This Week on GR
by C.L. Cook - Gorilla-Radio.com
Its been almost thirty years since the Mike Harcourt NDP arrested more than a thousand people protesting the clearcut destruction of Clayoquot Sound. More than a generation later the ‘War in the Woods’ seems a cause lost to those still fighting to protect ancient forests here. Save Old Growth is a nascent citizen’s resistance campaign organizing to pressure the provincial government to legislate an end to old growth logging now!
Sophie Papp and Zain Haq are coordinators of the Save Old Growth campaign. Sophie is an islander who while studying at UVic worked too with Access4All advocating for expanded online access for immuno-compromised students, and those facing other in-person class barriers. Zain is a co-founder of and strategist for Save Old Growth. He’s been arrested multiple times for civil disobedience and was imprisoned earlier this year for blockading the path of the TransMountain pipeline.
Sophie Papp and Zain Haq in the first half.
And; Colombians voted in national elections last week. It’s seen as the first real chance to unseat finally the far right power structure that has brutalized social justice and environmental activists, the indigenous people, and union organizers there for more than three generations. The favourite going into the May 29th poll, leftist Gustavo Petro and running mate, Francia Marquez fell just short of the 50% needed for a first round victory, so will face another vote against second place finisher, Rodolfo Hernandez June 19th.
Dan Kovalik is a lawyer, educator, labour, peace, and justice activist, democracy defender, journalist, author, and filmmaker. Dan has observed elections in Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Colombia – where he witnessed the 2016 peace plebiscite promising an end to the generational war there. Of Kovalik’s 2020 film, ‘Nicaragua: The April Crisis & Beyond‘ on 2018’s so-called uprising in Nicaragua, Oliver Stone said, “Kovalik helps cut through the Orwellian lies and dissembling which make so-called ‘humanitarian intervention possible.”
Kovalik’s book titles include: ‘No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using ‘Humanitarian’ Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interest,’ ‘Cancel This Book: The Progressive Case Against Cancel Culture,’ and the “Plot to” series on American efforts to undermine the governments and economies of Iran, Venezuela, Russia, and to control the World entirely.
Dan Kovalik and Colombia’s second try at an electoral first in the second half.
But first, Sophie Papp and Zain Haq and stopping old growth logging.
Chris Cook hosts Gorilla Radio, airing since 1998. In Victoria at 101.9FM, and on the internet at: cfuv.ca. Check out the GR blog at: http://gorillaradioblog.blogspot.com/
