Last Friday, Montrealers made their voices heard about Canada's largest oil company, Suncor's working relationship with the Syrian regime.
The Collective for Syria in Montreal, a group working to support the popular uprising for freedom and justice in Syria and tens of people bussed from downtown to the Suncor refinery in Montreal's east end. Their position? For Suncor to immediately end its 50-50 partnership with the Syrian regime in a $1.2 billion project in Ebla.
This audio report offers sounds from the demonstration outside Suncor's Montreal refinery. We hear members of the Collective for Syria in Montreal making speeches outside of Suncor and chants from the crowds. In between speakers, there are clips from the Syrian revolutionary response from the streets of Hama to Bashar's speech earlier this year. The people in the streets are singing and shouting protest chants written and originally sung by Abrahim Quashoush. This is one of the most famous songs against the regime. He was found shortly after with his vocal cords cut.
After this montage, there are two interviews, one conducted with Suncor spokesperson, Kelli Steven, and the second with Collective for Syria member and long time advocate for social justice, Mary Foster.
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CKUT in collaboration with the Collective for Syria in Montreal hosted a 6-hour focus programme on Syria, dedicated to voices, perspectives and music focused on Syria and in solidarity with popular uprising.
Over the past six months, the Syrian people have been taking to the streets to call for justice, freedom and democracy – a national uprising. In response, the Syrian government continues to unleash deadly violence and kill people in the streets. Over of 2000 people have been killed, including many children. Citizen journalists uploading photos and writing reports from the front-lines have been targeted and killed by Syrian government snipers.
In an effort to mobilize public attention and solidarity with the current situation in Syria, CKUT radio presented special programming Thursday, September 1st on Lendemain de la Veille, Under the Olive Tree, Venus and Off the Hour.
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The Collective for Syria in Montreal is an initiative of Syrian-Canadians and their allies working in support of the popular, nonviolent uprising for freedom, justice and democracy in Syria. We are not aligned with any political party or ideology but support the legitimate demands of the Syrian people for dignity and freedom for all.
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This interview originally aired Thursday, September 1st on CKUT's Off the Hour, 17h-18h.