Protest to stop the use of tar sands

I really enjoy receiving the newsletter from Transition Kingston. It always has lots of interesting events to attend such as Green Drinks and so forth.

There is an upcoming protest. I was thinking about it and one issue I’m having is that on one hand there is a push to stop the Tar Sands but there is nothing to replace it with.

If we stop getting energy from one source don’t we have to replace it with another? And if so, what?

I’ve posed this question to ottawaaction@gmail.com to see what they are proposing.

Sept 24: I sent them another email to make sure they got it.

Sept 26: Still no answer. Rather disappointing that they don’t have time to answer questions about their intentions. I drove by the hill today and took these pictures. Lots of people from the general public but I didn’t see anything that caught my eye.

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Transition Kingston
Date: Wed, Sep 14, 2011 at 3:36 PM
Subject: Fwd: More detailed information about Ottawa Tar Sands Protest
To:

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: OttawaAction.ca
Date: Wed, Sep 14, 2011 at 8:30 AM
Subject: 12 Days Until The Ottawa Action!
Hello friends, allies, and supporters,

It’s 12 days till we all gather in Ottawa where we will send a clear message to the Harper government around the need to turn away from a toxic tar sands industry and the need to respect Treaty and Indigenous rights and build the just, green future that leaves all our communities healthier.
It’s going to be a very powerful day and will be even more powerful with you as a part of it.
There have been a lot of questions around what exactly we will be doing in Ottawa. Well wait no further here are the details:
Our goal is very simple: to peacefully and responsibly go through the main doors of Parliament to the foyer of Centre Block and sit-down so we can deliver our message: All people in Canada deserve a clean energy future that promotes climate justice, where Treaty and Indigenous rights are respected and the health of our communities and the environment are prioritized. To secure this for future generations we must turn away from the toxic tar sands industry and oppose Harper’s reckless climate agenda.
We are asking each person to make a personal commitment, to weigh all the factors and if you feel it is appropriate, to join with people from across the country in a peaceful, arrestable civil disobedience action on Parliament Hill.
This is our objective: to enter the house of the people and send our message of hope for the future.
It’s quite possible on the day of that, for various security response reasons, we will have to alter our plan but the overall concept and feel will remain peaceful and responsible. During the training day on September 25, we will discuss and practice for various situations and people will have the opportunity to have their voice heard on what situations are chosen. There will be a team of marshals on September 26 to ensure everyone knows where to go and feels fully supported.
We will stand with history, in the spirit of the civil rights movement, 500 years of indigenous resistance, the suffragettes, and the fights for the 8-hour workday. With your energy we will make it a day to remember.

If you are not able to risk arrest, there will be a rally including statements preceding the action and an area set aside where you will be able to offer support and encouragement to sit-in participants.
Training, Travel, and Accommodations
As we said in the last email we are hoping everyone can arrive in Ottawa on the 24th or the morning of the 25th so you can participate in the training day before the action on the 26th. The training will begin at 1:00 pm so please plan to be in Ottawa by 1:00 at the latest. A schedule will be posted on the website next week.
If you need travel help please visit our website’s Ride & Housing Forum. If you have space in your vehicle, need a ride, have room in your home in the Ottawa area, or need a place to stay please visit http://ottawaaction.ca/forum-start, create an account, and let folks know what you can offer.

OR
Please create a facebook event for people traveling from your region, like our friends in Peterborough have done. Once you’ve created it, send us the link and we will forward it to all the participants from your area.

Please Tell us why you are coming to Ottawa
We would love, love, love to hear from you about your personal reasons for coming to Ottawa. Your words can help inspire others to make the journey and help show the diversity of voices in this movement. Please send any quotations, videos etc.. to ottawaaction@gmail.com.

Here is a sample from prominent civil and criminal lawyer Clayton Ruby,

” The toxic poison released upon the earth from the tar-sands is the shame of our generation. In September some of the most courageous of us will take a bold stand to change our future. My heart will go with them.”
Clayton Ruby

Please send us yours today!

Take care and we look forward to seeing you all in Ottawa!
Mike, Sean and Lauryn

Tags: Ottawa, Protest