Fracking blockade chaos

[s] Oh god paolo, here we go. Are these the characters who hailed the arson attack against RBC? And by the way, the cop cars may not have been torched by the cops. The other more likely explanation is immature irresponsible assholes. Either way, once the cinders settle, only the cops and the corporations are left applauding. [/s]

ETA: Stupid diversionary post. Ignore it. But leaving it as a reminder to myself.

..i share your concerns unionist. there is no way around it that movements need to learn ways to deal with violent elements that are contrary to the direction most people want to move in. we need to keep moving forward though and not get bogged down with endless debate about it. not that i'm suggest your doing that.

Saw the premier on CBC last night supporting the RCMP and saying we have to talk - but the project is legal and has to go ahead.

*facepalm*

Global Frackdown Action: Live Updates (and vid)

http://rt.com/news/global-fracking-protest-updates-405/

"Activists from 26 countries are taking to the streets on Saturday to protest fracking.."

Boom Boom wrote:

NBNDP:

"We need the Premier to take a stand, to defend the rule of law in our province, make sure our children can go to school and our goods get to market without any interference."

Link: http://www.nbndp.ca/node/862

 

(he sounds like a freaking Liberal - no?)

to me he sounds like he is pandering to the racist white folk

Boom Boom wrote:

NBNDP:

"We need the Premier to take a stand, to defend the rule of law in our province, make sure our children can go to school and our goods get to market without any interference."

Link: http://www.nbndp.ca/node/862

 

(he sounds like a freaking Liberal - no?)

 

No. He sounds like a freaking NDP/Conservative:

[url=http://www.ipolitics.ca/2011/09/07/law-and-order-big-issue-in-manitoba-e... and order big issue
in Manitoba election campaign[/url]

Quote:

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives and the governing NDP are both offering some traditional law-and-order solutions.

Premier Greg Selinger’s New Democrats have made tackling crime No. 4 on their list of five key issues. They are promising “more police, faster prosecutions and tougher consequences,” although their plans have yet to be fleshed out. [...]

So far, Liberal Jon Gerrard is the only one of the three party leaders to tackle the issue head-on.

He wants to see another $1.2 million spent to reduce wait times for people seeking treatment for addictions. Gerrard says research shows 70 per cent of people convicted of violent crimes have substance abuse problems.

“Make sure that people don’t commit crimes in the first place,” he said Wednesday. “It doesn’t solve problems by filling jails up.”

The NDP has long since become the party of LAW and ORDER. The Manitoba NDP criticized Harper's latest omnibus crime bill for not going far enough on various fronts. And Jack Layton's NDP supported that other Harper omnibus crime bill and disciplined Bill Siksay for voting his conscience. I recall, at that time, that the only other voice in Parliament talking about prevention rather than punishment (which used to be considered a progressive stand, no?) was Senator Sharon Carstairs, ex-leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party.

So no, Boom Boom, this retrograde pandering Dominic Cardy doesn't sound like a freaking liberal. He sound exactly like what quizzical said. The New Democratic Panderers. It's a sad day.

My first reaction to that NDP statement was disappointment. I read the entire page again, and it's still disappointment. Where is the outright solidarity with NB First Nations  and the anti-fracking sentiment? Maybe I'm missing it....

attacked?

and wtf you talking 'bout if they don't want media find another way to protest? are you fking serious???

Mórríghain wrote:

Reporters and crew from Global and CTV were also attacked. I don't care who the media is (left or right), threatening the people and seizing their equipment is wrong. If you don't want the media scrutiny find another way to protest—become a keyboard warrior.

Actually, any media person who is too chicken-shit scared to cover places where people are fighting for their rights really has two choices:

1. Get a real job (though admittedly there may be a qualifications problem if their résumé only lists experience with the MSM).

2. Apply to be "embedded" with the forces of law and order. That way, they can be protected from the masses, while at the same time never getting hit by rubber or real bullets, because it'll be even more clear which side they're on.

Elsipogtog: The Realities of Abuse

It is not surprising to Indigenous Nations that the RCMP invaded the site of a peaceful protest, using snipers, rubber bullets, threat tactics amongst women and children and elders and warriors.  It is not surprising that the mass media is painting our peaceful defense of Mother Earth as rebellion or radicalism.  It is not even surprising that so many people do not know what is happening outside of the social network circuits.

