SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, CANMORE DEMONSTRATION CANCELLED — I just got word from OutragedCanadian:
I highly recommend that you don’t try driving to Canmore tomorrow morning. Roads were not good this evening, and it’s still snowing like crazy on the highway. Very slick and not good vision.
IRSCompliantForever said Any possibility of a few “no to FATCA” signs outside the Oct 31- Nov 2 Conservative Convention in Calgary?
Also, does anyone know of any delegate who might be willing to ask an anti-FATCA question or try to obtain support at the convention for an anti-FATCA policy? There will be sessions on taxation, constitution, and policies. Going to Calgary for the Tory Convention — Know Anyone Who Is?
The Conservative Convention takes place at the BMO Centre on the Stampede Grounds, private property, so we cannot get up close and personal with delegates.
(I will have FATCA Facts and Q-121 hand-outs — and more will be in my car which will be parked as close to where we’ll be. And now, in fact, I have tons left — I had printed too many!)
FRIDAY EVENING UPDATE:
Friday, November 1: 10:00 a.m. See summary of the day below, Comment re Friday Two-Women FATCA Protest, Calgary, AB. A worthwhile day for two, at the end, frozen-through gals with a message.
Saturday, November 2: As there is no one who able to help out tomorrow, I am not going out — there is a heavy snowfall warning for Calgary. If road conditions are reasonable on Sunday morning, I’ll drive to Canmore to stand with Outraged — the Conservatives visiting Canmore will say — “There they are again — those two FATCA ladies. We’re being stalked.”
calgary411 says
October 23, 2013 at 4:34 pm
I’m game if I am not alone. Who is in or near Calgary?
Proviso: I am a 70-year old Canadian “grandma” who objects. I have a physical constraint so need company of others from Calgary who will stand up to the US. If there are those who will join me, I will look into permit required, details: how far away we need to be from BMO Centre on Calgary Stampede grounds, print hand-outs.
October 23, 2013 at 8:24 pm
WhiteKat says:
@Calgary,
Another protest, this time in Calgary, is a great idea. We need to show the government that we are everywhere, not just in Ottawa, and that we are not going to stop putting the pressure on. Perhaps you could create a separate post inviting people to join, otherwise your suggestion will get lost in the comments.
I agree, two is enough to make a difference!
@JustMe, maybe it is just the Canadian in me, but I think we will win this here! I really do!
Outraged 2013/11/01 at 10:46 pm
Well, I have to say that, at first, I was disappointed that no one was able to join us. But, after a while, I realized that actually might have been part of our success. Two older women hangin’ out with weird signs.
swisspinoy 2013/11/02 at 2:25 am
Don’t pay attention to the numbers. It only takes one person at the right place and the right time to make miracles happen. I believe in miracles! How could I not?
calgary411 2013/11/02 at 12:53 pm
To make sure we retain legitimacy, we don’t want to come off as radicals and shut down any reasonable dialogue with people who really just ‘want to know”.
kermitzii 2013/11/02 at 4:58 pm
I am totally sympathetic to IBS and renounced last Sept thanks to the support I get, but there is no momentum against FATCA.
It’s not about the numbers unless the aim is to take and hold public space.
A joyous recollection: Two persons with signs, event organizers anxious that their celebration not be disrupted, several conversations about what would provoke a disruption. And then the anticipated offensive claim nowhere apparent in poobah pronouncements.
Miracles happen repeatedly, but only if concerned persons are not home snoozin on the couch.
The only legitimacy ever obtained is the accuracy of the message and/or the verve surrounding it. Fear of being perceived as illegitimate is a cop inside your head.
For reasons already rehashed to featureless stew, there will be no momentum against FATCA. Americans. Utter complexity. Inherent lack of theatricality. Unorganizability of affected population. Enemy not banks, enemy not Canada … enemy U.S. (Yet no actions outside U.S. consulates!)
Sauve qui peut.
White meets black. White decides who wins.
