Blueprints of Disruption

As we discuss and draw lessons from recent police actions at student encampments, peaceful protests and marches for genocide, it becomes clear exactly who is breaching the peace. McGill students escalated their actions and occupied a building on campus, while York University students finished setting up their encampment. Both had the police set on on them by the very people tasked with ensuring th...

The Canadian Socialist Rifle Association makes it clear - they are nothing like the notorious NRA, nor are they some sort of militia. In fact, a lot of their focus is on things like mutual aid and community defences that don't involve guns. But they do insist that all of us (gun owner or not) should, at the very least, be familiar with them. Listen in as we talk to CSRA Spokesperson Isla Jerowsky...

CROSSPOSTED: From Rabble Rants Feeds Topic 1: All Eyes on Rafah We give an update for the week of May 24th, including the latest attacks on a 'safe zone', the lack of a US 'red line' and the creation of buffer zones that block the border with Egypt. Topic 2: Students and Labour Unite at UofT Encampment An Emergency Rally in the face of a possible injunction and police action saw Ontario Labour lea...

Rachel Small, World Beyond War Canada's spokesperson, discusses the organization's work to disrupt the military industrial complex and challenge the culture of war using a variety of tactics. Lately, World Beyond War's focus has been on Gaza. They see their role as highlighting, Canada's complicity in the genocide via our role in the arms trade. Rachel shares details about their latest campaign, A...

Local Palestinian solidarity groups are popping up all over Canada. Organizing mostly by federal or provincial riding boundaries, they have been putting massive pressure on their elected representatives. But that isn't all they do...not even close. Listen in as four activists from Toronto, Edmonton, Montreal and Oakville talk about doing their part to grow a global movement by organizing hyper-loc...

As more student encampments spring up daily, our host talk about the divestment demands being made, and the responses from the Universities, the police and the public. We inevitably make comparisons to the Occupy movement, all while noting the very unique circumstances facing students organizing against genocide. *The opening sound is credited to Mike Litwack. It is taken from a video posted on Tw...

Mskwaasin, a Dene activist, shares her experience of being arrested during a recent railway blockade in Toronto in solidarity with Palestine. She highlights many of the common struggles faced by Indigenous communities in so-called Canada and Palestinians, both under settler colonialism. Its clear Police were targeting Indigenous activists both with arrest and what Mskwaasin calls unconstitutional...

Longtime queer rights activist Gary Kinsman resigned from Toronto Pride in April 2024 over their refusal to adequately address the genocide in Gaza. While telling his story to host Jessa McLean, Gary also provides a history of Pride, and its transition from a grassroots march to a corporately structured and funded cultural event. Together with host Jessa McLean, they talk about the cost of that co...

Voices for Unhoused Liberation are folks experiencing homelessness or inadequate housing while organizing their community. Whether its against encampment evictions or the prison like conditions of the Toronto shelter system, these folks are getting things done under incredibly difficult circumstances. The interview with Dredz Green and Nahum Mann, two community organizers with Voices for Unhoused...

Pier-Philippe Chevigny, writer-director of 'Richelieu', discusses how he uses his skills in filmmaking to shed light on social issues, particularly the exploitation of temporary foreign workers in Canada in his first feature length film, 'Richelieu'. The film follows a translator who sees this exploitation first hand and fights back against the bosses. Chevigny's focus on systemic issues rather th...

Are we there yet? In the wake of the Liberals 2024 Budget, we pulled Nik Barry-Shaw into the studio to unpack what it all means for the long fight for Pharmacare in Canada. Nik is a campaigner with the Council of Canadians. All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support us: Patreon Follow us on Instagram Resources: Follow Nik Ba...

All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support us: Patreon ____________ Episode Summary: Anna, an activist with Labor for Palestine and Independent Jewish voices, discusses her recent arrest and the ongoing struggle for Palestinian solidarity. She was arrested for participating in a peaceful sit-in at AWZ Industries, a company p...

