Who gets to protest?

As Canada and the world watched a convoy roll across the country to Ottawa, occupy the capital, and terrorize the city, those who have long warned about the risks of the far-right and white supremacists reminded us that this has been a long time coming. Canada has long ignored and neglected growing extremist movements while condemning, suppressing, and over policing morally just protest and state resistance. 

It’s cheap and easy to try to apply a one-size-fits-all analysis to all who push back against the state. That impulse should be resisted. We ought to distinguish between forms of protests and between morally just and unjust causes. That work starts by understanding how different movements are treated differently in the current climate, including by asking: Who gets to protest? 

On this episode of Open to Debate, David Moscrop talks with Mskwaasin Agnew, an Indigenous activist and knowledge keeper.