activism

Abortion Rights in Canada: Here to stay? 

On Thursday, October 24, an abortion rights protest clustered at the intersection of Southdale Road West and Notre Dame Drive. Five protesters stood in a line. Three raised familiar abortion rights signs that read “Honk for pro-choice”, “Safe and legal abortion is pro-life”, and “Keep your rosaries off my ovaries”.  The remaining two held more specific signs.  “Go home, Abby” read one. “Hellenic centre hosts RACIST,” read the other.  The abortion rights advocates were protesting the Hellenic Community Centre’s decision to serve as a venue for a fundraiser featuring American anti-abortion spokesperson Abby Johnson. The fundraiser was organized by 4LifeLondon…

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Small group of Londoners counter-protest to take a stand for reproductive rights

A small group of abortion rights activists in London counter-protested the anti-abortion “Life Chain” event in front of Victoria Hospital on Sunday. Local churches and anti-abortion protesters  participated in what is known as the “Life Chain,” an annual anti-abortion event held across cities in North America on the first Sunday in October since 1987. In London, this protest was held in front of Victoria Hospital at the corner of Wellington Road and Commissioners Road — but protesters were met with a counter-protest by London Reproductive Justice, a local group that advocates for abortion and reproductive rights. The counter-protesters arrived around…

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London community comes out strong supporting 2SLGBTQ+ “No Space for Hate” counter-protest

Dozens of community members came out to support London’s 2SLGBTQ+ community in a counter-protest against the 1 Million March For Children protest at Victoria Park on Friday. London’s counter-protest was one of over 30 held across Canada on Friday in response to nationwide protests against educational content about 2SLGBTQ+ communities and policies in schools — called the “1 Million March For Children” — held the same day. In London, the counter-protest event was dubbed the “No Space for Hate Counterprotest”.   The counter-protest started at 9 a.m. at the northwestern entrance of Victoria Park while the greenspace surrounding the WW2 era…

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The Saga of Western’s Procedure 1.1: Why did it come, go, and will it return?

On August 29th, the Western University administration imposed “Procedure 1.1: Obtaining Authorization to Hold a Demonstration”. The procedure demands that no demonstrations – including “picketing, marching, carrying signs, distribution of literature, and other related activities, usually in favour of or opposed to some action or opinion” – occur on campus without the approval of the Director of Campus Safety & Emergency Services.  Students view the procedure as stifling free speech. Faculty call it authoritarian. Legal scholars argue that it may violate institutional, provincial, and federal laws, including the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. All view the procedure as a direct…

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Western University administration response to student encampments inconsistent with international law

Originally published at NB Media Coop on June 11, 2024 Note: The content of this article was proofread by a legal scholar to ensure its accuracy with reference to international law. On May 29, Western University’s President and Vice-Chancellor Alan Shepard released a public statement about the student encampments’ divestment demands. For 31 days, Western University students have maintained encampments filled with protests, teach-ins, and cultural celebrations. They will remain until Western University’s administration ceases its 33.6 million dollar investment in Israel’s occupation of Palestine and publicly condemns the occupation. Meetings between students and administration have been unproductive since. The latest…

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Israeli violations of international law go down the ‘memory hole’ in Western reporting: former UN Special Rapporteur

U.S. shields State of Israel from consequences for repeated violations, says legal scholar Michael Lynk Originally published at NB Media Coop on November 9, 2023 Israel violates international law with impunity because of unconditional U.S. support and highly skewed journalism that routinely ignores Israel’s record of human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. That’s according to a Canadian legal scholar who served as a senior United Nations official examining human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. “Israel is, as an occupier, in serious breach of international human rights law, international humanitarian law — which are the laws of war and…

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‘If you do nothing, that amounts to supporting the status quo’: Activism for Palestine and how to sustain it

Originally published at NB Media Coop on December 27, 2023 Solidarity movements for Palestine flare worldwide at an unprecedented level. Over 80 countries have seen rallies rich with Palestinian flags, protests that fill the air with chants of ceasefire, and candlelit vigils that honour the martyred Palestinian people. David Heap, a professor of linguistics and an advocate of universal human rights, offers his insights on effective activism and shares his experiences. He believes all forms of activism are important, that the risk lessens as more people advocate, and that sustaining activism relies on compassionate support networks. He emphasizes that abstaining from…

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‘And if we don’t get it – SHUT IT DOWN’: University students rally for a new world

Originally published at NB Media Coop on April 29, 2024 “Please keep going because you are our only hope. And we promise we will hold our ground and tell you the truth, always,” says Bisan Owda, a Palestinian journalist who has reported live from Gaza, fled bombs, held children, flocked to and from tents, sobbed, and starved for over 200 days of genocide. Owda is in a dimly lit tent, a keffiyeh around her shoulders, her dark curls pulled back. Her face is strained. The bags beneath her eyes are deep and hollow out her cheeks. Her gaze is fierce,…

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“Under the rubble of our dreams”: Vigil honours university students killed by Israeli forces, as Western University graduation ceremonies unfold

Originally published at NB Media Coop on June 29, 2024 It is June 12th. Western University hosts graduation convocations. Families fill the halls. Names reverberate. Students traverse the stage; gowns billow, tassels sway, and degrees are photographed. There is warmth, nostalgia, glee, cheer, and peace. Among the tents and human rights slogans forming the student encampments, another graduation convocation unfolds. This convocation is cheerless. This convocation is filled with tears and red eyes. This convocation is a vigil. It is called “Honouring those who will never graduate” – a title strung on a banner facing rows of chairs. No students…

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‘All of humanity should break out in a fever’: Seven days at Western University’s encampments

Originally published at NB Media Coop on May 24, 2024 Earlier this month, students at Western University in London, Ontario began organizing encampments demanding divestment from companies funding genocide. Western University currently invests $33.6 million in companies complicit in Israel’s violent occupation of Palestine. The first encampment was on May 1 and ran from noon to midnight; the second was on May 8 and was also planned from noon to midnight, but instead became indefinite from that point onwards. The following is an account of the encampment’s first seven days. *** “When one part of humanity aches, all of humanity…

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