OTL Blog

On Monday night over 50 masked protesters descended on City Hall for a Masquerade Ball protest – the Bal Masqué. Organized by an ad hoc collective known as Le Gros Bon Sens, the masked demonstration aimed to challenge the anti-mask bylaw the City of Montreal is attempting to pass as part of its larger “Public Security” portfolio, which now also includes a new bylaw against “insulting a police officer”.

Masked activists at the Bal Masqué

The Bal Masqué was playful, highly theatrical and extremely peaceful, as masked activists mingled, cavorted and danced at the entrance of City Hall. Before long, a dramatic performance, courtesy of the infringement festival, unfolded on the steps of City Hall. The scene began when two actors playing satirical masked “police officers”, one wearing a gas mask and the other a riot helmet, arrived to survey the protest and attempt to intimidate activists wearing masks at the Bal Masqué.

Masked “Riot cop” protests Drama Masks

“Gas mask cop” against Charter Section 2B

The “riot cop” soon announced the arrival of the Mayor of Montreal – M. Le Maire Gerald Tremblay. Ducking insults (and snowballs!), an actor with a large Tremblay mask appeared and delivered a mock “press conference” about the dangers of masks.

“Mayor Tremblay”: masks are dangerous

The “Mayor” then claimed that “all masks are now illegal”, and his security detail of masked “police officers” blew whistles and warned the masked protesters to unmask or face “arrest”.

Following the carnivalesque performance, dozens of masked protesters entered City Hall where real police officers told them to unmask, then go sit in a room to watch the proceedings on a Television. While many of the protesters left at this point – what could be more disempowering than having to watch the end of our Charter right to Freedom of Expression in a separate room on a TV? – some of them did stay on. According to La Presse, five of the protesters were forcibly evicted by police. What happened inside the meeting is the subject of much speculation, although a copy of the bylaw has now been released, revealling that mask-wearing will soon be punishable with a $100 – $300 fine for the first offence.

Here is a video of what happened, courtesy of Guerilla Video Productions:

Unfortunately, most corporate media decided to focus on the police, the riots they faced in 2008, and the mayor’s latest cabinet shuffle – instead of the theatre activists, their Masquerade Ball, and critical message that our civil liberties are under threat. Overall, quite a lot of the corporate media used images from past conflicts, such as burning police cars or the aftermath of riots, instead of employing images from the Masquerade Ball.

CTV News used old “riot damage” image

The Montreal Gazette, despite trumpeting the cause over the last week in Opinion columns, letters to the editor, and an editorial, only ran a tiny article on the protest (“Group unmasked”, Tuesday, January 27, 2009, A3) that ignored the masquerade-theatre, and focused instead on the police’s authority. Paraphrasing Chief Inspector Paul Chablo, The Gazette reported: “the regulation would be applied only at the kind of protests that have a history of turning violent, including spontaneous street gatherings following Canadiens playoff victories, an annual May Day protest and an annual protest against police brutality.” No explanations were offered about who would decide which masks and demonstrations would be under scrutiny, nor whether officers could apply the bylaw indiscriminately.

The next meeting at City Hall is in one month, presumably on February 23rd. It is quite likely that the City will try and pass the bylaw, although there is bound to be strong opposition.

Organizers of the Bal Masqué, Le Gros Bon Sens, promise more dramatic resistance. Porte-parole Jules Merveille made a pointed critique against the proposed bylaw in Le Devoir:

«Cette mesure est anticonstitutionnelle étant donné que tout individu a la liberté fondamentale de se cacher dans un regroupement et de ne pas dévoiler son identité, sauf en cas d’arrestation bien sûr. Nous trouvons cette mesure absurde»

Le Gros Bon Sens have declared that the fight isn’t over yet on their facebook page: “Le combat n’est pas terminé !”

On the more “official” political front, Projet Montreal leader Richard Bergeron announced his party’s total disapproval of the bylaw in 24 Heures newspaper:

« les manifestants qui contreviennent à la loi, qu’ils soient masqués ou non, devraient être arrêtés sur le champ. Mais compromettre la liberté d’expression en donnant le droit à la police d’arrêter les gens uniquement sur la base de la façon dont ils sont habillés ne peut que détériorer les relations entre la police et le grand public ».

