Hundreds gathered on Parliament Hill to say ‘No to Tar Sands’
(Ottawa) – On September 26, hundreds of people from across North America gathered on Parliament Hill for a rally followed by a mass civil disobedience sit-in. Participants responded to a call to action for a large peaceful protest where many risked arrest to tell the Harper government they don’t support his reckless agenda and urge him to turn away from the tar sands and build a green energy future that promotes climate justice, respects Indigenous rights and prioritizes the health of our environment and communities.
“It is morally justifiable to risk arrest if you see and witness a crime occurring or about to occur. We are saying the tar sands industry is unlawful. We need to stop it before the damage is done. It’s worth getting arrested to send that warning out to the rest of Canada,” said Louisette Lante, a housewife from Waterloo.
More than 200 people risked arrest on Parliament Hill in the largest climate-related civil disobedience action in Canadian history. Over 100 participants were released with a trespassing ticket. Those arrested included Maude Barlow (Council of Canadians), David Coles (CEP), Tony Clarke (Polaris Institute), Keith Stewart (Greenpeace) and George Poitras (former Chief of the Mikisew Cree). People came from all walks of life and regions in Canada to participate in the Ottawa action against the tar sands. Among the 200 people arrested, the youngest was 19 years old and the oldest was 84. The group was tremendously diverse and included a social worker, a plumber, a biologist, an organic farmer, a doctor, a student, a stay at home parent, and many others. Participants came from almost every province and territory.
The action began at 10 a.m. with a solidarity rally in front of the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill featuring a number of speeches from prominent individuals from environmental organizations and Indigenous communities directly impacted by the tar sands. Following the speeches, waves of participants separated from the solidarity rally and chose to risk arrest by participating in a peaceful sit-in near the front doors to Centre Block.
“The tar sands represent a path of broken treaties, eroded human rights, catastrophic climate change, poisoned air and water and the complete stripping of Canada’s morality in the international community, said Clayton Thomas-Muller of the Indigenous Environmental Network. “Our communities should not be sacrificed on the alter of Canada’s addiction to dirty fossil fuel; we want a new economic paradigm that protects our relationship to the sacredness of Mother Earth.”
A broad spectrum of people at Parliament Hill supported the action including grandparents, elected and grassroots Indigenous leaders directly impacted by tar sands operations and pipelines, students, workers, environmentalists and union representatives. Environmental and Indigenous organizations along with a dozen Canadian celebrities and prominent individuals have endorsed the call to action.
“I've spent more than a decade writing reports about the benefits of a green energy and asking politely for action on climate change, while tar sands companies worked the back rooms and pollution levels went up. I'm here today to send a message about the urgency of stopping the tar sands and building a green economy in a way that can't be ignored,” said Keith Stewart, Ph.D.
Learn more about the Ottawa Action
OTTAWA ACTION SCHEDULE:
Sunday September 25
Training will run from 1pm to 8pm on Sunday, September 25 at 55 Laurier Ave. E., at The University of Ottawa, Building Desmarais (DMS), 1st floor, Room 1160.
Please plan to arrive in Ottawa by the evening of the 24th or the morning of the 25th for the training. It is mandatory that everyone attend this training. This won't be like every other rally you've attended. Because we are dealing with an arrestable situation it is incredibly important that everyone is on the same page, understands the action, legal consequences and the basics of non-violent direct action. One person action out of line can jeopardize everyone else. In addition to the safety reasons the training will be crucial for building group solidarity and trust for the action. We can look at this as a fantastic opportunity to build community and solidarity for the climate movement :)
If, for some reason you absolutely cannot attend the training you must email us in advance at ottawaaction@gmail.com so that we can make other arrangements.
Monday September 26
We will be meeting at 10am at the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill. Please don't be late, final instructions for the sit-in will be shared at the solidarity rally.
Solidarity Rally: There will be a solidarity rally at the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill at 10:00am. There will be statements from a range of speakers and an opportunity to support sit-in participants. This rally is intended for broader participation and does not involve the risk of arrest.
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An Invitation
"There comes a time…"
There comes a time when you need to take a stand. When sending letters and signing petitions isn't enough. When together we must say, "enough is enough — not on our watch".
That time is now. We must act together for the health of our planet, our air, our water, our climate, and our children.
On September 26th we need you to come to Ottawa to join a historic action to oppose the tar sands. In a large peaceful protest, many will be risking arrest to tell the Harper governmentthat we don’t support his reckless agenda; that we want to turn away from the toxic tar sands industry; and that we oppose the direction he's taking this country.
In the U.S., people by the thousands are taking a stand. From Aug 20th to Sept. 3rd, thousands are pledging to risk arrest in daily acts of civil disobedience to convince President Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline that would bring dirty tar sands oil to the U.S. On September 26th, we will stand up to Prime Minister Harper to pressure him to stem the tar sands industry at its source.
