidence.

We, as Haudenosaunee people, will not be deterred. We will remain silent no more. We will continue to stand with our brothers and sisters from across Turtle Island. And finally, standing together, our voices will be heard.

- 30 -

For more information:
Skyler Williams
(519) 445-4349

One Round for Our Side: Police Withdraw from Tyendinaga

Barricades came down in Ontario Tuesday, as the anti-colonial resisters at Tyendinaga are declaring victory. The following from The Dominion:

After a week of tension the police services have declared withdrawal from the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Though announcing today all Ontario Provincial Police barricades are to be removed, cruisers and helicopters continue to survey the area.

Satisfied with the outcome, the Mohawk defenders of the Quarry have declared victory, consequent to which all solidarity blockades at Six Nations in Caledonia have also been removed.

Three members of the Tyendinaga Mohawks remain in custody though two were released on Monday, April 28th, 2008.

Supplies, a trailer, a barbecue, food, and some vehicles belonging to the Mohawk community have been taken by the police forces and are still not returned.

Meanwhile, non-Native allies have been assembling and delivering supplies from various Ontario cities to support the Mohawks in their struggle since Friday, April 25th, 2008.

The community estimates police surveillance will continue until Thursday when the remaining detainees are scheduled to appear in court.

For this purpose they are requesting monetary assistance with legal fees and will be holding various fundraisers.