Indeed. The front of a consulate would guarantee the greatest number of Americans, wannabe Americans, wannabe ex- Americans and Canadian-Americans passing by 🙂
A single day of protest across Canada? What’re the rules about protesting in front of a Consulate?
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, CANMORE DEMONSTRATION CANCELLED — I just got word from OutragedCanadian:
Better safe, than sorry. Who knows, perhaps the trip toward the mountains for the Conservative delegates may be cancelled as well.
@ calgary411
Wise decision. We are all happy with the results of your Calgary protest and want you to be safe. As my husband and I get older we have less and less enthusiasm about challenging winter highways. My husband’s relinquishing appointment is in February and we are planning on being there days in advance and staying days afterwards, to make sure we are travel on good roads back and forth. With our luck the big “R” day would be a 100 year blizzard and we do not have to wait months more for a rebooked appointment.
bubblebustin –
Rules schmoolz. Lots of Canadians have done lots of consulate. Yours truly too. Public sidewalk – don’t block it (unless you can get away with doing that – not advisable for the foreseeable crews and locations). That’s the main thing. Everything else is subservient to the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Charter. See 2 b&c. The fact of coordination across Canada would intrigue media, assuming someones do the media work right. The real enemy would be outed. For that event, I’d show up – with a bag over my head, which is legal. That costume in itself makes a dramatic pertinent point.
@usxcanada
I’d be game too if we could generate enough interest. New rule to consider since our last discussion about donning the bag – face paint or anything that disguises the face:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/wearing-a-mask-at-a-riot-is-now-a-crime-1.1306458
@usxcanada says
usxcanada says “Unorganizability of affected population.”
It seems that the organizations that have the data to put people in touch and organize such protests (ACA, AARO, etc) are not in the business of protests. Yet, at this point, it seems like it would be the best way to gain momentum.
ACA is trying to change things from the political side only. Good luck with that, with the disfunction in the government.
bubblebustin –
Rules schmoolz. (1) Do not mask with intent to commit criminal act. (2) Pull off your mask if riot gets declared. (You have little idea about how cops never ever want to read the riot act. Very rare occurrence.) Legislation as intimidation. Number one was already in the law. More was gratuitous bravado.
Chris –
To elaborate. Most of affected population (1) Lies low and lurks because personally vulnerable (2) Solves problem, lets go, moves on. That leaves the maddog pissed-off residue, which is where the action has been and will be coming from. Within that residue, factions. My faction is to target the US from within Canada at consulates, as supporter not leader. Other fish sizzling more vigorously in my pan. // There is now an alternative to orgs fixated on respectable LTA (Lobby The Authorities) and DTM (Do The Media). Social media. Brock is social media. Think flash mob sparker. Mob of two. Mob of a dozen. Number matters less than leveraging occasion. Resistance good. Couch snooze bad.
@usxcanada
Schmoolzing rules doesn’t negate the fact that there are some, as you’ve already acknowledged. The intention is to know what they are, and of those that exist determine how to deal with them – such as protecting oneself from arrest under the new rules should any of our peaceful protesters be wearing a mask in the unlikely event that violence breaks out. Thanks for addressing it – my thoughts too.
Put me in my own pissed-off resolving problem actively moving on category, please.
I think that size doesn’t matter. Consistently being able to get it up – i.e. always having a handful of Brockers at every significant event – will get more results than one big bang.
Just my 2 cents.
@WhiteKat
LOL, and good morning to you too! Setting counts for a lot, for example, one person in a prison on a hunger strike counts. One person on a hunger strike lying on their couch at home does zip. One person standing by the main entrance of an event such as the subject of this post counts. Two people standing on either side of the entrance count even more from a visibility perspective, and also lend support to each other.
That said, I believe all count whether it’s LTA, DTM, SM, FM or USC. Is one more effective than the other? That’s a matter of personal opinion, not science. I’m of the “throw enough sh*t against the wall, some of it will stick” school of thought here. I also feel that you and those who’ve participated so far have in fact made a BIG difference. Thanks for getting it up and off the couch (although I suspect you don’t spend a great deal of time there).