Tar sands mining and other extreme forms of energy extraction like Arctic drilling, shale fracking, and nuclear power generation send us in the exact opposite direction that we, as a civilization, must go to ensure global survival. If we burn the tar sands, we blot our nation's reputation; if we leave that carbon in the ground, we'll do the world an enormous favour.
On September 26th we are asking you to come to Ottawa to participate in one of the largest acts of civil disobedience on the climate issue that Canada has ever seen.
Be a part of turning Canada away from the toxic tar sands industry. Help forge the future we all want to live in.
If you are interested and willing to take action email ottawaaction@gmail.com or go to www.ottawaaction.ca to sign-up today. It will be a powerful day, and more powerful if you're a part of it.
Sincerely,
The Council of Canadians
Greenpeace Canada
Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN)
Organizational Endorsers:
Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE)
Canadian Unitarians for Social Justice (CUSJ)
Citizens Climate Lobby (CCLC), Toronto, Sudbury, Red Lake chapters
EcoSanity
Équiterre
Erosion, Technology & Concentration (ETC) Group
Global Exchange
Keepers of the Athabasca Watershed Council of the Keepers of the Water
National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
Peaceful Uprising
Physicians for Global Survival (PGS)
Post Carbon Toronto
Science for Peace
The Ruckus Society
The Tipping Point
Toronto Climate Campaign (TCC)
UK Tar Sands Network
Voice of Women
First Nations Endorsers:
Assembly of First Nations
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation
Dene Nation
Rosebud Sioux Tribe
Unis’tot’en Nations
Wet’suwet’en Nation
Yankton Sioux Tribe
Yinka Dene Alliance
Individual & Celebrity Endorsers:
Bill McKibben – Writer, Environmentalist, Founder of 350.org
Bruce Cox – Executive Director, Greenpeace Canada
Clayton Ruby – Criminal Lawyer and Member of the Order of Canada
Dr. Danny Harvey – University of Toronto Professor and Lead Author, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Dave Bidini – Canadian Musician & Author, Rheostatics, BediniBand, DaveBedini.ca
Dave Thomas – Actor, Writer, Producer, Hoser Doug Mckenzie, SCTV
George Poitras – Mikisew Cree Indigenous First Nation
Gordon Laxer – Professor of Political Economy
Gordon Pinsent – Elder Statesman of Canadian Theatre, Away From Her, Due South
Graeme Gibson – Author and Member of the Order of Canada
Graham Greene – Actor, The Green Mile, Dances with Wolves, Die Hard with a Vengence
Hart Bochnar – Actor, Die Hard
James Biggar – Executive Director, LeadNow.ca
James Hansen – Internationally renown Climate Scientist
James Kamau – Director, Youth Initiative Canada (YIC)
John O’Connor – Medical Doctor
Joseph B. Uehlein – Labor Organizer and Environmentalist
Judy Rebick – Journalist, Political Activist and Feminist.
Kai Nagata – Ex-CTV Bureau Chief and journalist
Kate Vernon – Actress, Battlestar Galactica
Kevin Washbrook – Director, Voters Taking Action on Climate Change (VTACC)
Maude Barlow – Chair, Council of Canadians
Mia Kirshner – Actress, The L World, The Black Dahlia, 24, Vampire Diaries
Naomi Klein – Author and Journalist
Nia Vardalos – Actress, Writer, Producer, My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Peter Keleghan – Actor, 18 to Life, The Newsroom, PolluterHarmony.ca
Shirley Douglas – Canadian television, film and stage Actress and Activist
Tahmoh Penikett – Actress, Battlestar Galactica, Smallville
Tantoo Cardinal – Actress, Dances with Wolves, Member of the Order of Canada
Toghestiy Wet’suwet’en – Wet’suwet’en Nation
Tom Goldtooth – Director, Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN)
Tony Clarke – Author and Director of the Polaris Institute
Tzeporah Berman – Canadian Author and Activist
Why now?
This summer, 11 veteran U.S. and Canadian scientists and environmentalists — Maude Barlow, Wendell Berry, Tom Goldtooth, Danny Glover, James Hansen, Wes Jackson, Naomi Klein, Bill McKibben, George Poitras, David Suzuki, and Gus Speth — issued a continental call-out. The call was for people right across the U.S. to come to Washington D.C. and join in two weeks of non-violent civil disobedience actions to try to stop the massive tar sands Keystone XL pipeline. The response has been overwhelming.
Knowing the horrific impacts a mega-pipeline from the tar sands in Alberta to refineries in the U.S. gulf coast would pose to communities, waterways, ecosystems and the planet, people are signing up by the thousands. They are pledging to risk arrest to draw a line in the sand and say “no.” They'll deliver that message by daily risking arrest until the project is stopped.
On September 26th, we have a chance to match their courage and do the same in Ottawa.
If you are interested and willing to take action email ottawaaction@gmail.com or go to www.ottawaaction.ca to sign-up today.
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Tags: Transport & Accommodation
Can you help us make sure everyone has a place to stay, and a way to get home from the action? Log onto the discussion on our forum page and let folks know what you can offer under the transportation or accommodations threads.
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