Montreal Anarchist Bookfair this weekend May 29-30!

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MONTREAL ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR 2010

MAY 29-30, 10am-5pm

at the CEDA, 2515 rue Delisle

(a short walk from Lionel-Groulx metro)

FREE. Welcome to all!

For anarchists and people curious about anarchism.

Check out the HIGHLIGHTS below: Main Hall, Kid Zone, Introductions to Anarchism, Workshops and Presentations, Film Room, Indigenous Solidarity Room, Anarchist Parents Discussion Room, Anti-Capitalist Resistance Room, Anarchist Cabaret, Festival of Anarchy and more.

Participants from all over Quebec and North America, booksellers and vendors, workshops, films, discussions, kids activities, art exhibits and more!

NOTE: During this year’s Bookfair, tabling will take place over TWO DAYS: May 29-30, between 10am-5pm.

[français: www.salonanarchiste.ca]
[fully updated information below and on the website: www.anarchistbookfair.ca]
[please post and forward widely; curious about anarchism? check us out!]

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The Montreal Anarchist Bookfair -- and month-long Festival of Anarchy -- bring together anarchist ideas and practice, through words, images, music, theatre and day-to-day struggles for justice, dignity and collective liberation.

The Bookfair is for people who don't necessarily consider themselves anarchists, but are curious about anarchism, as well as a space for anarchists to meet, network and share in a spirit of respect and solidarity. 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.

The Bookfair and Festival of Anarchy provide an important gathering and reference point for anti-authoritarian ideas and practice in North America.

• What Happens at the Montreal Anarchist Bookfair? Read more here: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/about/what-happens-at-the-bookfair
• Accessibility Statement: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/accessibility

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HIGHLIGHTS:

MAIN HALL: The Bookfair features over 100 booksellers, distributors, independent presses, zines and political groups from all over Montreal, Quebec and North America, and abroad. This year’s out-of-town vendors come from France, England, Switzerland, Belgium & Sweden; Oakland, Baltimore, Washington, Cincinnati, New York City, Indiana, Virginia, New Jersey, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut & Vermont; Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Fredericton, Halifax, Guelph, London Hamilton, Toronto, Kingston & Ottawa; Trois-Rivières, Drummondville, Saguenay-Lac St-Jean & Quebec City; and more! For a full list of vendors, visit: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/participants

KID ZONE!: Fun activities, snacks, outdoor games, craft room, quiet space and more for all interested kids (and their parents): http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/kids-and-parents

ART & ANARCHY: Art & Anarchy brings together the creations of dozens of anarchist-inspired artists and organizers. This year’s exhibition will include sculptures, paintings, posters, banners, drawings, and other multi-media forms. info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/art


INTRODUCTIONS TO ANARCHISM:
- On Saturday, May 29 at 1pm:

• Anarchism and Its Aspirations (Cindy Milstein)
• The ABSs of Anarchism (Anna Kruzynski & Marco Silvestro)

- On Sunday, May 30 at 1pm:

• Anarchism without Anarchists / Anarchism with Anarchists: The Practice and Relevance of Anarchism (Jaggi Singh)
• The History of Anarchism in Quebec (Mathieu Houle-Courcelles)

info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/workshops



SATURDAY WORKSHOPS & PRESENTATIONS (May 29):

• 11am: Refusing to Be Abused: Histories and Present Realities of Copwatch as a Tool Against Police Repression (Copwatch Montreal & Winnipeg)
• 11am: Self-Management versus Capitalist Management (Nicolas van Caloen)
• 1pm: Building land defence and anti-colonial resistance movements: Becoming a force to be reckoned with (Shabina Lafleur-Gangji & Matt Soltys)
• 3pm: Solidarity City: Migrant justice and the everyday practice of mutual aid and direct action
• 3pm: One Big Union and revolutionary syndicalist movements in Quebec and in Canada (Mathieu Houle-Courcelles)
• 3pm : Practical strategies for anarchist writing (Alexis Shotwell)

info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/workshops



SUNDAY WORKSHOPS & PRESENTATIONS (May 30):

