This isn’t clickbait. This is real life. This is the Canadian mining industry.
Last week two friends of MISN were arrested in Peru after showing a documentary exposing Hudbay Minerals’ track record of human rights and environmental abuses.

Stop by this Canadian mining company’s annual general meeting to watch the film that they didn’t want Peruvians to see!

Where: 150 King St. West
When: Thursday (May 4) 1-3pm
Facebook event here.

…
In response to Hudbay’s legacy of legal repression and intimidation, the Mining Injustice Solidarity Network will hold a guerrilla screening of John Dougherty’s censored documentary outside of their AGM. We will distribute popcorn and free links to the film to passersby and shareholders alike!

Drop in for as little or as long as you’d like while we hold space outside of the AGM in support of survivors of Canadian mining, in support of the right to say no to resource extraction without being criminalized, and in support of uncensored journalism.

Communities impacted by Canadian mining will not be censored or bullied! Where one voice is silenced, many more spring up in solidarity to make sure that these survival stories are heard – join us and be a part of this!

Background Information:

John and Jen’s arrest in Peru was not arbitrary. They had been followed by police for several days as they showed the film to farming communities near Hudbay’s Constancia mine, and were clearly being targeted for their critical perspective on Canadian mining.

And this isn’t the first time that something like this has happened in a case involving a Hudbay mine. Hudbay’s got a track record of using and benefiting from the law to harass and repress local organizers and international solidarity activists to serve its business interests.

Four years ago, the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation was sued by Hudbay for protesting outside of a mine site on their ancestral and unsurrendered territories; an injunction was issued by Manitoba courts in Hudbay’s favour in an attempt to prevent future protest. Just last week, a Guatemalan judge called for retaliatory legal action against activist and widow Angelica Choc, accusing her of falsifying testimony about the murder of her husband at the hands of Hudbay security.

These are just two more examples. From Guatemala to Manitoba, Arizona to Peru, Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities are mobilizing to seek justice and reparations for the crimes, violations and harms carried out by Hudbay Minerals. Help us support this resistance!

Links for more information:

• About Jen and John’s arrest
• About Angelica’s case in Guatemala
• Regarding the criminalization of the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation

REPORTBACK: Barrick AGM and the Porgera Women’s Delegation

Barrick’s Annual General Meeting this year focused on survivor-led organizing in Papua New Guinea, as we were honoured to have the presence of two survivor-advocates against sexual violence in Porgera with us in Toronto this year. While Everlyn Gaupe and Joycelyn Mandi were inside to testify, about 50 people rallied in the cold and rain so that when they came out, they would be greeted by supporters.

Inside the meeting, Everlyn and Joycelyn were denied speaking rights, despite having legal proxies. Catherine Coumans, from MiningWatch Canada, instead read their statements aloud while the women stood beside her. Klaire Gain and Dan Hammond were able to speak to issues at Barrick’s Pueblo Viejo mine within Barrick’s meeting, including a hilarious exchange from the floor of the audience with Barrick President Kelvin Dushnisky.

The interventions were mentioned in mainstream media and Everlyn and Joycelyn’s visit has been the subject of several in-depth pieces.

The women are still in North America where they are meeting with allies and supporters. MISN is organizing a smartphone and camera drive for the women, so that they can take these documentation tools home with them to distribute amongst the women in the communities surrounding Barrick’s Porgera mine. Please get in touch if you have a phone or camera to send with them!

MUST-LISTEN AUDIO

This hour-long interview with Everyln and Joycelyn from #WeAreUofT on CIUT fm. Ellie Adekur from Silence is Violence (UofT) interviews the women as they open up about their experiences with the company. Listen here.

MEDIA ROUND-UP (so far) from Joycelyn and Everlyn’s visit

April 24, 7pm: We Believe Survivors of Canadian Mining Panel
April 25, 10:30am: Barrick AGM Protest, 255 Front St.

RSVP via facebook.

Every year, we gather outside of the Annual General Meeting of Canadian mining giant Barrick gold, to amplify the voices of those directly impacted by their operations globally. This year, we are shining the spotlight on gendered violence at Barrick’s mines, by highlighting and supporting survivors of sexual assault.

This year, come to hear updates of the struggles against Barrick’s abuses at mine sites around the world, with a special focus on women-led organizing.

PANEL DISCUSSION: Monday April 24, 7pm @UofT (exact location TBA)

On the night before the demonstration, join us and Silence is Violence – University of Toronto for We Believe Survivors of Canadian Mining as we take an international, national, and very personal look at violence against women, as we find solidarity in the similarity of these struggles.

From gaslighting tactics, to the cultural and legal barriers that prevent women from sharing their stories, we will look at the systemic forces that work to silence victims of abuse. We will also hear from courageous women who have stood up for themselves and self-organized with other survivors to tell their stories and demand accountability.

//ProtestBarrick is an international campaign of support and solidarity with communities directly impacted by Barrick around the world. It is 100% volunteer-run and in its 10th year! The protest outside Barrick Gold’s AGM is a time that we come together with representatives of Barrick impacted communities to reconnect with their frontline struggles and push for accountability and visibility for these issues in Canada.//

100 habitantes de Toronto toman un “Tour Toxico” de la Ciudad que termina en la Convención Minera

Domingo, 5 de Marzo de 2017

Toronto, Canadá: PDAC, la convención minera más grande del mundo, inició hoy su 85 evento anual en Toronto. En respuesta al pedido de la Asociación de Prospectores y Desarrolladores de Canadá (PDAC) de ideas innovadores para #InterrumpirlaMinería (en Ingles #DisruptMining), más de un centenar de personas participaron en un tour de “Toronto Toxico” de la ciudad organizado por la Red de Solidaridad contra la Injusticia Minera (En ingles: Mining Injustice Solidarity Network, MISN). El viaje en autobús termino con una manifestación en el lugar de la convención, donde las declaraciones fueron compartidas por comunidades de todo el mundo, afectadas por las empresas que exhiben dentro de la convención. Decenas de participantes del tour también aprovecharon la oportunidad para asistir a la PDAC, usando camisetas que promueven la importancia del consentimiento de la comunidad acerca de los proyectos mineros canadienses. Muchos/as fueron echados/a rápidamente – o ni siquiera se les permitió ingresar en las instalaciones. Aparentemente, esta no fue la interrupción que buscaba la PDAC.

Read More

This year, we intervened in PDAC, the world’s largest mining convention in a number of ways!

• We held a panel event entitled “Belly of the Beast: A Biopsy of TO’s Mining & Financial Sectors” Click here to watch video footage of the panelists’ presentations!
• We wrote an article published in Now Toronto entitled “Canadian mining convention ignores harsh reality of deadly industry” 
• We organized a Toxic Toronto bus tour ending with a rally at PDAC. Video of rally available here and video of bus tour available here. 
• We collaborated with allies in Ecuador, including YASunidos Cuenca, who held  a simultaneous solidarity action to counter Ecuador’s narrative at PDAC. 
• We intervened in “Ecuador Day” at PDAC, delivering a letter signed by over 20 Ecuadorian organizations condemning mining.
• We responded to the #DisruptMining competition sponsored by Goldcorp by delivering our own ideas on how to truly disrupt mining to Goldcorp’s booth at PDAC. Video here.
• We delivered the “Pay Up and Pack Up” letter signed by 280 organisations worldwide to OceanaGold at PDAC. Video here.