News Bulletin
Wet'suwet'en Strong - January 31 action
Climate Justice Ottawa condemns the ongoing colonial and police violence at Unisto'ten. We stand in solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en nation in protecting their unceded, unsurrendered lands.
​
Join us on Friday January 31 on Wellington Street to tell the federal government to remove the RCMP presence.
​
What: Wet'suwet'en solidarity action
When: Friday January 31
Where: Wellington Street
Time: 11am-1pm
​
Facebook event and subsequent details can be found
All Eyes on Wet'suwet'en
Solidarity Action Press Release, Jan. 10 2020
200 people in Ottawa walked out of class and work to stand in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en Nation and against colonial violence.
“Wet’suwet’en people have been the rightful title holders, stewards, and protectors of their traditional territories for thousands of years. Now, the Canadian and BC governments are disrespecting Anuk’nu’at’en (Wet’suwet’en law) to push through another extractive project that threatens their people, culture, and land,” says Sophia Sidarous, indigenous activist and organizer of the action.
The action occurred a year after the RCMP violently raided the territory. A recent Guardian report revealed that the RCMP was instructed to “use as much violence as you [sic] want” and exercise “lethal overwatch” in the process.
“The Canadian and BC provincial governments have been touting reconciliation in their words, while deploying violent, “lethal” force on behalf of Coastal Gas Link. The colonial government must end the genocide and violence against Indigenous Peoples immediately,” says Mia Beijer, youth climate activist and organizer of the action.
The rally was one of 40 solidarity actions across the country, as Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities vow to uphold Indigenous sovereignty and stop resource extraction projects that threaten the lives of current and future generations.
The action was jointly organized by Future Rising Ottawa, Climate Justice Ottawa, and Extinction Rebellion Ottawa.
​
For more information and coverage, see APTN News.
Labour Justice is Climate Justice
Solidarity Statement, Jan. 15 2020
Climate Justice Ottawa stands in solidarity with CUPE education workers and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation. The fight for climate justice aims to safeguard the environment, health, and survival of future generations. The fight for strong public education endeavors to ensure the opportunity for future generations to thrive. We unite in struggles grounded in calls for justice that include good jobs and fair wages.
There are few individuals as close to the youth leading the climate movement as teachers. They not only teach skills of resilience, problem-solving, and perseverance necessary in the transition towards a sustainable future, but they inspire the virtues of empathy and compassion among the global citizens of tomorrow. We trust teachers, the front line workers of our education system, to lead education along a more just and equitable path, and we stand with them as they negotiate with a government that is failing to invest in our collective futures.