• 11am: Anarchism and Riots (Marc-André Cyr)
• 11am: Panel: Taking Ourselves Seriously: Developing Strategy for Social – Transformation (Chris Dixon, Cindy Milstein and Maia Ramnath)
• 12pm: Anarchist Writers of Fiction Meeting (facilitated by Norman Nawrocki)
• 1pm: Basic Computer Security (the Koumbit Network)
• 3pm: Eugenics in Anarchism and Feminism (AJ Withers & Griffin Epstein)
• 3pm: Capitalist Authority versus Anti-Colonial Breakout: The example of the militant direct-action Civil Rights movement in one Northern u.s. city, 1960-1965 (J. Sakai)
• 3pm: Sea Piracy and Anarchism: Beyond the myths (Marco Silvestro)

info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/workshops



FILM ROOM (Saturday, May 29):

• Deux roues sur terre (Guillaume Girard, 2009, 66 min., FR, Uruguay / Canada)
• Slug love (J. Mary Burnet, 2009, 3min.30, EN, Canada)
• Contre-culture à vendre (Pierre-Luc Junet, 2009, 7 min., FR, Québec)
• Tortilleria (Chloé Germain-Thérrien, 2010, 3min.30, no dialogue, Québec)
• Motions for web (Anita Schoepp, 2010, 4 min., no dialogue, Québec)
• I didn’t know what to say to him (Jessica McCormack and Stephen Brown, 2008 7 min., EN, Québec)
• Psychic Capital (Jessica McCormack and Rae Spoon, 2009, 16 min., EN, Québec)
• If CSIS comes knocking (People's Commission Network, 6 min., EN, 2010, Québec)
• Interviews from Defenders of the Land 2008 (45 min. excerpt, 2008, Winnipeg)
• Regards de société : Afrique, Palestine, Montréal (Santiago Bertolino and Steve Patry, 2009-2010, 65 minutes, FR, Québec)
• Les Anarchistes (2009, 25 min., FR, France)
• Whatever happened to Who’s Emma (Lyndall Musselman, 2009, 27 min., EN, Canada)

info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/films


INDIGENOUS SOLIDARITY ROOM (Saturday, May 29):

• 11am: 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance (with Gord Hill, Kwakwaka’wakw)
• 1pm: Justice for Missing, Murdered and Disappeared Indigenous Women (with Bridget Tolley, Algonquin from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg)
• 3pm: 20 Years Since Oka: Kanienkehaka Communities in Resistance (with Clifton Arihwakehte a member of the Kanehsatake Mohawk Community)

info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/indigenous-solidarity-room

ANARCHIST PARENTS DISCUSSION ROOM (Saturday, May 29):

• 11am: Alternative Birthing (presenters include Martine Quimper, Melissa Bellemare, Francine Rhéault and others)
• 12pm: Radical Learning and Education (with the Rad School, Cap Libre, Jerry Mintz from the Alternative Education Resource Organization in New York, Kamala Bhusal of Sri Aurobindo Ashram/Orphanage in Nepal and others)
• 3pm: Supporting parents dealing with state authorities

info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/kids-and-parents


ANTI-CAPITALIST RESISTANCE ROOM (Sunday, May 30):

• Toronto Community Mobilization Network (TCMN)/Southern Ontario Anarchist Resistance (SOAR)
• G20, Power and the Economic Crisis (Coalition féministe radicale contre le G20)
• Student Resistance to the G20 (le Regroupememt Anti-G20 Étudiant (RAGE))
• The Economic and Ecological Crisis of Capitalism (presented by the popular education of the
• Anti-Capitalist Convergence (CLAC2010))

info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/clac2010



ANARCHIST CABARET (Friday, May 28, at Il Motore, 179 Jean-Talon Ouest): A kick-off and benefit for the Montreal Anarchist Bookfair. A night of music, hip hop and dancing: Micros Armés, Dramatik, Chaotic Insurrection Ensemble, Emrical and Don’t Put Charles on the Money. info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/anarchist-cabaret-may-28

FESTIVAL OF ANARCHY: The entire month of May in Montreal is part of the Festival of Anarchy, with diverse anarchist-themed events occurring at different venues all over the island of Montreal. info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/festival-of-anarchy

DONATIONS: The proceeds from this year’s Montreal Anarchist Bookfair will support the DIRA Anarchist Library (Montreal) and the new Anarchist Bookfair Accessibility Fund. info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/donations

Curious about anarchism? Check us out!