From a legal perspective, perhaps the best hope for protecting Charter rights, civil liberties lawyer Julius Grey suggested on CTV News: “The bylaw clearly would violate Freedom of Expression because you can’t dissociate the freedom of expression from the way in which it is expressed.” In the Toronto Star Grey elaborated:

“There is nothing more perilous than giving discretion to the police… To decide which protest is acceptable and which is not is as unseemly as police deciding which newspaper is acceptable, and which one is not…They are there to carry out the law, not to determine its content…They shouldn’t be given discretion to violate freedom of expression.”

If you want to protect your Constitutional right to Freedom of Expression, stay tuned to the OTL Blog and keep updated as this story unfolds. If you want to participate in the next round of theatre activism at the February City Hall Meeting, or help organize, please contact otl@optative.net

Historically-speaking, Quebec City has always been somewhat of a military town. When “founded” by Samuel de Champlain in 1608 on the remains of the First Nations settlement of Stadacona, Quebec was actually designed as a military-style fortification. The site of numerous wars and battles that pitted the French against various First Nations, and later Britain, the city has witnessed oppressive brutality over the years, culminating with its near-destruction and surrender to British imperialists in 1759. The infamous battle on the Plains of Abraham is drilled ad nauseum into the minds of students in Quebec and Canada, helping shape divisive nationalist discourses that pit French-speakers versus English-speakers, Quebec versus Canada, and sovereignty versus federalism.

This being 2009, the 250th anniversary of the battle, a controversy is brewing about whether or not to commemorate the event by re-enacting the military conflict, as the National Battlefields Commission plans to do.  While federal Heritage Minister Josée Verner will be in attendance, premier Jean Charest refuses to attend and Bernard Drainville of the Parti Québécois feels that the battle shouldn’t be celebrated at all.  Many francophones, especially soverignists like Drainville, feel that re-enacting the colonial battle that signified their ancestors’ military defeat is highly insulting.

This issue is playing out like a typical separatist versus federalist conflict: it is a French versus English debate with Quebec Premier Jean Charest sitting on the sidelines.  Rarely mentioned in the “military re-enactment” discourse is it’s unabashedly Eurocentric and pro-war nature, leaving one to wonder if perhaps the entire debate needs to be reframed. Why celebrate the deaths of various soldiers and civilians from both sides of the conflict and the near-destruction of a city?

Quebec City has often been described as a “military town” and has historically been very welcoming of military pageantry – stringent parades, battlefield re-enactments, and even the symbolic handing over of the keys to the city to the Canadian army this past July as part of the celebrations for the 400e anniversaire de Quebec.  This act and the ensuing military parade met with criticism and a theatrical counter-parade courtesy of anti-war activists:

The goal of this theatrical action was reappropriate the parade march and use it to oppose militarism and colonialism.  Unlike most traditional military parades, the activist version did not favour one ethnic, national, or linguistic group over another, nor did it present war as natural or worthwhile of celebrating through re-enactment. By repositioning the re-enactment issue between pro-war and anti-war camps, a more harmonious consensus might be reached amongst Quebecers.

Various controversies have hit Quebec City recently, largely due to the Eurocentric 400e “celebrations” and how the various spectacles, events, and discourses were interpreted. While most of the controversy was fluffy and Eurocentric, as in the Celine vs. Paul McCartney debacle, some activists delved deeper and challenged issues such as militarism and Quebec’s participation in the war in Afghanistan, and colonialism and Quebec’s ongoing mistreatment of the various First Nations residing in these ancient lands. Despite being shunned by corporate media, the theatre activists carried out a series of culture-jams against the officially sanctioned “celebrations”, “commemorations”, and “re-enactments.” In the following video a theatre activist manages to disrupt a ceremony where the government of Quebec City handed over the keys of the city to the Canadian military, and reperform it from an anti-war 21st Century perspective:

The upcoming plans to re-enact the battle on the Plains of Abraham smack of Eurocentricity, and the very idea of re-performing war as a commemoration or celebration needs to be re-evaluated in the present era. Why should taxpayers’ dollars be wasted on this type of brutal performance, when it mostly appeals only to history buffs and pro-war supporters? The present re-enactment plan, a four day spectacle of re-created death and destruction, will only exacerbate Eurocentric conflicts of language, history, and identity in present-day Quebec. It should be cancelled as soon as possible. Quebecers seeking social harmony and solidarity might find that developing an anti-war consensus against the Plains battle re-enactment could prove appealing, and be more in tune with Quebec values.

