SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
(Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)
Environmental Activists Pose Security Threat: Canadian Government
Canadians going to Keystone XL protest 'better take precautions'
Feb 15, 2013
The environmental activist movement in Canada has been targeted by the Canadian government as a threat to national security, according to documents recently released under a freedom of information law, the Guardian reports.
According to Jeffrey Monaghan of the Surveillance Studies Center at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, who obtained the previously unreleased government documents, security and police forces have been closely surveilling peaceful environmental activists, including many who are planning to attend the Washington DC Keystone XL Pipeline protest on Sunday.
"Any Canadians going to protest the Keystone XL pipeline in Washington DC on Sunday had better take precautions," Monaghan told the Guardian.
"It's the new normal now for Canada's security agencies to watch the activities of environmental organizations," he added.
"Security and police agencies have been increasingly conflating terrorism and extremism with peaceful citizens exercising their democratic rights to organize petitions, protest and question government policies," Steven Leahy reports at the Guardian.
Canada's national police force and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) say activists engage in "forms of attack" through acts of civil disobedience such as blocking access to roads or buildings.
Monaghan added that in particular, protests in opposition to Canada's oil and gas industry are viewed as threats by Canadian authorities.
Read more at the Guardian here.
Why Your Ongoing Support Is Essential
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The environmental activist movement in Canada has been targeted by the Canadian government as a threat to national security, according to documents recently released under a freedom of information law, the Guardian reports.
According to Jeffrey Monaghan of the Surveillance Studies Center at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, who obtained the previously unreleased government documents, security and police forces have been closely surveilling peaceful environmental activists, including many who are planning to attend the Washington DC Keystone XL Pipeline protest on Sunday.
"Any Canadians going to protest the Keystone XL pipeline in Washington DC on Sunday had better take precautions," Monaghan told the Guardian.
"It's the new normal now for Canada's security agencies to watch the activities of environmental organizations," he added.
"Security and police agencies have been increasingly conflating terrorism and extremism with peaceful citizens exercising their democratic rights to organize petitions, protest and question government policies," Steven Leahy reports at the Guardian.
Canada's national police force and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) say activists engage in "forms of attack" through acts of civil disobedience such as blocking access to roads or buildings.
Monaghan added that in particular, protests in opposition to Canada's oil and gas industry are viewed as threats by Canadian authorities.
Read more at the Guardian here.
The environmental activist movement in Canada has been targeted by the Canadian government as a threat to national security, according to documents recently released under a freedom of information law, the Guardian reports.
According to Jeffrey Monaghan of the Surveillance Studies Center at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, who obtained the previously unreleased government documents, security and police forces have been closely surveilling peaceful environmental activists, including many who are planning to attend the Washington DC Keystone XL Pipeline protest on Sunday.
"Any Canadians going to protest the Keystone XL pipeline in Washington DC on Sunday had better take precautions," Monaghan told the Guardian.
"It's the new normal now for Canada's security agencies to watch the activities of environmental organizations," he added.
"Security and police agencies have been increasingly conflating terrorism and extremism with peaceful citizens exercising their democratic rights to organize petitions, protest and question government policies," Steven Leahy reports at the Guardian.
Canada's national police force and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) say activists engage in "forms of attack" through acts of civil disobedience such as blocking access to roads or buildings.
Monaghan added that in particular, protests in opposition to Canada's oil and gas industry are viewed as threats by Canadian authorities.
Read more at the Guardian here.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.