TO STAY IN TOUCH:

• e-mail: info@anarchistbookfair.ca
• web: www.anarchistbookfair.ca
• telephone: 514-679-5800
• announcements list: https://masses.tao.ca/lists/listinfo/salon-annonces
• facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=71082453058
• twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BookfairAnarMTL

On FRIDAY, May 28, after 8pm: We’ll be at Il Motore (179 Jean-Talon Ouest) for the Anarchist Cabaret.

On SATURDAY, May 29 and SATURDAY, May 30, 10am-5pm: This year’s Anarchist Bookfair is taking place in two buildings, which are across from each other. Our main space is the CEDA (2515 Delisle), and adult education and community center based in Little Burgundy/St-Henri, site of the Bookfair for the past 8 years. We are also using the Georges-Vanier Cultual Center across from the CEDA.

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May 16: Laura Whitehorn and Susie Day Speaking in Montreal

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REFLECTIONS ON REVOLUTION:
Radical movements from the Weather Underground
to Prisons to Palestine

Featuring: Laura Whitehorn & Susie Day, with an introduction by a member of Montreal's Prisoner Correspondence Project.

Saturday, May 16 2009, 7pm
1400 de Maisonneuve Ouest, Room LB-125
(de Sève Cinema, Concordia University)

Former member of the Weather Underground and ex-political prisoner Laura Whitehorn and writer and activist Susie Day talk about radical activism from the sixties to the present day, how this history influences our organizing, and the connections between struggles such as anti-imperialist organizing, queer liberation, and political prisoner movements.

Limited seating available, please arrive early to avoid disappointment. This venue is wheelchair accessible. Presentations will be made in English with whisper translation into French. For childcare or other accessibility needs, please get in touch 48 hours prior to the event.

Presented by members of Certain Days Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar, Open Door Books, Prisoner Correspondence Project, Project 10, Q-Team, and Tadamon!

Contact: 514 664 1036 / qteam@riseup.net

This event is taking place as part of Montreal's Festival of Anarchy: www.anarchistbookfair.ca

Speaker Bios:

Laura Whitehorn: After a relatively middle class beginning in New Rochelle, NY, Laura joined the Weather Underground Organization and later spent over 14 years in prison for a series of property bombings that protested racism and the imperial policies of the U.S. government. She's been an out lesbian most of her life and, for almost 10 years, she's been out of prison. Laura is now a senior editor at POZ, a magazine for HIV-positive people.

Susie Day: Suzie clawed her way up from the lower middle class of Kansas City to work as a hip New York City paralegal and occasional activist. She's written for various queer and leftist publications about political prisoners and labor issues. She also writes a monthly political satire column that nets her sometimes as much as 50 dollars.

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10th Montreal Anarchist Bookfair: May 16-17 2009

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Montreal's 10th Annual Anarchist Bookfair
MAY 16-17, 2009
at the CEDA, 2515 Delisle
(a short walk from Lionel-Groulx metro)

The Montreal Anarchist Bookfair -- and month-long Festival of Anarchy -- brings together anarchist ideas and practice, through words, images, music, theatre 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 in a spirit of respect and solidarity. 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. The Bookfair principles are linked here: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/4

The Bookfair is one of the largest anarchist events in North America, and for the past decade, an important gathering and reference point for anti-authoritarian ideas and practice. This year marks an important milestone for the Bookfair: our tenth anniversary.

For a list of workshops being presented at this year's bookfair: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/57

Accessibility Statement: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/6

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's Anarchist Bookfair
1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest, Suite 204
Montréal, Québec, H3G 1N1

e-mail: info@anarchistbookfair.ca
web: www.anarchistbookfair.ca

Nous parlons français.
Se habla español.

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May 2009: Montreal's Festival of Anarchy!

