Michael Riordon

the view from where I live


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In our name…

…the war against the earth and its defenders goes on.

Photo: StarMetro Vancouver

Currently one of the most vital front lines is on Wet’suwet’en First Nation land in “British Columbia,” Canada.  Wet’suwet’en defenders stand in the way of a zombie pipeline due to transport toxic liquid natural gas over their land to ocean tankers.  The land defenders are under siege by Canada’s national government and its police.  This whole abominable project is owned and paid for by the people of Canada, and promoted by the authorities – in our name.

Details here: https://dogwoodbc.ca/news/rcmp-wetsuweten-raid/

…and here: http://priceofoil.org/2019/01/10/shameful-trudeau-accused-of-violating-first-nations-rights-over-gas-pipeline/

The Wet’suwet’en defenders are putting their lives on the line, for the earth and for all of us.  Most of us can’t be there with them.  But whoever and wherever we are, we still have other capacities, including our voices.  Let’s use them well.

To stay informed and in touch:

Gitdumt’en Under Siege, here:  https://www.facebook.com/wetsuwetenstrong/videos/472608843268486/

International Solidarity with Wet’suwet’en, here:  https://www.facebook.com/events/2225649537692362/

#wetsuwetenstrong

#notrespass

#thetimeisnow

Dogwood, a grassroots citizens’ movement in British Columbia, here: https://dogwoodbc.ca/news/


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Canadian government spies on tar sands opponents

Shocking, but not surprising:

tar sandsPhoto: vtdigger.org

Through Access to Information searches, investigative journalist Matthew Millar reveals in the Vancouver Observer that the National Energy Board, a federal agency, coordinates a secret ongoing surveillance campaign against Alberta tar-sands opponents.  The NEB collaborates with CSIS (Canadian Security Intelligence Service), the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, which has its own national security apparatus), as well as private corporations implicated in the Alberta tar-sands and proposed  pipelines.

This makes sense only as an (ideo)logical extension of the Harper regime’s faithful service to the oil and gas industry, combined with the paranoia of a repressive regime, as in:

Anger erupts over Harper’s ‘enemy’ listThe National Post, July 17, 2013.

Government labels environmentalists “terrorist threat” in new report.  The Vancouver Observer, Feb 10, 2012.

Stay tuned…

What’s Next? when science, nature and power collide.  Coming in 2014 from Between the Lines, Canada.