Summary Andrew Crosby, a postdoctoral researcher at Carleton University, discusses his book Resisting Eviction and focuses on the case study of Herring Gate in Ottawa, which is labeled as the largest urban eviction in Canadian history. The conversation explores the role of municipalities and the financialization of housing, the detachment of home as an investment, and the settler colonial aspect o...

The conversation explores the current situation in Israel and Palestine, focusing on the goals and actions of the Israeli government, the role of the US, and the potential consequences of the conflict. It discusses the unwinnable battle Israel is fighting in trying to eliminate Hamas and the need for a way out to avoid looking like their actions were in vain. The conversation also touches on the e...

Canada’s Era of Rebellion: 1837 - 1885 Its always much easier to understand Canada’s behaviours’ now when we hear its real story of inception. As we go through the years before and after Confederation, clear patterns emerge that imitate a lot of what we are seeing today - here in Canada, and over in Palestine. The episode includes stories of brutal suppression of resistance, land theft, executions...

Multiple UN Bodies Pass Motions Against Israel to No Avail After rulings by the ICJ, and motions passed at the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council, Israel has continued its onslaught of Gaza and its many violations of human rights and international law . Host Jessa McLean gives updates on the latest rulings and examines the history of the U.N., its failure to prevent other genocides and i...

Street photograph Joshua Best has been front and centre for the escalation of police violence against protestors in the City of Toronto. He joins the hosts to talk about his his experience, his intriguing photography and what drives him to document disruption. It's also a discussion about police brutality, the resultant radicalization of participants, of solidarity and street level battles for a b...

***Please subscribe to the Rabble Rants feed to keep getting these episodes. Its available anywhere you get Blueprints of Disruption.*** Liberals Announce Plans for a Renters' Bill of Rights In an attempt to sway young voters, mostly renters, Trudeau and the Liberals have announced what they are calling a Renters' Bill of Rights. It includes some funding for legal aid, plans to tie rental payment...

The Social Justice Co-operative in St. John's Newfoundland/Labrador has a long as resilient history. Our interview with co-chair Kerri Claire tells of a personal political journey and an organizational one. Both of which have led to an impressive collective making a meaningful impact. With limited resources, these folks are able to contribute to wide array of local initiatives. And most importantl...

RABBLE RANTS are now available on their own feed. Be sure to subscribe wherever you're listening from. TOPIC: Liberals introduce caps and other policy changes related to temporary foreign residents. In an attempt to further scapegoat immigrants for the 'affordability and housing crisis', federal Liberals in Canada have introduced caps on migrant workers, international students and asylum seekers....

Our discussion with anarchist collective CrimethInc. participant 'B' was full of lessons for how we can better organize our movements. How to form true collectives that value each and every voice, not just symbolically, but in how they make decisions. B describes how there is a way to find harmony without requiring complete unity. This episode helps to better define anarchism as it is in these tim...

United States Pledges to Build a Seaport in Gaza. In his State of the Union Address, President Biden called for a six-week ceasefire and promised to build a seaport to deliver aid to Gaza. The project will be lead by U.S. troops and a company no-one has heard of until now. Wait until you find out who runs that company and what their aims in the Middle East are. We also discuss what all of this mea...

Ontario ACORN just released a report on renovictions in the Province, and the findings are beyond alarming. The good news is there are plenty of people organizing around the issue, with some victories already under their belt. Our hosts are joined by local ACORN organizers Lorne MacMillan (Hamilton) and Even Bury (Ottawa) to talk about the impact of renovictions on renters, the community and the h...

Direct actions work. The past two weeks have seen multiple Palestinian solidarity actions shut down Liberal fundraisers and galas with fascists. They have drawn attention to illegal land sales, Canadian companies arming Israel, and the racist violence of Zionists here in Canada. Our hosts go over some of these actions, the tactics they used, the responses and the results. ___________ All of our co...

Special Guest, John Clarke joins Host Jessa McLean to give a proper (hostile) send off to Brian Mulroney, Canada's Prime Minister from 1984 to 1993. Frustrated by the Parliamentarian/respectability politics that saw the leader of the workers' party give a glowing tribute to a man that was a sworn enemy of the working class, they go through the true 'legacy' of the man who ushered in an unchecked e...