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Every year May is "Festival of Anarchy" month in Montreal, a series of events orbiting the annual anarchist bookfair) this year held the weekend of May 16-17).

The following is a list of the events planned so far:


-> Friday, MAY 1, 5:30pm
Demonstration Against Capitalism
Parc Cabot (corner Atwater and Ste-Catherine – métro Atwater)

As part of the growing worldwide demonstrations against the crisis, a demonstration against capitalism is being organized as part of the May 1st workers holiday. Gathering at 5:30pm, march at 6:30pm. The demonstration will march to the main offices of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec in the heart of the business district (1000, place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, in Vieux-Montréal). We will not pay for their crisis! Info: 1ermai2008@gmail.com


-> Friday, MAY 1, 8:30pm
Spectacle anticapitaliste
Petit Café Campus, 57 Prince-Arthur East

With: Paul Cargnello and the Frontline, Fred Dubonnet, Chaotic insurrection ensemble, members of Nomadic Massive, Micros Armés, Son un poco politicas. Doors at 8:30pm; suggested donation: $5. Info: 1ermai2008@gmail.com


-> Friday, MAY 1 to Sunday, MAY, 31
Exhibition of the art of Tournesol Plante
Divan Orange, 4234 St-Laurent, corner Rachel

Throughout the month of May, during the Festival of Anarchy, local anarchist artist Tournesol Plante’s works will be on exhibit. The vernissage takes place on May 1 from 5-7pm. Info: anartiste1984@yahoo.ca


-> Monday, MAY 4, 7pm
Piracy and the Anarchist Movement: Between Myth and Reality
Carrefour d'éducation populaire, 2356 rue Centre (métro Charlevoix)

Today's anarchist movement often makes reference to the piracy of the 17th and 18th centuries, in its discourse, its lifestyle and its symbolism. However, what was the reality of this piracy? Do the egalitarian practices amongst pirates justify the references of today's anarchists? This workshop aims to provide a quick overview of the interesting and less interesting historical elements of piracy for today's anarchists. Organized by the popular education committees of the Autonomous Social Center and the People's Global Action (PGA) Bloc. Info: www.centresocialautogere.org


-> Tuesday, May 5 & Wednesday, May 6, 7pm
Anarchist Poetry Nights
at Quai des Brumes, 4481 rue St-Denis (métro Mt-Royal)

Each evening will have two parts: the first with invited poets, the latter with an open-mic. Free. Info: amouranarchie@live.ca


-> Tuesday, MAY 5 to Sunday, MAY 31
JUSTSEEDS Visual Resistance
Cagibi, 5490 St-Laurent

This month-long print show will cover the walls of Cagibi with over a hundred print works by members of the JUSTSEEDS Visual Resistance Artists' Cooperative. Info: www.justseeds.org


-> Saturday, MAY 9, 5:30pm
Immigrant Workers Center Mayworks Dinner
Parc Extension Community Center, 419 St-Roch (métro Parc)

Join the IWC and allies as they celebrate one year of immigrant worker struggles. Food, performances and presentations. Free. Info: iwc_cti@yahoo.com


-> Sunday, MAY 10, 8pm till late.
Vernissage, Art Appreciation and Dancing
Cagibi, 5490 St-Laurent

The official vernissage of the JUSTSEEDS exhibit at Cagibi. A coming together of artists, anarchists and friends. Welcome to all! Info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/12


-> Monday, MAY 11, 5-7pm
Book Launch: “Lunch for Insurgents”
Casa del Popolo, 4873 boulevard St-Laurent

Author and performer Norman Nawrocki's newest collection of poetics in his 'Brain Food Trilogy'. Info: www.nothingness.org/music/rhythm


-> Wednesday, MAY 13 & Thursday, MAY 14, 7:30pm
The 4th Annual International Anarchist Theatre Festival
D.B. Clarke Theatre, 1455 de Maisonneuve West (métro Guy-Concordia)

