Monday, January 31, 2022

We can't ignore the rise of the far right.



Katie Perfitt - 350.org 
350@350.org



As of this morning the “Truckers for Freedom” occupation has entered its third day in Ottawa, choking off access to the downtown core and putting hate symbols on open display.1 Whether they were watching on the news from the other side of the country or from their front doors in downtown Ottawa, people across the country were disgusted by the harassment, vandalism and hate.

You probably know by now that members of Canada’s far-right movement organized the convoy, and the protest has attracted the sympathy of thousands more who are angry and disaffected by a system they know is rigged.2


In fact, the current convoy camped out on Parliament Hill looks remarkably similar to the Yellow Vest convoy that descended on Ottawa three years ago. Claiming to be in opposition to Trudeau’s carbon tax, it similarly became swept up by anti-immigrant and far-right sentiment.

Right wing politicians and their operators have been pouring fuel on working class frustration ever since. Instead of addressing the problems we face, they’ve successfully tapped into working people’s rage in order to further their visions of everything from fossil fuel expansion to privatization to white nationalist ideologies.

We can’t combat the rise of the far-right by ridiculing or ignoring it away. We have to out-organize it. We have to build a movement big enough to stop them — one that holds space for people’s anger against a broken system, and channels it into a positive vision for the future.

That means organizing our communities around the vision of a bold, inclusive just transition that responds to this moment of crisis without leaving anybody behind. On March 12, people across the country will do just that, standing up to demand action on Trudeau’s long-promised Just Transition Act.

So far, 20 communities have registered to hold actions and events, but that’s well short of the 60+ we reached for our last big Day of Action in September. Eugene, will you take a moment and register to host an event in your community on the Day of Action for a Just Transition?

The convoy has generated a lot of media coverage and that’s been frustrating to see too, especially when I think about how often Canada’s news outlets ignore and marginalize our own, much bigger movements. These so-called “Truckers for Freedom” are sidelining the majority of transportation workers – particularly immigrant and South Asian truckers who are currently struggling against poor working conditions and wage theft.3

The Day of Action for a Just Transition is a chance to come together across movements and build power in our communities to win the future we deserve. Get involved now by signing up to host an action on March 12.

I’ve connected with everyone who signed up to host an action so far and I can tell this Day of Action is going to be powerful. Along with our partners at the Council of Canadians, we’ve asked organizers to come up with ways to bring the Just Transition to life in their communities and they’ve come back with creative ideas we never even imagined. Together, we can push this Parliament to meet the moment and pass sweeping just transition legislation that acts at the speed of the climate crisis, creates good, green jobs, and leaves no one behind.

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