[Bloquez l'empire!] THURSDAY: Anti-Colonial Contingent in Quebec City!

Wed Jul 2 03:58:22 PDT 2008

*This Thursday, July 3, more than 100 protesters from Montreal will be
joining the anti-war & anti-colonial demonstrations in Quebec City, to
counter the parade of Canadian Armed Forces soldiers, and the "celebrations"
of Quebec City's "foundation" 400 years ago.

The English text of a flyer describing the contingent is included below and
also linked here: http://blocktheempire.blogspot.com/2008/07/july3text.html

The original French text, that will be distributed in Quebec City as part of
the Anti-Colonial Contingent, is linked here:
http://blocktheempire.blogspot.com/2008/07/3juillettract.html

More info below about the mobilization.*
----------------------

*400 YEARS OF MILITARISM AND COLONIALISM :
NOTHING TO CELEBRATE!

FROM KABUL TO QUEBEC CITY:
NO JUSTICE ON STOLEN AND OCCUPIED LAND

+++++++++++++++
Protest the parade of Canadian Armed Forces soldiers in the Old City
of Quebec; Canada out of Afghanistan!
JULY 3, 2008
Gathering Point:
10AM at Le Parc de l'Amérique Française
QUEBEC CITY
+++++++++++++++*

This Thursday, July 3, 2008, Quebec City is commemorating the 400th
anniversary of its colonial foundations, "discovered" by Samuel de Champlain
in the name of the King of France.

On the same day, the 22nd Royal Regiment of the Canadian Armed Forces, just
returned from Afghanistan, will be openly parading on the streets of old
Quebec City.

In response to a call to action by the Guerre à la guerre Coalition in
Quebec City to continue opposition to the war in Afghanistan, Block the
Empire Montreal invites you to join the resistance on the streets to oppose
this unabashed show of colonial domination and imperial power.

Guerre à la guerre's callout is linked here:
http://www.guerrealaguerre.resist.ca/

*ANTI-COLONIAL CONTINGENT*

In support of the anti-war demonstrations in Quebec City on July 3, 2008,
Block the Empire-MONTREAL is organizing an "ANTI-COLONIAL CONTINGENT" to
highlight opposition to the colonial underpinnings of Canada & Quebec, to
demonstrate solidarity with ongoing indigenous struggles for justice and
self-determination on Turtle Island, and to protest against the 400th
anniversary celebrations of the "founding of Quebec."

We encourage you to join us behind the banner: *"400 Years of Colonialism:
Nothing to Celebrate! Canada and Quebec are stolen land!" *

The ANTI-COLONIAL CONTINGENT is organized by *Block the
Empire-Montréal*with the support of the following groups:
*Autonomous Social Center (Montréal), Barrier Lake Solidarity Committee
(Montréal), Chaotic Insurrection Ensemble (Montréal), Collectif opposé à la
brutalité policière (Montréal), Collectif Piranha (Québec City), Collectif
de recherche sur l'autonomie collective (Montréal), Collectif de résistance
anti-capitaliste (Saguenay), Comité Fahad (Montréal), Frigo Vert (Montréal),
Immigrant Workers Centre (Montréal), La Mauvaise Herbe, Mohawk Traditional
Council of Kahnawake, NEFAC (Montréal), Operation Objection (Montréal), La
Otra Campaña (Montréal), PINAY-The Filipino's Woman Organization in Quebec,
La Pointe Libertaire (Montréal), No One Is Illegal (Montréal), Projet
Accompagnement Solidarité Colombie (Montréal), Solidarity Across Borders
(Montréal), Les Sorcières (Montréal), Tadamon! (Montréal) *and others.

For background and context to the anti-colonial opposition to the 400th
anniversary celebrations in Quebec, visit:
http://j3.amp-montreal.net/j3_eng.html#background

*::::::::::::::::::::
::::::::::::::::::::*

*[The following is the English version of the text of the flyer that will be
handed out by members of the "Anti-Colonial Contingent" in Quebec City on
July 3, 2008. The French version, which will be distributed publicly in
Quebec City, is linked at:
http://blocktheempire.blogspot.com/2008/07/3juillettract.html]*
----------

*400 Years of Colonialism and Militarism: Nothing to Celebrate!
Ni patrie, ni état, ni Québec, ni Canada!*

QUEBEC CITY, JULY 3, 2008 -- Today marks the 400th anniversary of the
"founding" of Quebec City by "explorer" Samuel de Chaplain, on behalf of the
King of France.