The fourth annual Montreal International Anarchist Theatre Festival proudly presents two nights with New York’s legendary “The Living Theatre”. Wednesday night’s program also includes Maikan, the Innu giant puppet theatre troupe from Mali-Utenam (Québec). Thursday night’s performance includes Geneviève Letarte and La Chorale de la Maison La Virevolte et ses musiciens et musiciennes. Tickets are $15 at the door or in advance at L’Insoumise, 2033 boul St-Laurent (tel: 514- 313-3489). Info: anarchistefestival@yahoo.ca


-> Thursday, MAY 14, from 6pm
"Living as anarchists": From the "free milieux" to current practices
Rhizome, 1800 Létourneux, coin Lafontaine (métro Pie-IX)

At the close of the 19th century anarchists in France -men and women- "individualists", "communists", "naturists", created collective spaces, "free milieux" or anarchist colonies. Putting into practice communism, getting rid of all forms of authority, opting out of work, but also overturning different aspects of daily life: family, love, education, contraception, nutrition. These practices elicited a lot of questions on the ways and possibility of in the immediate, "living as anarchists". Workshop given by Céline, a French anarchist activist. Organized by la Mauvaise Herbe. Info: mauvaisherbe@riseup.net


-> FRIDAY, MAY 15, 8pm
ANARCHIST CABARET
L’Alizée, 900 Ontario est

Featuring anarchist stylin's from Montreal and abroad, including Benoît Tremble, Micros Armés, Testament, the Outspoken Wordsmiths, Willow and Mishka, FIE, and Don’t Put Charles on the Money, and many more still to be confirmed. The space is wheelchair accessible. Info: info@salonanarchiste.ca or 514-679-5800.


-> SATURDAY, MAY 16, 10am-6pm
MONTREAL’s 10th ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR
CEDA, 2515 rue Delisle (métro Lionel-Groulx)

The Bookfair includes: films, art exhibits, introductory workshops, as well as over 100 distributors and tables from all over Montreal, Quebec & North America (and elsewhere). Free and welcome to all! What happens at the Montreal Anarchist Bookfair?: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/3


-> Saturday, MAY 16, 7pm
Party and BBQ after the Bookfair
behind 2033 St-Laurent (métro St-Laurent)

An after-Bookfair gathering for food, discussion and other festivities. In the courtyard of the Independent Media Center and the DIRA Anarchist Library. Info: http://www.cmi-imc.info


-> SUNDAY, MAY 17, 10am-5pm
DAY OF ANARCHIST WORKSHOPS
CEDA, 2515 rue Delisle (métro Lionel-Groulx)

A full day of anarchist-themed workshops, panels and presentations. Confirmed topics and presentations include: The Crisis in Anarchist Publishing * Polinizaciones: Pollinating the North & South (with the Beehive Collective) * Anarchism and Ableism: Moving Towards Inclusion and Accessibility * Strategizing queer insurgency!: Re-centering marginalized queer issues from an anarchist perspective * Women and political violence: Assata Shakur and Ann Hansen

French workshops (with translation towards English): Résistance populaire et autogestion: Une stratégie pour les libertaires * Luttes urbaines et changement social * Économie politique d'un capitalisme en crise * Comprendre la criminalization de la contestation politique à partir des expériences au Canada, en Colombie et ailleurs * Organisation anti-capitaliste en milieu étudiant

Info: www.anarchistbookfair.ca


-> Sunday, MAY 17, 10pm
Glamarchist Lookfair: Q-Team Party and Fundraiser
Il Motore, 179 rue Jean-Talon Ouest
info: qteam@riseup.net


-> Monday, MAY 18, from 9am onwards
Jardin de la Liberté: Guerrilla gardening
Rendez-vous: at the end of rue Island
(beside the Lachine Canal in Point-St-Charles)

Guerrilla gardeners are gathering in Point-St-Charles, for a third direct action. The action will happen from 9am until the evening, with lunch served during the day. Info: http://www.lapointelibertaire.org/jardindelaliberte


-> Monday, MAY 18, 7:30-10pm
JUSTSEEDS Slideshow Presentation
Cagibi, 5490 St-Laurent

A multi-media slideshow presentation of radical and engaged print practices as well as the work of JUSTSEEDS Visual Resistance Artists' Cooperative, with presentations by Josh McPhee, author of Stencil Pirates: A Global Survey of Street Stenciling, and Erik Ruin, member of JustSeeds. Prints will be on sale. Info: http://www.anarchistbookfair.ca/en/node/12