Greening Duluth, an organization which hopes to see “a vibrant, green community in the heart of a thriving metropolis” and believes that raising awareness and consciousness is the way to achieve their goal on Duluth Street and the surrounding community is now taking another step towards achieving their goal by offering an Urban Gardening course this winter.

The course starts this week and runs until mid-April.  It is designed for anyone with an empty balcony, backyard, window or staircase and the desire to transform it into a garden and offers theory and practice as well as the use of a greenery bulletin board, greenery seed bank and a greenery resource library.  At the end of the course, participants will transform a parking lot into an urban garden.

It takes place at the House of Friendship, a local community center at 120 Duluth East, where Greening Duluth is based.  This is also home to the parking lot that will be transformed into a greenspace.

The 12-week course is offered on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and costs $120, with a subsidized rate available for low to no-income participants.  Tuesday is already booked, but you can still register for Thursday 6-8pm or Satruday 1-3pm by phoning 514-843-4356, sending an e-mail to urbangardening101@gmail.com or in person at the House of Friendship Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.

After it was announced here and other places that the city of Montreal was seeking to ban masks at protests, people opposed have not been silent and it seems that this issue will not go away. And why should it?

This incursion on our rights to free expression has even garnered opponents in more conservative media spaces such as the Montreal Gazette, first in an article by Henry Aubin then in a letter to the editor and now in an editorial piece.

If even the corporate media can see through the ill-conceived argument that this is just an attack on people who throw Molotov Cocktails and not an affront to everyone including theatre artists, then what hope is there for this ban to pass? Unfortunately plenty. The Tremblay administration has demonstrated its willingness to proceed with legislation, even unpopular legislation (remember Griffintown), until the proposed law reaches a renaming Parc-level of public disgust.

In hopes of sending their message loud and clear to Mayor Tremblay and bolstered by support from other activists in cities around the world who have gone through similar Orwellian laws, a group of masked protesters took to the airwaves last night on infringement TV and demanded this law be stopped. They claim they will come out in force this coming Monday and the following one as well. They invited others to do the same, wearing masks of course.

Here’s the video:

On Monday night the city’s bureaucrats will table an “avis de motion”, which means that the anti-mask bylaw motion will be officially tabled.  Section 41.05, the suspected anti-mask bylaw, is listed as such:

“Avis de motion – Règlement modifiant le Règlement sur la prévention des troubles de la paix, de la sécurité et de l’ordre publics, et sur l’utilisation du domaine public (R.R.V.M. chapitre P-6)”

Apparently it is extremely difficult to get the actual wording for a bylaw before it is tabled, and the usual procedure is to pass the law the following week. Citizens are allowed to attend the meeting, but must follow stringent rules that are designed to limit the number (and types) of questions that can be asked in order to stifle citizen involvement in municipal politics.

If you want to go to the meeting at City Hall, it will be Monday, January 26. If you want to ask questions, you must arrive by 5 pm at the entrance on the Place Vauquelin on the west side of the building to get a number. At 6:30 pm you will be inscribed on a list of questioners. You need to be a Montreal resident and have photo ID, and they’ll want to know who you are, what your questions are, and to whom they are addressed. Note that the “President of the Council” has the power to expel you from the question period if he or she feels that your presence is disrupting the rules (“order”) of the meeting.

If you want to get involved in this action, please contact otl@optative.net

Of all the projects OTL has created, Car Stories is most certainly the longest-running, at times has been the most controversial and if it wasn’t for the infringement Festival, a true viral phenomenon, it would undoubtedly be the best known.

