Arrests Mark One of the Largest Acts of Civil Disobedience in Canadian History

At the Ottawa action on September 26th 2011, approximately 200 people were arrested in an act of civil disobedience on parliament hill. These people were protesting the Alberta tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline.

Those arrested included Maude Barlow, Tantoo Cardinal and dozens of other leaders from Canada. People who crossed the police barricade were briefly detained and then set free after being fined.

This was one of the largest climate change focused acts of civil disobedience in Canada in decades. However, the crowd remained peaceful throughout the demonstration.

This action sent a powerful message to lawmakers in Ottawa whose fall parliamentary session coincided with the protest.

As protesters where being arrested on Parliament Hill, interim Liberal leader Bob Rae was asking the Harper's Conservative government to explain its woeful record on the environment and its strategy going forward.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Supporters of the Ottawa Action Opposing the Tarsands and the Keystone XL Pipeline

A number of high profile organizations and individuals supported the Ottawa Action protesting the Alberta tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline. Here is a summary of the organizations and individuals that endorsed the action in Ottawa.

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

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Ottawa Action Opposing the Tar Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline

On Monday, September 26th 2011, more than 1,000 people people came together in Ottawa for a peaceful protest against tar sands oil and the Keystone XL pipeline. This pipeline will transport toxic tar sands across the continent from Alberta to Texas. If we are to address the climate crisis we need to move away from fossil fuels, particularly tar sands oil.

People from across Canada congregated at 10am at the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill, where final instructions for the sit-in were shared at a solidarity rally.

The solidarity rally at the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill at 10:00 am included statements from a range of speakers. It was also an opportunity to support sit-in participants. Unlike the sit-in, this rally was intended for broader participation and did not involve the risk of arrest.

After the rally, protesters gathered in front of the Canadian Parliament for an act of civil disobedience. Their message to the Harper government: The tar sands are killing First Nations people, polluting the water and contributing unacceptable levels of climate change causing greenhouse gases.

More than 180 people, in groupings of 32 waves are preparing to peacefully cross the police barricade in front of the Centre Block.

Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow spoke momentarily before she joined the first wave of activists to pass over the fence.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Training for the Tar Sands and Keystone XL Ottawa Action

On Sunday September 25 between 1pm and 8pm there was a training for participants in the September 26th tar sands/Keystone XL civil disobedience.
The training was intended to ensure that people understood the legal implications and practical logistics of the action. The training was mandatory for all participants and it emphasized the importance of non-violent direct action.

In addition to the safety reasons, the training was crucial to make sure that everyone acted together. One of the goals was to build group solidarity and trust for the action.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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An Invitation to Join the Protest Against the Tar Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline

"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)

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline Protest in Washington and Now Ottawa

Late this summer, mass protests against the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline took place in Washington. On Monday September 26th similar protests are planned for Ottawa. Before the Keystone XL protest in Washington came to an end, many people were jailed included 350.org leader Bill McKibben. Even NASA's leading scientist was arrested.

People are protesting the pipeline because of the exorbitant amounts of CO2 it will produce. Canadians are protesting because the oppose Canada's growing role as a dirty energy superpower. In addition to GHGs, there is also a very real danger posed by oil spills.

Although many claim the pipeline will provide significant economic benefits, economists at Cornell University have questioned the economics of the pipeline.

Nobel prize laureates are amongst those that oppose the Keystone XL pipeline and religious leaders also have joined the growing resistance to the Keystone XL.

Eleven U.S. and Canadian scientists and environmentalists encouraged people to participate. The call came from Maude Barlow, Wendell Berry, Tom Goldtooth, Danny Glover, James Hansen, Wes Jackson, Naomi Klein, Bill McKibben, George Poitras, David Suzuki, and Gus Speth. They asked people to come to Washington D.C. and join in two weeks of non-violent civil disobedience actions to try to stop the tar sands the Keystone XL pipeline. The response was overwhelming.

On September 26th 2011, Canadians will match the courage and determination of those who protested in Washington. People across Canada will converge on Ottawa to help defuse the largest carbon bomb in North America.

For more information or to get involved click here.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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A New Survey Shows that Americans Now Want to Address Climate Change

According to a new Yale survey, the vast majority of Americans now believe addressing global warming should be a top priority for Congress and the Obama administration. The survey indicated that 71 percent of Americans now think that tackling climate change should be high on the agenda. This is an improvement over the last couple of years when it was not considered a high priority.

Support for clean energy is almost unanimous with 91 percent of Americans saying that "developing sources of clean energy should be a very high (32%), high (35%), or medium (24%) priority for the president and Congress, including 97 percent of Democrats, 89 percent of Independents, and 85 percent of Republicans."

Americans want their government to invest in the effort to curb global warming. Despite ongoing concerns about the economy, 67 percent of Americans say the US should undertake a large (29%) or medium-scale effort (38%) to reduce global warming, even if it has large or moderate economic costs. These results could be interpreted as support for ending oil subsidies.

The business community should also take note as 65 percent of Americans want more action to address global warming from corporations. Their is a growing awareness of the relationship between the environment the economy and jobs. 82 percent of Americans (including 94% of Democrats, 74% of Independents, and 76% of Republicans) say that protecting the environment either improves economic growth and provides new jobs (56%), or has no effect (26%). Only 18 percent say environmental protection reduces economic growth and costs jobs.

Americans indicate the want more renewable energy even if it costs more. The study indicates that 68 percent of Americans support requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources, even if it costs the average household an extra $100 a year, including 82 percent of Democrats, 64 percent of Independents, and 58 percent of Republicans.

The study shows that Americans support more research funding as indicated by the fact that 84 percent of Americans support funding more research into renewable energy sources, including 90 percent of Democrats, 81 percent of Independents, and 81 percent of Republicans.

More than half of Americans want to see more action from Congress to address global warming. This should cause Republican lawmakers who frown on support for renewable energy to take note as their ongoing obstructionism could prove politically fatal.

With the exception of the finding that 68 percent of Americans want more gas and oil drilling, this is a very positive report for the environment. This survey breathes new hope into the possibility of passing US energy and climate change legislation if President Obama succeeds in winning a second term.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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