Volunteer medics at Occupy Vancouver -- including an emergency room nurse and a first aid responder trained in the military -- are preparing for the worst as political rhetoric over the three-week-old encampment escalates.

After the death this weekend of Ashlie Gough, 23, in the camp, Mayor Gregor Robertson has come under pressure from his right-leaning opponent in the upcoming city election, Suzanne Anton, to remove Occupy Vancouver's tent city -- although the mayor said Sunday he was happy to let the protest continue, without people sleeping in tents. Stronger warnings from City Hall have medics at the encampment worried.

Following the seizure of the Canadian boat, the Tahrir, by Israeli authorities in international waters off the coast of Gaza, impromptu protests erupted across Canada Friday in a show of solidarity with the activists arrested. 

In Toronto, a group of 30 picketed the Israeli consulate, protesting the boarding and seizure of the Tahrir and its companion, the Irish ship the Saoirse, in the Mediterranean Sea by Israeli naval forces earlier in the day. The Tahrir was carrying Canadians and other nationalities intent on delivering a reported $30,000 in medical supplies to the beleaguered people of Gaza. The Israeli military has blockaded Gaza since 2007 after Hamas won a majority of seats in the 2006 Palestinian election.

rabble.ca is the proud media sponsor of Indignez-Vous! Hope in Resistance. We will live-stream the event this Friday and Saturday, Oct. 21 and 22. Check out the speakers and seminars here. For the live-stream in English, starting Oct. 21 at 7 p.m., click here. For the live-stream in French, click here.

It was one of those ‘snap to attention' statements. Political theorist Jodi Dean was asked, "What is the point of theory?" Her response? "It is to provide weapons." Dean was speaking metaphorically of course, but the quote resonated. The world we find ourselves in needs a theory that can cut through the leaden fog that says we have, for better or worse, the best world we can hope for.

Over 200 protesters objecting to the federal government's enthusiastic support for Alberta's tar sands and the Keystone pipeline XL were arrested Monday morning as they attempted to stage a sit-in in the House of Commons.

The protesters wanted the chance to air their grievances with the environmentally reckless policies of the Harper-led Conservatives inside Parliament but were blocked from entering by fenced barricades and over 50 RCMP officers.

The protesters were encouraged by hundreds of boisterous supporters as they passed the media scrum and calmly hopped over police barricades.

Dozens of protesters objecting to the federal government's enthusiastic support for Alberta's Tar Sands and the Keystone XL pipeline running from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico were arrested Monday as they attempted to stage a sit-in in the House of Commons.

Those arrested in the first wave of protesters trying to gain access to the House included chairperson of The Council of Canadians, Maude Barlow, and Dave Coles, the president of Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, along with his executive assistant and rabble.ca blogger Fred Wilson.

The protesters aired their grievances with the environmentally reckless policies of the Harper led Conservatives inside Parliament but were blocked from entering by fenced barricades up to 100 RCMP officers.

With the 2011 Ontario provincial election mere weeks away, all the major parties are honing their focus on the most competitive ridings in the province. While some of these battleground ridings are attracting attention from politicians and commentators alike, the following ridings are somehow slipping under radar, despite their potential Election Day interest.

As funeral guests gathered at the door of the Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto to mourn Jack Layton's passing and celebrate his life on Saturday, activists, First Nations leaders, campaigners, diplomats and politicians of all stripes and areas of Canada were counted among them.

From the moment the ceremony began there was no doubt that this was to be a very political event, not just because of its guest list, but because this ceremony, planned by Layton and his family as his illness progressed, a clear message was being sent to Canada: social justice is important, Canadians want it, and Canada is capable of achieving that goal.

When you ask youth about their place in society and they respond by telling you that the media is what negatively impacts them and stops them from feeling a sense of belonging in the broader community, you (should) pay attention. Maybe even do something about it.

That's the basis of a new project, the Multimedia Multicultural Initiative (M&M), now operating in seven cities across Canada. It is run by the United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC). While not the actual UN, the organization is part of a federation of United Nations Associations around the world that promotes and educates around the broader mandate of the UN, issues like good government, equality, diversity, and human rights.

For many newcomers to Canada, political engagement is not an immediate priority. Immigration poses challenges, learning a new language, navigating a new community, seeking employment, finding housing, and so much more. It can be completely overwhelming for those newly arrived. But according to Adriana Salazar, a Toronto-based project co-ordinator at Toronto's Mennonite New Life Centre, civic participation is crucial for newcomers who seek to make a life for themselves within Canadian society.