-> Wednesday, MAY 20, 6pm
Roundtable: Research and Resistance
Cagibi, 5490 St-Laurent

A roundtable discussion on grassroots knowledge and struggle. Join us for an evening of short presentations by members of le Collectif de recherche sur l’autonomie collective (CRAC), the Community-University Research Exchange (CURE) and other groups, followed by a group discussion. Info: www.crac-kebec.org


-> Friday, MAY 22, 6pm.
Solidarity Across Borders (SAB) Community Dinner
At the Maison d'amitié, 120 Duluth East (métro Sherbrooke)

Welcome to all friends, allies and supporters of Solidarity Across Borders & migrant justice struggles in Montreal. Our community dinner will include a menu of tasty foods (both meat and vegetarian) prepared by members and supporters of Solidarity Across Borders. Don't hesitate to bring food to share. Dinner is served at 6pm (sharp!). Party and discussion to follow. Bring your kids! Kids activities planned on-site. Free. Info: 514-848-7583, www.solidarityacrossborders.org


-> Saturday, MAY 23, 7pm
Polinizaciones: Pollinating the North and South
Bar Populaire, 6584 St-Laurent (métro Beaubien)

A multimedia workshop on collective struggles in the North and South, with Projet Accompagnement Solidarité Colombie and the Beehive Collective. Info: www.pasc.ca


-> Wednesday, MAY 27, 8pm
Political documentaries under the stars
2033 St-Laurent (métro St-Laurent)

A presentation of two politically charged, locally produced full-length documentaries: “Myths for Profit: Canada's Role in Industries of War and Peace” and a sneak preview of 'H2Oil' about the Alberta Tar Sands. The screening will take place outside under the stars. Bring your blankets and enjoy two brand new critical and engaging films, both of which examine Canadian political and economic policies and realities. Rain or shine. Info: www.wideopenexposure.com , http://h2oildoc.com/home/


-> Friday, MAY 29, 5:30pm
Demonstration in support of the Autonomous Social Center
Rendez-vous: Parc-St-Gabriel, at métro Charlevoix

The Autonomous Social Center (Centre social autogéré) will be occupied and opened in an abandoned building in Pointe-St-Charles. A child-friendly demonstration. Info: www.centresocialautogere.org


-> Saturday, MAY 30, 8pm
Opening Party of the Autonomous Social Center
Location tba!

Various revolutionary musicians and artists will be performing at the newly opened Autonomous Social Center. Come and support the opening of a squat! Info: www.centresocialautogere.org


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For more info about the Montreal Anarchist Bookfair and the Festival of Anarchy:
www.anarchistbookfair.ca - 514-679-5800 - info@anarchistbookfair.ca

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Montreal Anarchist Bookfair, Sojourner Truth Organization, and a work crunch...

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As a note of explanation: a work crunch.

Several projects are nearing completion, and that means lots and lots of work with little time left for blogging. It’s a productive phenomenon, but i still do hope that i’ll have a chance to spend a few hours writing and updating you all on things soon.

In the meantime – one thing i had meant to write about if not for the lack of time was the Montreal Anarchist Bookfair a few weeks ago. It was a great event – i had more fun at it than i have at previous bookfairs for years – and i was happy to attend three great workshops, one on Anti-Authoritarian Approaches to Dealing with Sexual Assault (put on by Philly’s Pissed and Philly Stands Up – my only complaint about this workshop is that it was so promising and god but really could have been a day long presentation/discussion, rather than a rushed 1 or 2 hours first thing in the morning), one by Dan Berger on Anarchist and Anti-Imperialist Lessons of the Weather Underground and…

a truly worthwhile workshop by Mike Staudemeier about the Sojourner Truth Organization and its influence on modern day anarchism (the STO was a Marxist-Leninist organization that existed from 1969 to 1983).