Abuse is a cyclical and silent entity, slow to show its face, silent in its makings and creation.  Abuse is adamant to hide itself ethically behind social curtains and excuses.  Abuse holds itself upright behind shrouds of people who accept it.  Abuse is manipulative and assertive, but at the same time, very sinewy, only showing itself when caught; and even then, its face is distorted behind multi-layered lies and a history of excuses and irresponsibility and unaccountability.

The people who support the abusers do so either by manipulation, or choice.  Either they do not want to accept that someone is being brutalized, or they do not want to accept the fact that they love the abuser, are involved in acknowledging the actions of the abuser, or that they are party to understanding that abuse is actually happening.  If they do, then a responsibility occurs.  Then there is accountability, and few people are willing to accept this.  This is what I see when I observe and understand what is happening in Elsipogtog, the Mi’kmaq Nation who has come under focus for many of us.  I see abuse, in no small terms.  I see power and non-responsibility and non-accountability.  I see all of the inner-workings of all of the abuse structures that have existed for hundreds of years, but yet, people still seem surprised at what is happening.  That says everything about the knowledge of historical Canada.  That expressed, there are still so many North Americans who have no idea what has been happening in Canada for the last 7 centuries or so....

From Montréal's Thursday evening solidarity march.

It's A Great Day To Be Indigenous! (and vid)

http://www.submedia.tv/stimulator/2013/10/19/its-a-great-day-to-be-indig...

"Mi'kmaq Warrior Suzanne Patles speaks at the SWN blockade site just two days after a violent raid by the RCMP"

Mi'kmaq Blockade (and vid)

http://www.submedia.tv/stimulator/2013/10/16/mikmaq_blockade/

"Throughout the summer, police arrested dozens of people conducting non-violent civil disobedience. But since the arrival of members of the Mi'kmaq society, the police have not been as keen to come near protesters.."

Women march at anti-fracking blockade in New Brunswick

quizzical wrote:

attacked?

and wtf you talking 'bout if they don't want media find another way to protest? are you fking serious???

 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/media-vehicle-seized-by-frac...

Quote:

The news director for Global New Brunswick says a group of about five protesters in Rexton, N.B., seized a news vehicle and camera and threatened a reporter Saturday. Rexton is about 100 kilometres north of Moncton.

Jim Haskins says reporter Laura Brown was at the site of the shale gas protest around noon local time when the protesters confronted another media outlet and seized a vehicle.

Haskins says Brown got into her vehicle and locked the door, but was threatened by the protesters and told to get out of the vehicle and leave it.

He says Brown refused at first, but felt the situation became unsafe and unstable.

The video doesn't seem to be working.

if they came armed as the RCMP are saying where are the charges?

please post a link talking on the charges on the "fire arms offenses" i can't find it on APTN.

The leadership from Elsipogtog made it clear that the harassment of reporters was unacceptable and, in a public meeting today, apologized to the media involved for the actions of the individuals involved (who in turn have been banned from the site for what they did).

There are many questions regarding the illegal firearms - 3 rifles, some knives and what RCMP called explosive devices (made from fireworks) - that may or may not have belonged to anyone involved with the protests.

There are allegations of agent provocateurs being responsible for setting the cars on fire, with the unusual step of one being identified by name.

Interestingly, there are no charges related to the cars burning, which creates more room for doubt on that issue and assures that the factual questions will remain unresolved while the media impression remains firmly affixed in the minds of the public.

But some, in this thread and elsewhere, insist on blaming the entire protest for actions in which the real protesters may have had no role, accepting at face value all allegations against the Elsipogtog First Nation.  Meanwhile, the clearly violent and provocative behaviour of the RCMP receives no comment. Fascinating.

Mórríghain wrote:

quizzical wrote:

please post a link talking on the charges on the "fire arms offenses" i can't find it on APTN.

Sure:

'40 arrested as New Brunswick RCMP clash with Mi’kmaq-led protesters in shale gas battle'

and

'Drums, sweetgrass, song amid flashing police lights on an October New Brunswick night'

The second story makes no mention at all of firearms charges.

The first one does list firearms offense as one of the charges, as did you. But it was an early hours story, and also referrs to 40 arrests and charges, there were only 8 people charged ever.... and at the time the story was filed, zero charges laid.

