United in Struggle

Monday December 2nd 6:30 – 8:00 pm on Zoom

When people get organized to fight for real change, we face repression from the rich and powerful who benefit from the way things are. It’s true for workers when we strike, especially when we make demands beyond the boundaries of legally sanctioned collective bargaining; it’s true of Indigenous people fighting for self-determination and liberation; and it’s true for the Palestine solidarity movement trying to end the Canadian establishment’s relentless support for the genocide in Gaza.

When we fight for real change, we face repression. How do we fight back at this moment? How do we build movements capable of withstanding and repelling state repression? Our best defense against repression is to unite against our common enemy.

This event will discuss the recent ‘terror’ designation of Samidoun Prisoner Solidarity Network and the new wave of repression against the Palestine solidarity movement in the context of the broader history of repression against the worker’s movement, Indigenous liberation struggles, and revolutionary movements.

Aiyanas Ormond – is a veteran of anti-imperialist organizing and class struggles in East Vancouver. Aiyanas has participated in delegations to Palestine and the Philippines and was one of the organizers of the Vancouver port blockade in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en in 2020. He was the chair of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle Chapter in Canada from 2014 to 2022. He is the coordinator of the Canada Palestine Association’s BDS committee and a member of United in Struggle.

Gord Hill – is an Indigenous writer, artist and activist of the Kwakwaka’wakw nation. He is the author and illustrator of The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book, The Anti-Capitalist Resistance Comic Book, and The Antifa Comic Book (all three published by Arsenal Pulp Press in Vancouver, Canada), as well as the author of the book 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance, published by AK Press in Oakland, California. His art and writings have also been published in numerous periodicals, including Briarpatch, Canadian Dimension, Redwire, Red Rising Magazine, The Dominion, Recherches Amerindiennes au Quebec, Intotemak, Seattle Weekly, World War 3 Illustrated, and Broken Pencil.

Zachary Williams – Zachary Williams is a public school teacher and a labour organizer who has been active in the union movement as a rank-and-filer, union staffer, and elected official. He is a member of United in Struggle and is currently a lead organizer with the East Van Workers Assembly, an independent political workers’ organization active across Greater Vancouver/Coast Salish Territories.