The struggle against unjust authority resonates with every human being regardless of their political affiliations. However, translating this sentiment into local action can be tricky. Do we really need so-called “radical action”? Are street protests needed?
There is this idea that since our government is more accountable than the governments of some of these other countries, the need to protest in Canada is less pressing. But is this to say that a certain level of inequality and oppression is acceptable?
As many of the articles this month demonstrate, those in power here are also acting against the interests of the people, and so around Hamilton, people are organizing to oppose them. In What’s the Deal with the Aerotropolis? Marc Perri debunks the myth of job creation that, along with the austerity agenda, is used to push through destructive development projects and harmful reforms.
In Lessons from North Africa, Akshobhya writes, “in Egypt, Tunisia and the rest of the Middle East and North Africa, the distinction between radicals and workers, teachers, journalists, students, and others is breaking down.” You can see a similar process in our article on Citizens Opposed to Paving the Escarpment (COPE). COPE is not just a handful of naturalists who are ticked off at the government. They and their allied groups represent thousands of people who stand together behind a claim once considered radical: “We don’t need any new highways”.
And all too often, it is through protests that we expose the unjust nature of our governments. To some it may seem paradoxical for laws to be unjust, or even themselves illegal, but the recent policing of the G20 protests in Toronto demonstrates just that. There are many people still facing trumped up charges from those events -- look for the short piece in this issue detailing some ways to support them.
The protests in the Middle East and North Africa resonate with us because there are strong links between the ways that our societies function. While particular circumstances may differ, protestors in various countries draw inspiration from each other; global struggles are more local than ever.
In other news, you may have noticed that there were three names behind last month’s letter from editors. This month, take a look at the new masthead on the left side of this page, better explaining our content guidelines. Mayday Magazine is evolving, and some exciting changes are in the works. Check back here next month when we will unveil the full details of what we’ve been working on.
Sunil Angrish, Peter Hopperton, and Seth Veenstra
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