From ottawa.indymedia.org

Chants of “George Bush, Terrorist!” and “Support our troops, bring them home,” boomed through the megaphones of protest marshals while many signs depicted the Canadian Maple Leaf being dominated by the US flag. However, many delegations at the march focused on a need for international solidarity and challenged the role of Canadian nationalism in war and economic exploitation.

Condemning the war in Afghanistan and denouncing the Security Prosperity Partnership as anti-democratic, over 3,000 people demonstrated in Ottawa at a march called by the Council of Canadians and a coalition of anti-war groups yesterday.

Resisting the proposed partnership that will increase capital flow across boarders while further constricting peoples ability to migrate, was the march’s central theme. However, the message was eclipsed by signs and slogans focused on opposition to George Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Chants of “George Bush, Terrorist!” and “Support our troops, bring them home,” boomed through the megaphones of protest marshals while many signs depicted the Canadian Maple Leaf being dominated by the US flag. However, many delegations at the march focused on a need for international solidarity and challenged the role of Canadian nationalism in war and economic exploitation.

“SPP is anti-poor, PGA is at their door,” chanted protesters from the Peoples Global Action contingent, contending partnerships that violate human rights will be met with a grassroots resistance that transcends boarders.

“I don’t believe that if some sections of the Canadian ruling class are given power and our foreign policy and domestic policy distances itself from the United States, that we’re going to see a great change,” said Kabir Joshi-Vijayan, a grade-eight community activist and organizer with Haiti Action Toronto.

“We have to understand that the SPP benefits the ruling classes of Mexico, the US and Canada, and it’s the working people of Canada, Mexico and the US who are loosing. For us to say this is an infringement on the Canadian sovereignty and side with sections of the Canadian ruling class is really wrong. They are the enemies, and we should be siding with the working people of the US and Mexico,” he added.

At the Council of Canadians teach-in at The University Ottawa that followed the march, Joshi-Vijayan demanded the panel of Canadian Parliamentary opposition parties and the Greens justify their statements that the SPP violates Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic. He argued it’s indigenous peoples Arctic sovereignty that is further violated by the partnership.

Although saying that Joshi-Vijayan’s position was accurate, Ann Wright, former US Army colonel and diplomat turned anti-war activist, contends that using patriotism is more effective to pressure and convince governments to abandon the SPP.

“I would urge all Canadian and all Mexican citizens to put pressure on their governments to not just take everything that George [Bush] says, and go along with it,” said Wright. “George is looking out for the corporate financial interests of groups in the United States, he’s definitely not looking out for the common person in the United States, and for sure not the Canadian and Mexican citizens.”

Wright was supposed to be at yesterday’s demonstration and part of the teach-in panel, but was detained at the Canadian boarder for three hours because of past arrests tied to non-violent protests in the US against the Iraq war. She has been forced to sign conditions stating she will not leave the Ottawa area, or go to today’s demonstrations against the SPP in Montebello. She said her detention was a example of the emerging SPP process’s clampdown on people’s boarder mobility.

Despite the ongoing debate between nationalist and internationalist opposition to the SPP, demonstrators expressed the need for international solidarity against the partnership.

“We need to raise our voices, no matter what your nationality is. If you’re against the imperialistic government in the United Sates, you need to unite no matter what your nationality,” said Johnann Juarez from No One is Illegal, Toronto, and the Mexican Communist party.
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Camping for social change

“We’re here to enjoy the process of the encampment and experiment with direct democracy and collective decision making,”

Heading north on the highway 323 out of Montebello, the atmosphere changes. The security fence around the Chateau Montebello fades away in the rearview mirror and the patrols of Sureté du Québec officers thin out. We’re heading to Notre-Dame-de-Paix where a group of protestors have set up camp at the back of a farmer’s field. On one side of the local asparagus farmer has mowed a giant peace sign into a field. The story going around is that when it appeared, the RCMP showed up on his doorstep to investigate.

Calling themselves the Encampement Autogéré—the Autonomous Camp—about 50 people have established their tent city. As more protesters arrive, they’re expecting their camp to grow.

“We’re here to enjoy the process of the encampment and experiment with direct democracy and collective decision making,” explains Pierre Olivier Parent. He’s giving us a tour of the camp, which begins with a banner-making session, preparing for Monday’s demonstrations against the Security and Prosperity Partnership.

In its fifth year, the camp isn’t just about the protest. Perhaps best described as a retreat for activists, the idea for the camp originated in 2001 at the first World Social Forum in Porto Alegré, Brazil, and the concept took root in Quebec in 2003 at Saint-Malachie. Every morning begins with a general assembly where tasks, like cooking, are divided up and leadership is on a rotational basis.

Most of the participants are from Québec, but a few have come from Ontario and as far away as California. When we reached the heart of the camp—the kitchen—under a canopy of tarps Santiago from Sherbrooke is serving up potatoes from an industrial sized pot.

“It’s a good time to meet different people with different aspirations. It’s not always easy with direct democracy, but it’s a good challenge,” he says, adding this is his third year of involvement with the camp. “It’s good at the end of the summer to recharge your batteries, discuss… and this year even more so. It’s concrete, it’s political.”

Parent says it’s no accident that they’re set up near Montebello this year. “We’re really glad to have some way to anchor it to a more political event,” he says. After the dishes are done, and without the distractions of the city, there is time for workshops and discussion.

Liam Bradette from Toronto found out about the camp when he was looking for somewhere to stay during the protests. “You have to get out an do something to try to express you either happiness with the situation or unhappiness with what’s going on. I haven’t been happy with what’s been happening since both Bush and Harper have come to power.”

Colin Perrault has been involved with the camp since the beginning and he’s also concerned about the policies coming out of the SPP meetings, particularly militarization of the continent. And as the Autonomous Camp is spending three weeks focusing on direct democracy, he says the SPP runs counter to their group’s beliefs.

“The thing that is the most wrong about the PSP is the council of competitiveness is laying out all these policies that they transmit directly to the presidents and prime ministers and their main cabinets. And what you get is these policies that are not voted in parliament. It’s like a big sheet is being put over North America.”

The camp continues until August 21. For more info check out their web site, uncampement.net.