CANADA:

AN AUTUMN OF ANARCHY:

ANARCHIST EVENTS FROM ACROSS CANADA:

The leaves have turned colour and fallen, all of them blowing into Steven Harper's driveway one hopes. Ottawa shivers as the squirrels hasten to stockpile nuts, of which Ottawa has a too goodly supply. Extra guards at the Parliament buildings with orders to shoot to kill at the flash of a bushy tail. The cold showers have begun, soon to turn into the first frigid snows. But things are still hot in the world of Canada's anarchists. Here's a medley of events from across the country, some taking place as we speak and some soon to come. Some have already been announced here at Molly's Blog, but there's no harm in repeating myself, repeating myself. This hardly claims to be a comprehensive list, but the very number of items gives testimony to the breadth of anarchism in Canada today.

MONTREAL:

COMPILATION D'ANARKHIA, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH:

Where: 2eme etage (second story) 2035 St-Laurent, Montreal.

When: 8:00 pm Friday, October 26th, 2007.

What: Benefit for Anarkhia. Anarkhia is an online website, news service, discussion board, printed journal and much more. See http://www.anarkhia.org/ to find out all about it. The bands mentioned in the promo to the left will be playing at the benefit.

Also in Montreal

LANCEMENT DU JOURNAL LE FEU AUX POUDRES:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19TH:

Where: Cafe Chaos, 2031 St.-Denis, Montreal

When: 6:00 pm, Friday, October 19th.

What: A party to announce the launch of the fourth edition of Le journal Le Feu aux poudres (loosely translated by Molly as 'A fire/shot of gunpowder'- perhaps better rendered as 'A Whiff of Gunpowder'). Le Feu aux poudres is a "agitational journal of anti-capitalism that opens a debate for a pluralist left". Email contact lefeuauxpoudres@hotmail.com

NORTH AMERICAN DAY OF ACTION AGAINST WAR:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH:

Where: Gather for rally at Dorchester Square (the corner of Peel and Rene-Levesque), Montreal.

When: 12:30 pm, Saturday, October 27th.

What: Peace rally, especially directed against Canada's war in Afghanistan. Bring the troops home now ! See http://www.echecalaguerre.org/ for more details. Also, la Coalition Guerre a la Guerre are planning a "surprise action" on the same day. They are calling for people to gather at the amin doors at the Pavillon Charles De Koninck at the Universite Laval at 1:00 pm. This will be the more direct action event.

LONDON, ONTARIO:

LONDON PROJECT FOR A PARTICIPATORY SOCIETY MEETING:

Where: London Central Library, 251 Dundas St., beside the Red Roaster Coffee Shop.

When: 4:00 pm, Friday, October 19th.

What: Meeting of London area people interested in forming an organization to promote the ideas of Parecon, participatory economics. See http://radicalblogs.org/lpps for more details.

SUDBURY, ONTARIO:

SECRET TRIALS DAY OF ACTION:

Where: Sudbury Courthouse, 155 Elm St., Sudbury, Ontario

When: Noon, Saturday, October 20th

What: Media conference and demonstration against the government practice of "security certificates" that allow detention via secret trials. See Sudbury Against War and Occupation for more details or phone 675-8479.

TORONTO:

UPPING THE ANTI ISSUE 5 LAUNCH PARTY:

Where:Smiling Buddha Bar, 961 College St, West of Dovercourt.

When: As we speak, Thursday, October 18th.

What: Launch party for issue #5 of 'Upping the Anti', a libertarian socialist "journal of theory and action". Produced by the libertarian socialist collective 'Autonomy and Solidarity', a great outfit referenced many times on this blog. For more details about the journal see HERE.

SAY NO TO SECRET TRIALS IN CANADA:

Where: In front of CSIS Headquarters, 277 Front St., Toronto.

When: Saturday, October 20th, 2007, Noon.

What: Part of the nationwide Day of Action to Stop Secret Trials. March from CSIS headquarters to the Federal Court of Canada and ending at the Moss Park Armoury. Demands include the end of security certificates, an open trial for the five prisoners presently detained under them, an end to deportation to countries practicing torture and the closure of 'Guantanamo North'.

FILM SCREENING: THREADBARE:

Where: The Brunswick Theatre, 296 Brunswick Ave., Toronto.

