SOLIDARITY AND UNITY STATEMENT
by the People's Global Action (PGA) BLOC
August 12, 2007

This statement aims to encourage solidarity and unity amongst the diverse protesters and groups who will be demonstrating our progressive anti-racist opposition to the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) and the Bush/Harper/Calderon meeting in Montebello, Quebec this August 20-21, 2007.

It's clear that the police and security forces -- in complicity with the state and corporate proponents of the SPP, as well as sensationalist mainstream media -- utilize a strategy of divide and rule. They distinguish between "good" and "bad" protesters to weaken social movements.

You're "good", in the eyes of the police, if you comply with their protest pens and zones, and "bad" if you do not; you're "good" if you limit opposition to electoral politics and lobbying, but "bad" if you reject parliamentary politics and parties, and privilege direct action; you're "good" if you get permission from the police to protest, and "bad" if you refuse to talk to police on principle.

Already, both RCMP and SQ (Quebec Provincial Police) officers have begun a fear campaign in the communities of Montebello and surrounding area, with talk of "provocateurs" and "violent protesters"; these scare tactics will only increase in the next week before the demonstration.

RCMP officers have also selectively approached demonstrators for "dialogue" (although there is absolutely no requirement in Canada to "dialogue" with police, and we have the right to organize autonomously, without police meddling). The RCMP approaches are also a not-so-subtle attempt to spread rumors about groups they dislike, while promising to accommodate groups they do like.

The People's Global Action Bloc (PGA-BLOC) -- comprised of direct action anti-capitalist organizers from Ontario and Quebec, with organizing hubs in Montreal and Ottawa for the Montebello mobilization -- is one organizing group that is being targeted for marginalization by the police.

Our basis of unity [1] includes the following: "A confrontational attitude, since we do not think that lobbying can have a major impact in such biased and undemocratic organizations, in which transnational capital is the only real policy-maker; AND: a call to direct action and civil disobedience, support for social movements' struggles, advocating forms of resistance which maximize respect for life and oppressed peoples' rights, as well as the construction of local alternatives to global capitalism."

Our basis of unity, and our ongoing organizing, is rooted in both local and global social justice struggles. PGA-BLOC organizers, thru many different groups, are actively involved with immigrant justice, anti-poverty, indigenous sovereignty, international solidarity, anti-oppression, worker's rights, anti-war, prison justice, environmental and other movements and organizations, for many years. It is our day-to-day organizing work that brings us to mobilizing against the SPP in Montebello.

Still, there will be an attempt by police and state to marginalize the protesters affiliated with the PGA-BLOC.

In anticipation, we are making this call for solidarity and unity. The progressive anti-racist opposition to the SPP shares a lot in common – a long-term commitment to social justice, popular education, public debate and discussion, and popular mobilization and action.

We also have differences in analysis and tactics; we should debate and discuss those differences, honestly. Any social movement that is diverse and vibrant has differences and disagreements and that is not a negative thing.

However, those movement debates should not be tainted by police attempts to marginalize one part of a movement from the rest.

We write this statement to ask that all progressive organizers, activists and protesters mobilizing against the SPP and the Bush/Harper/Calderon meeting maintain solidarity and unity in the face of attempts to divide us. You can certainly disagree with the PGA-BLOC, as we may disagree with you, but we ask that we dialogue about those disagreements in our movement spaces, and not engage in any public marginalization or denunciation.

Tangibly, "solidarity and unity" means:

- assertively refuting any police misinformation about any activist groups in order to block police and state attempts to divide us;
- refraining from denouncing other groups to the police, and certainly not to the mainstream media;
- pro-actively expressing and showing solidarity, thru statements of support, whether publicly or privately;
- avoiding any attempts to frame protesters as "good" vs. "bad", or "violent" vs. "non-violent".

Please share this statement with your organizing groups, and do endorse it if you agree.

Good luck to everyone in their mobilizing against the SPP and the Bush/Harper/Calderon meeting in Montebello!

In solidarity,

PGA-BLOC Montreal (comprised of members of groups such as Block the Empire, No One Is Illegal-Montreal, le Comité de sans-emploi, Solidarity Across Borders, Les Sorcières, Projet Accompagnement Solidarité Colombie, Tadamon Montreal, La Otra Campana, QPIRG-Concordia, Immigrant Worker's Center, DIRA Anarchist Library, Collective Opposed to Police Brutality (COBP), and others)

PGA-BLOC Ottawa (comprised of members of groups such as Under Pressure, Indigenous Solidarity Working Group, Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee, OPIRG-Carleton, Exile Infoshop, IWW-Ottawa, Anarchist Discussion Forum, Anarchist Assembly, Ottawa Fair Trade Network, Oaxaca Solidarity Ottawa, Books to Prisoners, Hands Off Venezuela Ottawa, and others)

Also endorsed by:

Toronto Stop the SPP Committee (comprised of members of the Toronto Coalition to Stop War, OCAP, Socialist Action, Socialist Project, International Socialists, Venezuela We Are With You, Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid (CAIA), OPIRG-Toronto, Toronto Haiti Action Coalition, GrassRoots Anti-Imperialist Network, No One Is Illegal-Toronto, PGA-Toronto, and others)

No One Is Illegal-Vancouver

Guerre à la Guerre (Quebec City)

Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (Toronto)

Guelph Union of Tenants

Tenant Action Group-Belleville

Revolutionary Ontario Anarchist Development (ROAD) Network

New Socialist Group

Parti Communiste Révolutionnaire

Parti marxiste-léniniste du Canada

Parti marxiste-léniniste du Québec

-> If you or your group would like to endorse this statement, please e-mail
info@psp-spp.com (c/o the Montreal PGA-BLOC).

