Poster #24: The Seige of Kanehsatà:ke

Contextualizing the Sir George Williams Protest

Poster by Lateef Martin

Essay by Funké Aladejebi

On 29 January 1969, roughly 200 university students barricaded themselves in the Computer Centre on the ninth floor of the Henry F. Hall Building at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University) in Montreal, Quebec. The standoff was part of a two-week occupation to protest racial discrimination that culminated in riot police forcibly removing and arresting protesters from the building on 11 February 1969. By the time the Sir George Williams protest—often referred to as an “affair” or “riot”—ended, police had arrested 97 people, including both white and black students, and the university had undergone $1 million dollars’ worth of damage. The protest and its aftermath shattered ideas of racial harmony in Canada, and the event remains the country’s largest student occupation.

Poster #23: Shut Down Canada

Contextualizing the Sir George Williams Protest

Poster by Lateef Martin

Essay by Funké Aladejebi

On 29 January 1969, roughly 200 university students barricaded themselves in the Computer Centre on the ninth floor of the Henry F. Hall Building at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University) in Montreal, Quebec. The standoff was part of a two-week occupation to protest racial discrimination that culminated in riot police forcibly removing and arresting protesters from the building on 11 February 1969. By the time the Sir George Williams protest—often referred to as an “affair” or “riot”—ended, police had arrested 97 people, including both white and black students, and the university had undergone $1 million dollars’ worth of damage. The protest and its aftermath shattered ideas of racial harmony in Canada, and the event remains the country’s largest student occupation.

Poster #22: We are Inuit – Not Your Flag Poles

Contextualizing the Sir George Williams Protest

Poster by Lateef Martin

Essay by Funké Aladejebi

On 29 January 1969, roughly 200 university students barricaded themselves in the Computer Centre on the ninth floor of the Henry F. Hall Building at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University) in Montreal, Quebec. The standoff was part of a two-week occupation to protest racial discrimination that culminated in riot police forcibly removing and arresting protesters from the building on 11 February 1969. By the time the Sir George Williams protest—often referred to as an “affair” or “riot”—ended, police had arrested 97 people, including both white and black students, and the university had undergone $1 million dollars’ worth of damage. The protest and its aftermath shattered ideas of racial harmony in Canada, and the event remains the country’s largest student occupation.

Poster #21: Hamilton Rent Strike

Contextualizing the Sir George Williams Protest

Poster by Lateef Martin

Essay by Funké Aladejebi

On 29 January 1969, roughly 200 university students barricaded themselves in the Computer Centre on the ninth floor of the Henry F. Hall Building at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University) in Montreal, Quebec. The standoff was part of a two-week occupation to protest racial discrimination that culminated in riot police forcibly removing and arresting protesters from the building on 11 February 1969. By the time the Sir George Williams protest—often referred to as an “affair” or “riot”—ended, police had arrested 97 people, including both white and black students, and the university had undergone $1 million dollars’ worth of damage. The protest and its aftermath shattered ideas of racial harmony in Canada, and the event remains the country’s largest student occupation.

Poster #12: Translated into Innu-Aimun

Biographie Fanny “Aïshaa” ka matau-pikutasht an, e peikussit ka tshishkutamatishut, ka peshaitshet anite ashtamitat kie ka mishta-minuatak etatusset. Kassinu anite eshi-pikutat ui tutamu tshetshi tshikanakuannit kie tshishkutamatishunanunit mitshet eshinniunanunnit, tshissenitamuna, atusseuna mak tan tshe itatussenanut tshetshi nikan ashtakanit inniun, kuishku ishinakutakanit innu utatusseun mak tshetshi ishpitenitakanit eshinakuak assi. Aimun : Ume peshaikan utshipannu anite utakunikana Menissa ka tutat … Read More

Poster #20: Conservation is Colonialism

Contextualizing the Sir George Williams Protest

Poster by Lateef Martin

Essay by Funké Aladejebi

On 29 January 1969, roughly 200 university students barricaded themselves in the Computer Centre on the ninth floor of the Henry F. Hall Building at Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University) in Montreal, Quebec. The standoff was part of a two-week occupation to protest racial discrimination that culminated in riot police forcibly removing and arresting protesters from the building on 11 February 1969. By the time the Sir George Williams protest—often referred to as an “affair” or “riot”—ended, police had arrested 97 people, including both white and black students, and the university had undergone $1 million dollars’ worth of damage. The protest and its aftermath shattered ideas of racial harmony in Canada, and the event remains the country’s largest student occupation.

Strike Timeline

A Brief Timeline of strikes in what is now known as Canada A text version of this timeline is in our book Direct Action Gets the Goods, as well as on the walls of the Cumberland Museum and Archives. The text was adapted by the Graphic History Collective from a list compiled by Dale McCartney … Read More

Direct Action Gets the Goods

Direct Action Gets the Goods A Graphic History of the Strike in Canada By Graphic History Collective Paperback / softback, 64 pages, $14.95 ISBN 9781771134170 Published January 2019 Between the Lines Art has always played a significant role in the history of the labour movement. Songs, stories, poems, pamphlets, and comics, have inspired workers to take … Read More