This occasion is being uncritically marked by a march of Canadian Armed
Forces soldiers on Quebec City's streets who have been bestowed the colonial
British droit de cité ("Freedom of the City"). These soldiers are recently
returned from Afghanistan where – despite all self-serving pretensions about
being part of a humanitarian mission – they were foot soldiers in George
Bush's misguided and disastrous "War on Terror". Valcartier soldiers were
deployed in Kandahar so that essentially more American soldiers could occupy
Iraq.

As part of today's festivities, the federal police (RCMP), created to
repress Indigenous "rebellions" on the Prairies, are also being celebrated.
The entire effort is essentially an expensive photo opportunity for all
shades of Quebec, Canadian and French politicians, using tourists and the
people of Quebec City as their "camera fodder".

We march today in support of the call by the Guerre à la guerre Coalition in
Quebec City to protest against militarism. We support their demands to end
the "droit de cité" accorded to the Royal 22nd Regiment, for the immediate
withdrawal of Canadian Armed Forces troops from Afghanistan, and for an end
to military recruitment propaganda.

We also march as part of an ANTI-COLONIAL CONTINGENT, to highlight the roots
of militarism and imperialism, at home and abroad.

The celebration of Quebec's 400th is a not-too-subtle whitewashing of
history, making the brutal colonization of the Americas by racist British
and French settlers look almost quaint.

The reality of 400 years of colonialism has meant a continual process of
genocide and displacement of the Indigenous populations of Turtle Island. In
Quebec specifically, this process of colonization, and neo-colonization,
continues to play "divide and rule" between Indigenous nations -- exactly
like their British colonizers and the Canadian government -- deciding to
paternalize "good Indians" while ignoring or attacking the "bad Indians."

It's appropriate that Quebec's 400th is being marked with a parade of
soldiers who've unsuccessfully tried to occupy Kandahar. Canadian Armed
Forces soldiers were also deployed in similar numbers in 1990, around the
island of Montreal, used to repress the legitimate demands of the Mohawks of
Kahnawake and Kanehsatake during the so-called "Oka Crisis".

Instead of false apologies, and neo-colonial relationships, we stand in
support of Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination, without the
meddling of either Quebec or Canadian governments.

We march today in support and solidarity with Indigenous struggles for land,
freedom and survival, from Lac Barrière to Nitassinan, from Kahnawake to
Nunavik. As non-natives, we are standing up to oppose the unjust policies
that are undertaken in our name, and to challenge the false histories used
to justify them, as part of a process of our own decolonization.

We march together today to say: From Kabul to Quebec City, there is no
justice on stolen and occupied land.
----------

The ANTI-COLONIAL CONTINGENT is organized by *Block the
Empire-Montréal*with the support of the following groups:
*Autonomous Social Center (Montréal), Barrier Lake Solidarity Committee
(Montréal), Chaotic Insurrection Ensemble (Montréal), Collectif opposé à la
brutalité policière (Montréal), Collectif Piranha (Québec City), Collectif
de recherche sur l'autonomie collective (Montréal), Collectif de résistance
anti-capitaliste (Saguenay), Comité Fahad (Montréal), Frigo Vert (Montréal),
Immigrant Workers Centre (Montréal), La Mauvaise Herbe, Mohawk Traditional
Council of Kahnawake, NEFAC (Montréal), Operation Objection (Montréal), La
Otra Campaña (Montréal), PINAY-The Filipino's Woman Organization in Quebec,
La Pointe Libertaire (Montréal), No One Is Illegal (Montréal), Projet
Accompagnement Solidarité Colombie (Montréal), Solidarity Across Borders
(Montréal), Les Sorcières (Montréal), Tadamon! (Montréal)* and others.

INFO: blocktheempire at gmail.com – 514-848-7583
http://j3.amp-montreal.net
http://www.coalition-valcartier-2007.resist.ca/
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