Mike’s workshop was fascinating on a bunch of levels – for one i really appreciated hearing the exchange he had with members of NEFAC about trade unions and workplace organizing, and for two i found the way in which this discussion dovetailed with questions of anti-fascist organizing to be very promising. (In fact, i am really hoping that it is a discussion that will be continued.)

I was struck by just how promising – and relevant – these questions were when over the next days racist violence erupted in Caledonia, but also as i got to spend a very enjoyable evening with some comrades from the Maritimes, who recounted the joys of being the only anarchists to come from their small white dirt poor town where publicly calling yourself an anti-racist can be a dangerous thing to do.

Not the first time i’ve heard either kind of story, but it says something about Mike’s presentation (and also the political level of discussion that NEFAC comrades were engaging in) that within 48 hours of the workshop i kept on stumbling over so many relevant connections to what had been discussed. And this was a workshop about a small group which had ceased to exist over twenty years ago!

So i am happy to be able to point you all to the actual text of Mike’s presentation. Missing is the great discussion afterwards, but i think it easily retains its value… and there is a specific invitation on his blog to both partisans of what he dubs the “Chris Crass line” and the “NEFAC line” to take up the debate.

I certainly hope that they do!

Links of interest:

• The Legacy for Anarchists (Mike’s talk about STO at the Montreal Anarchist Bookfair)


• The Sojourner Truth Organization: Notes Towards a History (Mike’s blog, which i believe is a kind of precursor to what he hopes will be a book about STO)


• Sojourner Truth Organization internet archive

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This Weekend: Montreal's Sixth Annual Anarchist Bookfair

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:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Montreal's 6th Annual
ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR
Saturday, May 20, 2006, 10am-6pm
2515 rue Delisle
(near Lionel-Groulx metro)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC
Free! Welcome to all.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Mainspace and 1st floor rooms are wheelchair accessible.
The bookfair is a child-friendly event. Bring your kids!
Free childcare on-site. Kids and Parents Activities.

• The largest anarchist event in North America


• Part of the month-long Festival of Anarchy


• Followed by a full day of Anarchist Presentations and Workshops (May 21, 2006)

Some Bookfair highlights include:

* Introductory Workshops to Anarchism (Rooms 302 and 305):

Kidz Invasion II! (Room 119, Cafe Mozaik, Arts and Crafts Room, outdoors, everywhere):
With Arts & Crafts, Theatre, Dance, Music-Making, Sports and Games for the kids (all ages);

* And over 75 distributors, vendors and groups at the bookfair, from Montreal, Quebec, North America, Latin America and Europe (Main Auditorium and room 119 at CEDA)

For complete information, please consult our website.

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BOOKFAIR FILM PROGRAMME -- In Room #202 of the CEDA

11:00 -- Another Future (30 min. excerpt) – SP. With FR. Sub-titles 50
years later, this film tells the story of Spanish Anarcho-syndicalists, who led a self-managed revolution at the center of the Spanish Civil War. The film was made according to the will of older Spanish radicals to rebuild the collective memory of their generation, and to leave the rest of us a testimonial.

11 :40 -- Going Condo -- dir. Brett Story -- BILINGUE
Going Condo explores the mechanisms and consequences of gentrification, focusing on the working-class neighborhood of St. Henri in Montreal in the midst of government planned “revitalization" and massive condo development. It follows the efforts of community residents and housing activists as they battle the rapid gentrification of the neighbourhood, while exploring larger questions about the political economy of displacement and housing injustice.

12:50 -- A l’épreuve du reel – dir. Florence Miettaux and Grégory Mouret. – FR. A Documentary about the experience the VAAAG (Alternative, Anticapitalist, Anti-war Village.) In 2003, in the context of the G8 meeting in Evian, several radical networks decided to initiate a new militant approach within the framework of the anti-globalisation protests. This project put into practice anti-authoritarian concepts of social relations. Autonomy, direct democracy and self-organization were the basis of the building of the VAAAG.

13:55 – Three Films on Immigration:

• It’s Happening Near You (FR. With EN. Subtitles.) A 6 minute film shot at a Belgian immigration detention center.


• 9e collectif A short film on the 9e collectif in France (FR.)