So I return to what I said above:

KenS wrote:

So far it is just the RCMP claiming they found the weapons "under tents" after they arrested everyone in the encampment.

KenS wrote:

[And then let most of them go quickly- tacit acknowledgement there was never anything they could be charged with.]  

quote:

In the case of Elsipogtog, abuse was manifested in a volatile and immediate way.  The minute that the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous people was done his observation, Canada stepped in to show their power against the peaceful protests and rightful protection of the ahki.

Power was displayed abusively and aggressively, attacking children, elders, women and warriors.  They sent men with guns to try to aggressively dissuade and to dismantle Indigenous voices, providing the promise of no media and no UN involvement.  It became a free-for-all, a space to attempt to scare with snipers and false bullets the lives and intent and protectivity of Indigenous people.  They believed that we may not have been resilient enough to withstand pressure.  This expresses the lack of knowledge that they have toward our Nations in a general sense.  They have no understanding that we are intricately woven together and have a memory within us of opposition.  They do not recognize our position of peace.  They do not understand it.  They do not understand the mentality of continual abuse and how the victim of such abuse, has the ability to withstand the most dire of circumstances and still survive....

http://dividednomore.ca/2013/10/18/elsipogtog-the-realities-of-abuse/

Daniel Wilson wrote:

The leadership from Elsipogtog made it clear that the harassment of reporters was unacceptable and, in a public meeting today, apologized to the media involved for the actions of the individuals involved (who in turn have been banned from the site for what they did).

I'm glad the leadership recognized the actions of those individuals and banned them from the sight.  A bunch of guys threatening and forcing a woman out of her vehicle is wrong regardless of who she works for.

Quote:

There are many questions regarding the illegal firearms - 3 rifles, some knives and what RCMP called explosive devices (made from fireworks) - that may or may not have belonged to anyone involved with the protests.

The latest story I read said the firearms were "legal" however the context of where and how they were placed were not for hunting purposes.

There is a possibility that they could be charged for something seemingly minor under the firearms act like inpropper storage of a firearm (if they didn't have a trigger lock) or storing ammunition and firearms together but it depends on the details of the state the weapons were found in and whether the RCMP want to fight that battle or not.

Quote:

There are allegations of agent provocateurs being responsible for setting the cars on fire, with the unusual step of one being identified by name.

Interestingly, there are no charges related to the cars burning, which creates more room for doubt on that issue and assures that the factual questions will remain unresolved while the media impression remains firmly affixed in the minds of the public.

I think the cars were left in a vunerable position on purpose in the hopes that they would be set on fire and images and video captured and put on the news.  The police loose a few cars that our taxes paid for but it dejects from the 'peaceful protest' mantra.  Not a dumb move by them.

I don't believe for a second that the protesters set a cop car on fire (for contrast, I found the story of harrassing the Sun reporter very plausible, and was not surprised when it was confirmed by the leadership).

Why don't I believe it? Not just because there is no point to such nonsense (this isn't a hockey riot. It's not a party. The protesters aren't there to fuck shit up like it's Friday night. Their intentions are very serious.), not just because the use of agent provocateurs is a well-established fact in situations like these, but mostly because the burning of cop cars in particular has become the preferred tactic of such agents. If there's one thing you could never accuse our overlords of, it's imagination.

It's gotten to the point that whenever there's a large-scale, politically inconvenient protest nowadays, I sit and wait for inevitable pictures of a burning police vehicle. With no charges laid or suspects identified. No eyewitness account of how it got burnt (Is it common practice now for police to abandon their vehicles in the middle of large protests? Were they all at lunch?). And frequently surrounded by actual police doing nothing to stop the fire. It's an action that makes zero sense from the protester's point of view, but is clearly advantageous to anyone trying to discredit them, and it keeps happening over and over.

Ockham's razor, man. It's clear who benefits from these mystery arsons that nobody ever has any information about.

Oakland CA Indigenous Community in Solidarity with our First Nations Sisters and Brothers against Fracking and in support of Standing their Ground in Canada

https://www.facebook.com/protectmotherearth

Little protestor at a Elsipogtog solidarity demonstration in Saskatoon earlier today (oct 18). About 50 people showed up holding signs.