In a nutshell, Car Stories is a play containing several shorter plays, a piece of street performance that is at the same time visible and invisible and a challenge to how we see both theatre and the cityscape we walk through every day.  While a good chunk of any given show will be improvised, either along the lines of a story outline or completely out of the blue, parts of it can be and frequently have been scripted as well.

Car Stories '04: Obstruction of Justice

An audience, usually three spect-actors at a time, assembles in front of the show opener in a public place (a bar, a park, etc).  When that actor lowers his or her Optative Glasses (just a pair of ordinary sunglasses) over their eyes, it’s like the curtain going up.  The show begins and the audience is now in a different, theatrical world.  The opener establishes the show’s theme and sends the audience off on a mission with an Urban Guide who walks them, in character, down a street or an alleyway to a parked car.  There are more actors waiting in the front seat of the parked car with a 10-15 minute scene.  The audience sits in the back, watches and sometimes partakes.  Afterwards, another guide picks them up and usually brings them to another car.  The show continues until the audience is brought to the closer who finishes off the story and removes their Optative Glasses, sending the audience back to the world they recognize.

The individual car stories are self-contained pieces as are some of the guide routes, but they are generally incorporated into, add to or at the very least are related to the overall theme of the show.  The theme stays the same for a run of the show, while the individual parts of it will inevitably vary.  No two shows are ever the same. We will frequently keep a theme alive for an entire season but occasionally we will have a spur-of-the-moment theme for a particular run adopted to respond to something that is happening and very prevalent, as we did for our Buffalo run in 2007.

Car Stories '07 promo shot

We generally perform the show several times in a day for different groups of spect-actors who not only experience watching a show, but are also part of an invisible performance for everyone else on the street.  In fact, one of the thrills for the audience is not knowing who is part of the show and who isn’t.  Performers in the show get to experience dealing with unpredictable players such as the audience and people passing by who don’t know that there’s a show on.

In addition to being a jam on what is considered theatre and our perception of the often corporate-branded public space in a general context, Car Stories has also included some more specifically-targeted jams into it’s story’s matrix.  In Montreal, we have sent the show through the Pharmaprix on St-Laurent Boulevard on more than one occasion as a challenge to their violation of the historic character of the street with their glaring corporate signage.  In 2006, the Montreal opening of our show had the spect-actors play PartyPoker partiers in a jam on PartyPoker.net‘s temporary ownership of the lower half of the Main.

Loosely inspired by Car Show, a production from the Corn Exchange in Dublin, which has the plays in cars element but not the guided tour through the Urban Wonderland or much of the ontological jolting our show is known for, Car Stories was first staged in 2001 at the St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival, where it was promptly ejected for theatrically playing with a theatre critic who didn’t quite get the joke.  The critic worked for a corporate sponsor of the festival, the festival got nervous and the rest, as they say, is history.

Car Stories ran for the next few years on its own and in 2004 helped to spark and took part in the first infringement Festival in Montreal.  That summer, it toured to Ottawa and Toronto.  In 2005, it played the Montreal infringement again, the first edition of the Buffalo infringement Festival as well as in New York City’s infringement.  The next year, it played in the first Regina infringement and inspired a version in Denmark.

Car Stories Denmark

In 2006, it also returned to play the Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Buffalo infringement Festivals with its “Church of Capitalism” theme.  The Toronto edition of this show was turned into a 30-minute video from Guerilla Video Productions that follows one group of spect-actors from start to finish.  Car Stories isn’t a stranger to video.  The close quarters of performers and audience make this theatre show a nice fit for film and our shows have been caught on camera since 2004.

Three other shows have been given similar video treatments as the Church of Capitalism, still following the story from start to finish but flipping between different groups of spect-actors.  They are 2007’s les journées de la culture outing entitled The Last Greenspace, dealing with the real causes and effects of construction on boulevard St-Laurent, the Halloween-themed sCARe Stories of the same year and 2008’s JDLC show entitled The Search for Pure Water.  The latter was staged the end of September and the video version premiers online tomorrow night as part of the infringement TV launch which begins at 7pm eastern time.