@Bubblebustin,
Good Morning to you too!
The ANTS(mosquitoes?) go marching TWO by TWO!
HURRAH! HURRAH!
Hmmm…reading about social media made me think of students. Students seem to get large numbers of protestors mobilized quickly.
Has anyone thought of reaching out to the student federations, informing them of the effects of FATCA on RESPs?
And the little one stops to tie her ‘tennis’ shoes
And they all go marching
Down
To the ground
To get out of
FATCA
Sorry, too much coffee for me this morning…and trying to avoid the long list of ‘to do’s’ that await!
@the Mom
That’s a great idea. Maybe some letters to student unions are in order, making them aware that some fellow students are disadvantaged?
@the Mom and all
How about OBS….occupy bay street….I just feel hesitant as there are some extremists there,
Idle no more protesters
Council of Canadians.
CAARP
There are many reasons why there are not many volunteering, some because they have to work to put food on the table but for others, .
It all goes back to FEAR
Fear of
protesting, signing petitions, writing to MPs , speaking up, being found out as a US persons, of the IRS, being denied a CLN while waiting for it, of alienating family and friends and co-workers,
I am an ant…never was a cricket…I saved for my rainy day, retirement. Worked long 12 or more hours at work, all hours, all shifts, as my late husband did, and now the USA IRS wants my money. They that never did a thing for me the last 44 years. HA! I am glad to be in our Brock army of ants. We are not backing down. THere are a lot of brilliant minds on this blog…I am so happy to be part of this. (I am not as brilliant and knowledgeable as you all but happy to be a team member.)
northernstar,
So, do you think we’ve graduated from mosquitoes to ants? As our senses tell us that time is running out; our focus moves towards strategy, and organization of attacks.
@WhiteKat
I grew up learning that the ant was industrious while the cricket played, and when winter came, the ants hard work and planning paid off. The only smart Cricket was not the norm..he was Pinocchio’s Jiminy Cricket “Always let your conscience be your guide.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOZzNOkcEgM
@northernstar, each one to contribute as they can – that is what is amazing about this.
@all,
re the numbers – some will attend events though they may not RSVP prior – as in Ottawa?
As for groups to contact, I seem to remember that various people that were quoted in news stories and written about on IBS were university faculty members (UBC, U. of N.B., and Western or Queens?) and perhaps faculty associations are a good place to send FATCA info to. I have come across several US born academics in S.Ontario who came up here at the time of the Vietnam war. Others may be Canadian born, but may have become US persons due to work terms or study terms in the US.
There was also a Nov. 2011 letter to Flaherty against FATCA from the CMA (Canadian Medical Association) posted here in the early days http://isaacbrocksociety.ca/2012/04/23/canadian-medical-association-position-on-fatca-and-fbarmust-read/ – I think they wouldn’t have done that if they did not think that significant numbers of doctors in Canada would be affected.
I don’t think this has been posted anywhere. Maybe Calgary411 can shed more light on this. It appears our FATCA protest in Calgary had a lot of help from some “Raging Grannies”.
http://saitjournalism.ca/thepress/2013/11/08/fatca-draws-protestors-out-in-the-cold/
Didn’t Northernshrike have a connection to the Public Service Alliance of Canada, mentioned in the article?
Good for you finding this, bubblebustin. I was not out again on November 2nd. But looks like some of the information I presented on October 31 and OutragedCanadian and I on November 1 made it further.
I talked to lots of these protesting people, including the man in the photo, “Worker’s Advocate: Gil McGowan, of the Alberta Federation of Labour, speaks against FATCA.” on October 31st and handed out lots of information. I’m so glad some of it made it to people who spread it further. I would certainly like to thank Gil McGowan and the SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) reporter, Shealin Boswell, and Chelsea Taylor Slook, named as against FATCA in the article. I’ve sent an email to the Alberta Federation of Labour, wanting to thank Gil McGowan, and to The SAIT Press, saying I want to thank Shealin Boswell for the article — and would like to speak to both of them.