When: Saturday, October 20th, 2007, 8:00 pm.

What: Screening of the film 'Threadbare', referring to the case against 5 Muslim men arrested in Canada and deported despite the lack of evidence. Also the long history of Canada's criminalizing immigrants and refugees. See http://www.brunswicktheatre.ca/.brunswicktheatre.ca/ for details.

OTTAWA:

UNSCHOOLING OPPRESSION

Where: Ottawa Public Library Auditorium, University of Ottawa, McDonald Hall Room 146, other locations. Ottawa. See the Road Network for details.

When: Six days from November 5th to November 10th.

What: Six evening presentations and workshops during the day will feature speakers on the historical roots and purposes of traditional schooling, power, authority, oppression, institutional violence, systemic racism, freedom and deschooling, alternative models for learning and much more. Speakers include David Noble, John Taylor Gatto, Cindy Milstein, Tara Guenette, Julie Lalonde, and Matt Hern. All workshops and events are free. the organizers hope for the event to "catalyze a new movement of projects and campaigns here in Ottawa to directly address the issues presented.".

UNREPENTANT: KEVIN ANNETT AND CANADA'S GENOCIDE:

Where: Carlton University, 204 Tory, Ottawa.

When: Tuesday, October 23rd, 6:45 pm.

What: Film showing, talk, discussion revolving around Kevin Annett's film 'Unrepentant', the story of Canada's attempt at genocide of native peoples by the residential school system. Based on Annett's book 'Hidden From History' it tells the story of how the Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and United Churches, in collusion with Canada's federal government, attempted to destroy native culture. For more information about the film see http://www.hiddenfromhistory.org/ . For more information about the event see http://heritagemoment.ca/

ANARCHISM AND THE ENVIRONMENT:

Where: Jack Purcell Community Centre, 320 Jack Purtill Lane, Ottawa.

When: Sunday, October 28th, 2007, 1:30 pm.

What : Part of Ottawa's Anarchist Discussion Group's ongoing series. Meets every second Sunday afternoon. This event revolves around the connection of anarchism with the effort to build an ecologically sustainable society where humanity lives in harmony with the natural world rather than dominating it. See link above for more details and other events in the series.

WINNIPEG:

En el centro de Canada donde hay muy frio. Winnipeg.
FALL FUNDRAISING DINNER:

Where: Mondragon coffee house and bookstore. Your anarchist home away from home. 91 Albert St., Winnipeg.

When: Sunday, October 28, 2007. Seating at 5:00 pm. Dinner served at 6:00 pm.

What: Fall fund raising dinner for Winnipeg's A-Zone at 91 Albert St., home of a multitude of fine and worthy projects. Five course meal. Complimetary alcoholic beverage. Live entertainment. Presnetation of the past, present and future of the A-Zone. Tickets available in advance at Mondragon.

LAND AND FREEDOM: SCREENING AND DISCUSSION:

Where: Room TBA, University of Winnipeg.

When: Wednesday, November 14, 2007, 7:00 pm

What: Screening of Ken Loach's masterful film 'Tierra y Libertad'/Land and Freedom, a documentary on the Spanish Revolution. Consultant for the fim was Abel Paz, a participant in the Revolution and author of 'Durruti in the Spanish Revolution'. Followed by a discussion.

Molly has to interject here. The presenters are the 'New Socialist Group'. Who Dey ?? Basically a collection of reformed Trotskyists who have gathered a number of other non-aligned leftists to them, more along the line of "sheltering" them from the disintegration of the New Left than anything else. Previous participants in the mercifully failed 'Rebuilding the Left' initiative. I say "mercifully" because once Dracula is in his grave with a stake through his heart you should leave that grave alone and not pull out the stake. A cynic would look at the way NS presents itself to the public and finding no public evidence of their Trotskyist roots- or at least evidence that is clear to anybody not familiar with left wing sects, Hal Draper is a dead giveaway to the suspicious- would conclude that NS is one more example of the Trotskyist tactic of "deep entrism". Instead of "winning the NDP to socialism" like the LSA used to pretent to do way back when they now want to "win the anarchists to socialism". Hence the strange spectacle of a Trot group presenting an anarchist film.