Car Stories doesn’t show signs of being put into park anytime soon.  While our Montreal group will surely mount it again for this year’s infringement Festival, there is no reason why other groups in different communities around the world can’t do the same thing.

To watch The Search for Pure Water on infringement TV, tune into www.infringementfestival.com/tv on Thursday, January 22nd at 7pm eastern.

For more on the show and to find out how to get involved, keep checking www.optative.net/carstories or contact carstories@optative.net

Theatre activists, like actors in a theatre, rely on a gamut of artistic accessories – props, scenery, costumes, make up, and especially masks – to conduct performances on the streets, sometimes during demonstrations. Masks constitute important props in this theatrical arsenal, as they have the power to transform the actor into a different entity, which is then used to convey an activist message through creative performance. Theatre activism troupes such as Vermont’s Bread and Puppet are frequent visitors to Montreal, and mask-performance is integral to their anti-war message.

skeleton drummer at anti-war march

Amongst the various theatre activism groups based in Montreal, OTL is renowned for using masks constructed from recycled materials. These masks often parody political figures, such as Prime Minister Stephen Harper, and without them it would be much more difficult for OTL players to shed light on oppressions through performance-activism.

Stephen Harper puppet at anti-war march

Now it appears that the City of Montreal is attempting to create a by-law that would effectively outlaw masks at all political rallies and outdoor demonstrations. Apparently the Montreal police have asked for the bylaw, claiming they want to be able to “identify participants in violent protests”. Ironically, often when masks are worn at “violent protests” it is by the police forces themselves. Officers are known to wear them when impersonating “violent activists”, as in the recent Montebello case where the agents provocateurs were exposed by quick-thinking real protesters.

agent provocateurs wearing masks

Exposed for their deceit and attempts at instigating violence while “under cover”, the police admitted to impersonating masked activists.

Police are also known to employ a variety of other types of mask when instigating violence during demonstrations, including gas masks, which are used when attacking protesters with tear gas, and riot helmets, which can conceal identities from the public view while simultaneously intimidating those attending the protest.

riot cops wearing masks

more riot cops wearing masks

The question arises as to why the police are allowed to use masks indiscriminately, whereas protesters will not be allowed to do so under the proposed new bylaw. In addition to theatre activists needing masks for their critical performances, other protesters often use masks when necessary, such as gas masks for protection when tear gas has been fired by the police.

Protection from tear gas

Claude Dauphin, chairperson of the Montreal public-security committee, is trying to assuage fears that the bylaw will violate the Charter-entrenched right to Freedom of Expression by claiming allowances would be made for religious face-coverings and for masks during the winter to keep warm. While there was no mention of theatrical masks used by theatre activists, Dauphin suggested that the police were mainly concerned about ski masks, a strange contradiction given that a ski mask can definitely be considered as winter gear.

Luckily for theatre activists and other demonstrators, civil-rights lawyer Julius Grey is following the case closely, looking for parts that might be considered unconstitutional. Freedom of Expression falls under Section 2 (b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and suggests that everyone has the fundamental right to “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.” Banning masks can easily be seen as a violation to freedom of expression; in the case of theatre activism, the mask-ban amounts to artistic censorship.

In Copenhagen, Denmark, police have employed a similar ban on masks, much to the consternation of theatre activist groups such as the Danish Clown Army, who have worked hard to save activist buildings and neighbourhoods from destruction and gentrification. The activist community of Christiania is currently threatened by gentrification and is occupied by round-the-clock riot police, and the Ungdomshuset, an activist youth cultural centre, was demolished after a right-wing church bought it and evicted the youth, much to the anger of activists. Ironically, despite the ban on wearing masks, the police insisted that the demolition workers destroying the historic cultural centre wear masks – in order to conceal their identites.