• Buenas Noches Señors! (EN) by San Diego Indymedia and Cascadia Media Collective Border Faction A 25 minute video showing the 3 week long border camp and other actions to stop the California Minutemen which took place in July of 2005. The video includes daytime marches and protests as well as nighttime actions to disrupt the Minutemen ' s border patrols, which take place primarily at night. While the Arizona Minutemen were able to detain hundreds of migrant people, in California no migrant people were stopped at the border. The actions in the film were organized with the help of the Gente Unida Coalition, La Tierra es de Todos Coalition and the o.r.g.a.n.i.c. collective.

14:45 -- Compliation Lucioles (FR.)
A Compilation of videos made by local video activists les Lucioles.

15:30 – The Heart Has Its Own Memory (Canada, 2005, 13 minutes) – (EN.) Dir: Audrey Huntley This short film looks at violence against First Nations Women in Canada, the lack of justice for missing Aboriginal women and racist police inaction and impunity. Huntley creates a collage of the women's stories featuring interviews with family members and friends. The film plays with native oratory and is a testimony to the pain and grief of the community as a whole and a message of no more silence.

15:50 – Fallujah – ENG.
Fallujah is a collaborative production created by Iraqi and American filmmakers. After a major US led offensive launch in November of 2004, two-thirds of the city was destroyed and thousands of its citizens were forced into refugee camps. Code Pink commissioned Iraqi filmmaker Homodi Hasim to send a team of videographers and investigative journalists to Fallujah to record the destruction and death inflicted by the American assault. He also interviewed many of the thousands of Fallujah residents who were forced to live in refugee camps on the outskirts of Fallujah and Baghdad. Using the footage produced by Code Pink and additional footage of the US led destruction of Fallujah, Deep Dish Television has produced this gripping documentary.

Echo Of Silence (Canada, 2003, 20 min) – (FR.)
Dir: Chloe Germain-Therien
In 1997 two Basque men, Gorka Perea and Eduardo Plagaro, sought refugee status in Canada after being charged with arson in Spain. They claimed that their confessions to the crime were signed under torture. In 2001 the two men were detained as suspected terrorists in a prison in Rivières-des-Prairies, Quebec. The Echo of Silence documents their experience in Canada: their detention, their temporary release, and finally their extradition in June 2005, despite an active grassroots movement to keep them in Canada.

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BOOKFAIR ART EXHIBITS:

The Bookfair is showing diverse works by artists from Montreal and elsewhere, focusing on issues close to anarchists and exploring themes of autonomy. The works can be found in the hallways of the first, second and third floors and on the stage in the Main Hall of the CEDA.

*Self-portraits by Mahmoud Jaballah, Hassan Almrei and Mohamed Harkat. Refugees detained indefinitely in Canadian prison without charge or trial, under secret suspicions. Threatened with deportation to torture.

*Struggle and Solidarity: A Photo Exhibit from Kashipur, India and Choco,
Colombia

*Choco, Colombia
Project Accompagnement Solidarite Colombie (PASC) is a direct solidarity organization supporting the struggle for land and self-determination of communities engaged in civilian resistance in Choco, Colombia. The photo exhibit is made up of images from "El Planton", an action that called for international support in the fight against displacement and (para)military and corporate occupation of peasants' land. Blandine Juchs, Will Shorey, and Tatiana Gomez participated in El Planton. Tatiana Gomez is an organizer based in Montreal. She was in Colombia with Project Accompagnement Solidarite Colombie in the summer of 2005. Approx. 15 5"7 mounted photos

*Kashipur, India
For over 13 years, the adivasi (indigenous) and dalit (caste) people of Kashipur, India have been fighting a proposed bauxite mine and alumina smelter. Canadian alumina giant Alcan has a 45% holding in the project. The anti-mine people's movement has faced escalating repression, harrassment and police brutality and, since late 2004, Kashipur has been a virtual police state. The photo exhibit consists of images from the Kashipur region and the community members who continue to resist the Alcan-backed project.

*Tamara Herman and Brook Thorndycraft traveled to Kashipur in 2005 to record a community radio documentary on the people's movement.

Montreal Anarchist Bookair
email
phone: 514-859-9090
website

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