Now the cynical picture may not be entirely correct. No doubt the NS group contains scheming unreformed Leninists who think that opportunism is a moral obligation and who still masturbate to fantasies of becoming commisars of this, that and the other thing. But a cursory reading of its politics and those of its bigger brother, the Solidarity-USA group, leads one to think that there is a certain amount of sincerity amongst its ranks. Sincerity yes, but also great confusion with a dose of dishonesty. Most of its adherants have probably abandoned the juvenile fantasy of building a "democratic" (SIC!!!) centralist party and have accomodated themselves to the modern world. Molly reminds her readers that many of the BEST libertarian groups have come out of Trotskyism, whether this be the Canadian Autonomy and Solidarity Group, some of the founders of Love and Rage or reaching back further in time, Socialisme ou Barbarie and the Solidarity organization in the UK. People in transit. So perhaps judgement should be suspended.

The most annoying thing that Molly can gather from reading about the politics of these people is that they have a "school-marm" like mantra about the need for organization to achieve socialism. Like school marms their ideas of organization are ill formed and prone to simply following some sort of kindergarden rote. Try the experiment of removing the blah-blah from a platformist program (groups such as NS have conveniently removed their own blah-blah already whether for good or bad reasons) and run it in tandem with the NS program. See any difference ? Few would unless they have Molly's suspicious mind. Quite frankly "organization" is being created by anarchists today, and they hardly need to be lectured at a grade school level by the likes of NS. The two paths diverge when you start to allow the blah-blah back in, particularily when you contrast the child-like faith of groups such as NS in the careerist left that they would like to cozy up to with an anarchism that is organizational, like it usually has been in most of its history. The biggest critics of anarchist disorganization are not vague leftists but anarchists themselves.

But enough of this diversion. back to the listings.

EDMONTON:

EDMONTON ANARCHIST BOOKFAIR:

Where: Mostly at the Alberta Avenue Community Centre. (see 'What' for preliminary events), 9210 - 118th Avenue, Edmonton.

When: Saturday, October 27th 11:00 am-7:00 pm; Sunday, October 28th, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm.

What: Edmonton's most excellent anarchist bookfair, the biggest in western Canada. Books, lectures, events, entertainment and even a Halloween party. See http://edmontonanarchistbookfair.blogspot.com/ for further details. Preliminary even include Norman Nawrocki 'Lessons from a Seven Foot Penis' on Thursday, October 25th at the Jekyll & Hyde Pub, 10610-100th Avenue, Edmonton. Doors open 8:00 pm. Also Ward Churchill "Organizing to Win' on Friday, October 26th at the Myer Horowitz Theatre, Students' Union Building, 8900-114th St., Edmonton. Closing event is the 'Anarchist Folk Show' on Sunday, October 28th, 2007 at 7:00 pm. Event at The Remedy Cafe, 8631- 109th St., Edmonton. Bands include Todi Stronghands (Halifax), Startal Ubiquitous (Halifax), R. Olson (Vancouver), Ben Disaster (Edmonton), Lex Mckie (lamenting folk ????).

Come on out for the best in the west.

VANCOUVER:

OPPOSE NEW SECURITY CERTIFICATES LEGISLATION:

Where: Broadway Skytrain Station, Commercial Drive, Vancouver.

When: Friday, October 19th, 2007, 4:30pm.

What: Leafleting, redaings and creative resistance against the Canadian government's security certificates. part of the National Day of Action of the campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada discussed previously. For the most complete backgrounder on this campaign see http://noii-van.resist.ca/?p=531 .

BC, ALBERTA, SASKATCHEWAN:

While you're looking at anarchist events don't forget to check out the appearances of Joey Only, Canada's anarchist/syndicalist/IWW songster and poet. For his appearances through the western rim (BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan) in Ocober and November see Joey Only. Much more than you think.

So that's the end of our little tour. As Molly said this list is hardly comprehensive So much happening. What Molly wants to say is that this is further evidence of the maturity of anarchism in Canada today. It is also evidence of a "critical mass" that could do much more if it was organized in an ideological federation. Not that such a federation should be the only organization. The events listed above give proof to the anarchist idea of spontaneous organization around "issues", but they are only around issues and necessarily both temporary and restricted. It is time for a larger organization that will give "body" to these initiatives without dictating to them. Food for thought.