The real danger is that Montreal police are trying to prevent masks from being used properly – for theatre activism – and are instead insisting on their sole right to use them oppressively – to impersonate activists and instigate violence, to conceal identities, to protect themselves from the chemical weapons being deployed against activists, and to intimidate the very people who are fighting for social justice, the end of oppression, and a better world for everyone. In making these demands, it is evident that the police want to control the theatre on the street, which makes it much more difficult for theatre activists to exercise Freedom of Expression and carry out their critical performances that challenge oppression. In effect, the bylaw would empower police to arbitrarily arrest anyone wearing an accessory on their face or head during a demonstration, and as such could lead to instances of intimidation and abuse. In fact, this is exactly what happens in New York City, and professor Larry Bogad has written a detailed acount of the 1845-mask-ban-bylaw-in-nyc and its detrimental effects on democracy and activism. By forbidding theatre activists from using one of the fundamental tools of the theatre – the mask – the new bylaw is an affront to Canadian, Quebec, and especially Montreal values, and thus, it needs to be challenged vigourously.

In 2003, a group of New York City-based theatre artists got together in an attempt to organize a theatre-based city-wide protest against the war in Iraq.  The group stuck together and formed Theaters Against War, or THAW, a group whose goal is to nurture a pro-peace culture by standing up to attacks on civil liberties, the US’s ongoing “war on terror” and aggressive American foreign policy.

The same year, it stated to spread virally around the world, with new like-minded theatre groups, companies and artists joining up.

Today, THAW is an international network of over 230 theatre artists from places as varied as Thailand, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, Reno and Calgary.  Members include Melbourne, Australia’s Theatre in Decay, Buffalo, New York’s Subversive Theatre Collective and of course the OTL in Montreal.

It also inspired another viral theatre phenomenon, The Lysistrata Project, which was originally discussed by Kathryn Blume in one of THAW’s town hall meetings.  In addition to their town halls, they organizes a monthly series of performances, readings and speak-outs called Freedom Follies and reaches out to the community by taking part in various events.

In 2004, THAW won the prestigious Obie grant presented by the Village Voice.  They used what was left of their winnings to establish a scholarship fund in late 2006 for international theatre artists operating in areas of conflict or post-conflict.  In 2007, they presented $1000 to the Beit Jala, Palestine-based theatre company Al-Harrah which promotes having a theatre arts curriculum in Palestinian schools.  They also awarded $500 to RAPSIDA, an educational theatre group that spreads HIV/AIDS awareness in Kigali, Rwanda.

With their Obie winnings almost spent, they are once again going viral to raise money for this year’s scholarship, asking member companies not only to nominate recipients but also to donate (even as little as $10) to the fund in hopes of keeping it alive.  More information can be found at thawaction.org

Anyone who has children, or works with them, can tell you that there is almost nothing worse than the death of a child.  There can be no excuse to subject society’s most vulnerable members to oppression and massacre, and the realisation that over 250 children have being killed during the assault on Gaza is enough to make one sick to the stomach.

The rallying call to end the oppression brought over 10,000 protesters to the streets of Montreal on Saturday January 10th.   Comprised of all stripes and backgrounds – Palestinian, Jew, First Nations, and pro-peace supporters of all ethnicities and languages, males and females, children and grandparents – protesters demanded an end to the violence in Gaza.

The death toll is nearing the one thousand mark, and this includes hundreds of innocent women and children, all killed by Israeli bombs and ground troops. The atmosphere within the rally was angry, and many of the protesters carried images of recently killed Gazan children, or facsimiles thereof:

Protesting a total failure on the part of humanity to protect its most vulnerable, the march put oppressive forces that disregard innocent human life into the spotlight, such as the Israeli government and Hamas.  Both organizations are pro-war, and both use indiscriminate violence such as rockets and bombs aimed at random populations to attack each other. The rally was dubbed as “pro-peace”, and many of protesters brought their own children in a show of solidarity with the children of Gaza.  Many of the banners and other protest props were strongly in favour of peace.

Indeed one group of theatre activists even assembled their own “love-in” bed, reminiscent of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s honeymoon at Montreal’s stately Queen Elizabeth Hotel.  On May 26, 1969, the newlyweds started a week-long “bed-in”, demanding that the world “Give peace a chance”.

