May 12
One of my most disturbing discoveries while researching the resurgence of activist militancy was the large number of ‘legitimate’ organizations who’ve been willing to work with people who promote violent tactics. Sometimes it’s blatant, like when a leader at the Council of Canadians helped bring the Black Bloc into the Olympic protests; or things that make …
Nov 26
Last week the Vancouver Observer published a scare story criticising the Harper government’s extensive spying on anti-oilsands groups. The writer explained that the “federal government” (wait, I thought it was Harper?) has been “vigorously spying” on anti oil sands activists and organizations across the country. Adding some fuel to the fire, they also hinted at a …
Sep 02
Earlier during this week one of Toronto’s most prolific professional protesters got into trouble with the police. He was stopped while allegedly running a red light on his bike- when asked for his identification he responded saying “who are you!”. This, of course, didn’t work out very well- moments later he was in handcuffs. His …
Aug 16
Someone with a sharp eye for anarchist criminality pointed out an interesting picture posted on the Toronto Media Co-Op today. They call it a ‘meme’. At the top, there’s a picture of the Black Bloc anarchists who smashed up Toronto during the G20 saying “Get On the Fence”. At the bottom is a picture of …
Aug 16
The protesters who occupied the Line 9 pumping station in Westover had their first day in court on Wednesday. To celebrate, they and their allies arranged a pre-court protest. A motley crew of anarchists, rabble rousers, and useful idiots showed up- and, as expected, they seriously went off the rails. What was billed as a …