-> For more information about the demonstrations against the SPP in
Montebello: www.psp-spp.com

-> For more information about the People's Global Action (PGA) Network:
www.agp.org

-> A solidarity and unity statement has been issued by the Québec Women's Federation (FFQ), and is included below; other Québec-based groups who have issued similar solidarity and unity statements are: Table des Groupes Populaires - Baie-Comeau; TROVEP de Montréal; Conseil central métropolitain de la CSN - Montréal; Madame prend congé - Montréal; Centre Info-Femmes - Montréal; Association des locataires de Villeray - Montréal and others.

*MESSAGE DE SOLIDARITÉ ET D'UNITÉ*

* *

*Dans le cadre des actions contre le Partenariat Nord-Américain sur la sécurité et la prospérité*

*qui auront lieu à Montebello 19 et 20 août 2007*

Montréal, le 14 août 2007

La Fédération des femmes du Québec désire témoigner de sa solidarité envers les organisations progressistes qui planifient des actions contre la rencontre de Bush, Calderon et Harper sur le Partenariat Nord-Américain pour la sécurité et la prospérité, notamment le Réseau québécois sur l'intégration continentale (RQIC), le Collectif Échec à la guerre, le Conseil des canadiens, le Bloc-AMP, Common Frontiers, le Comité Outaouais-Ottawa « Arrêtons le PSP », le Réseau mexicain d'action face au libre-échange et le Rassemblement Outaouais contre la guerre. Le PSP, dont les discussions à huit clos entre les trois chefs d'État et des représentantEs de grandes entreprises membres du Conseil Nord-Américain de la compétitivité, aura des conséquences néfastes sur les populations du Canada, des Etats-Unis et du Mexique. D'une même voix, nous dénoncerons ce « Partenariat de l'insécurité économique et sociale ». Notre participation aux actions des 19 et 20 août à Ottawa et à Montebello se fera dans un esprit unitaire.

Nous réaffirmons le droit inaliénable de manifester notre opposition à cette rencontre, que ce soit à l'intérieur ou à l'extérieur des « zones de manifestation » prévues par les corps policiers. Sans nécessairement manifester de la même manière ou au même endroit, nous serons animéEs d'une même volonté ; uniEs et rassembléEs pour exprimer notre indignation et dénoncer avec force ce nouveau partenariat, conclu sans débat parlementaire et sans discussion publique.

Nous résisterons à toute tentative des autorités de diviser notre mouvement, ou d'en marginaliser et d'en isoler un segment. Nous exprimerons notre solidarité envers les groupes rassemblés en opposition au PSP et qui partagent nos valeurs et notre engagement envers la justice sociale, la dignité des peuples et les droits des femmes. Nous serons vigilantes et nous dénoncerons publiquement tout manquement au respect des libertés civiles individuelles ou collectives, ainsi que toute brutalité policière.

En solidarité avec les groupes et les communautés en lutte et en résistance contre le PSP,

Michèle Asselin, présidente

*c.c Bloc-Amp (info@psp-spp.com), Collectif Échec à la guerre, Membres du RQIC, Membres associatifs de la FFQ.*

-> If you or your group would like to endorse this statement, please e-mail info@psp-spp.com (c/o the Montreal PGA-BLOC).

-> For more information about the demonstrations against the SPP in Montebello: www.psp-spp.com

-> For more information about the People's Global Action (PGA) Network: www.agp.org

[1] The Hallmarks of the Peoples' Global Action Network as agreed to by social movements at the PGA Conference in Cochabamba, Bolivia, August 2001:

1. A very clear rejection of capitalism, imperialism and feudalism; all trade agreements, institutions and governments that promote destructive globalisation;

2. We reject all forms and systems of domination and discrimination including, but not limited to, patriarchy, racism and religious fundamentalism of all creeds. We embrace the full dignity of all human
beings;

3. A confrontational attitude, since we do not think that lobbying can have a major impact in such biased and undemocratic organisations, in which transnational capital is the only real policy-maker;

4. A call to direct action and civil disobedience, support for social movements' struggles, advocating forms of resistance which maximize respect for life and oppressed peoples' rights, as well as the construction of local alternatives to global capitalism;

5. An organisational philosophy based on decentralisation and autonomy.