Amazingly, even jolly old Saint Nick made an appearance, complete with white beard, red suit, and big bag of goodies.  During an interview, this theatre activist explained that he has been attending rallies for many years now dressed as Santa Clause.  His rationale is manifold.  Firstly, the children at the rallies appreciate him, and he can explain the issues to them and their parents in a friendly and easy-to-understand manner.  Secondly, he can give gifts to the protesters, such as food, information, or warm touques in the winter.  Lastly, because he plays Father Christmas, the media is always interested in hearing what he has to say – and this Santa promotes peace and activism over indifference and consumerism every time.  An excellent re-appropriation of a now-corporate symbol, the activist Santa is further proof that by theatricalizing activism, positive new spaces can be opened for transformative purposes.  This Santa is not only free to visit, but may also give children the gift of education on activist topics. So next time there is a rally against the killing of innocent children, do not be afraid to bring your own children to the march, because with clever theatre activism it is now entirely possible to show defiance and solidarity – along with the kids and jolly old Saint Nick himself.

On Thursday afternoon a rally called Native Rights Under Lock & Key assembled outside the Montreal offices of Quebec Premier Jean Charest, on McGill College Avenue.   As security guards locked the doors to the glassy tower housing Charest’s offices, protesters unfurled a banner reading “Honour Your Word: Protect the Environment. Share the Land’s Wealth” and proceeded to demand justice for the Algonquin First Nation of Barriere Lake.

The protesters included Mohawk, Algonquin, and others showing solidarity with the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, a much-neglected community that the Québec government refuses to support, let alone acknowledge. The impoverished reserve is about 300 kilometres north of Ottawa, and has sometimes witnessed riot police sent from far away to suppress dissent. Recently unrest has been brewing at Barriere Lake over issues such as land claims, stolen resources, grinding poverty, and imposed leadership.  In March 2008, Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl deposed the acting chief, Benjamin Nottaway, and empowered a minority faction – composed mostly of people living off-reserve – as the new leadership.  Fed up with the federal government’s interference, members of the community blockaded Highway 17 in protest. On November 19, 2008, SQ riot police arrived and arrested five Algonquin people, including Customary Chief Benjamin Nottaway, who was sentenced to 45 days in jail. After spending the holidays imprisoned, he remains locked up to this day for his political activity.

The scandalous behaviour of the Québec and Canadian governments follows a long line of oppression against First Peoples from contact in the 1600s right up to the present era.  While it used to be the norm for white Quebecers to ignore the brutal effects of colonization caused by their ancestors and present-day governments, nowadays a movement is building to demand social justice for the First Nations.  Artists are effectively disseminating this message with projects such as the acclaimed film Le Peuple Invisible, which documents the devastating effects of colonization on the Algonquin people in present-day Québec, and OTL’s Sinking Neptune, which deconstructs Eurocentric norms in Canadian arts, and examines the roots of cultural genocide inflicted on native peoples.

We encourage you to get involved.  You can find out how to support with your time, money and/or voice by clicking here.

protestors inside the Israeli consulate (photo Judy Rebick for Rabble.ca)

Preceding yesterday’s presentation of an eviction notice by activists to the Israeli consulate in Montreal, a group of Jewish women were arrested for occupying the Israeli consulate in Toronto on Wednesday in protest of the Israeli attack on Gaza, among them were filmmaker BH Yael, psychanalyst Judith Deutsch and professor Judy Rebick.

Rebick, a prominent feminist and activist is probably best known for her book Ten Thousand Roses: The Making of a Feminist Revolution. She is also a former CBC host and commentator, member of the NDP (where she strove to make the party more activist), the founder of Rabble.ca and an organizer of the Toronto Social Forum.

She brought Andrew Boyd, founder of the Billionaires for Bush to host his Culture Jamming 101 Workshop the forum in 2003 along with OTL’s Revolutionary Theatre: Culture-Jamming and Theatrical Activism workshop.

Just as inviting theatrical activists to the social forum at Ryerson in 2003 demonstrated Rebick’s understanding of the importance of an artistic approach to activism and her ability to stay ahead of the curve, her actions this week show that she isn’t just about theory and doesn’t rest on her accomplishments, either. Rather, she is someone who still gets her hands dirty when the cause is important to her.

Here’s a video of what happened: