The 1st Young Feminist Pan-Canadian Day of Decentralized Actions - A REVIEW OF SOME OF OUR ACTIONS FOR IWD 2009

DOWN WITH COLONIALISM
RebELLEs AGAINST CAPITALISM
RISE UP AGAINST PATRIARCHY

Dear RebELLEs,

The First Young Feminist Pan-Canadian Day of Decentralized Action, a victory for young feminists, showcases the strength of our convictions and our movement and presents great hope for the future! Over 20 events across the country were held around March 8th. More than 500 of us attended the gathering. Even more were mobilized in our areas on International Women’s Day to take action, to make or voices heard, to make our manifesto known and to destabilize the established patriarchal order. Young feminists: our hour has come!!!

For example, an artistic guerrilla instillation took place in Kamloops, British-Colombia in order to widely broadcast the manifesto, culminating in the protest on March 8th. Halifax RebELLEs held a rally for women’s rights, highlighting women’s struggle and distributing copies of the young feminists’ manifesto. Young feminists in London, Ontario organised a burlesque parade to denounce injustices toward women caused by Neo-liberalism. In Winnipeg, there was a protest on the theme “If only I had a hammer!”. In Halifax, young feminists, in partnership with various provincial feminist groups, gathered to publicize the manifesto in a day of speeches and protests. In Chicoutimi, Quebec, the young feminists "Toujours Rebelles" organized a march with the slogan “La clé de la maternité : ma liberté de choisir” (The key to maternity : my right to choose). The goal of the march was to promote the creation of a birthing house in the region and to support the practice of midwifery.

For a complete list of actions as well as lots of photos, visit the Toujours RebELLEs ! / Waves of resistance site on Facebook (feminists rebelles): http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=675966780&v=wall&viewas=675966780... .

The young feminist gathering Organizing Committee oversaw a protest in Montreal on March 6th to criticize and disrupt a cocktail party held by the army at the Canadian Armed Forces Recruiting Centre in Montreal to “celebrate the Canadian woman of the 21st century” for International Women’s Day. Thirty young feminists gathered to chant anti-war slogans and distributed more than 300 leaflets to passers-by. This action by the Organizing Committee shed some light on the Canadian army’s reprisal of the women’s battle while numerous wars tear the world apart, including Canada’s war in Afghanistan in which women are the main victims. In parallel to this protest, a dozen young feminists disrupted the army’s cocktail party by holding a public reading of their manifesto during the event, in front of the military personnel in attendance. The goal of this intrusion into the “enemy” camp was attained: the cocktail of our valiant army was ruined and the military personnel were obligated to justify Canada’s military presence in Afghanistan! No need to say that next year, the army will think twice before organizing a cocktail party on March 8th, 2010!