Yesterday morning, Olivier Huard, a supporter of Last Generation Canada and Antigone Collective, began a hunger strike demanding his immediate release from prison without conditions. Olivier Huard and Jacob Pirro have been imprisoned since they climbed the Jacques Cartier bridge on Tuesday. The two were denied release until their bail hearing, set for Oct. 31. Huard’s decision to begin the hunger strike follows Friday’s release of fellow supporter Michèle Lavoie with strict conditions limiting her freedom of speech and assembly. All three have been charged with mischief, with additional charges for Pirro and Huard of willfully resisting or obstructing a peace officer.

Last Generation Canada is demanding the federal government endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to stop extracting and burning oil, gas and coal by 2030 and support and finance other countries to make a fast, fair and just transition. They are also demanding the creation of a National Emergency Management Agency to respond to unnatural disasters like wildfires and floods. Antigone Collective, alongside Last Generation, is demanding the shutdown of Enbridge's Line 9B pipeline.

Yesterday evening, it was announced via a call from prison that Huard would begin his strike in defiance of unfair imprisonment for peaceful action. Huard and Pirro are facing inhumane prison conditions due to an alleged lack of staff that include: seventeen inmates to one cell the size of a school classroom with a shower and toilet; only four metal benches and small hard mattresses on the floor; no change of clothes since their imprisonment on Tuesday; no time outside since Thursday; severely limited phone calls; and more.

Regarding the conditions and Huard’s hunger strike, Laura Sullivan, spokesperson for Last Generation Canada, had this to say:

"The dehumanizing conditions under which our friends Olivier and Jacob are being detained for nonviolent protest are absolutely improbable – and this is before they have even had a bail hearing. There’s been no assumption of innocence until proven guilty. Meanwhile, the real criminals behind our climate emergency – fossil fuel executives getting rich and politicians who deny and delay action – go around without taking any responsibility. The UN has said we’re headed for climate catastrophe – we demand the immediate release of our brave friends, whom Canadians know are on the right side of history.”

Huard’s strike comes alongside the release of the UN Emissions Gap report, which finds the world is on track for a catastrophic 3.1℃ of warming, while Canada continues to spend billions of dollars subsidizing fossil fuels. This summer was among the hottest on record, with a third of Jasper destroyed by wildfire, communities across B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan and Labrador evacuated, and catastrophic flooding in southern Ontario and Quebec. Continuing to pump fossil fuels into the atmosphere ensures extreme weather events like these will increase in severity and frequency. Experts confirm that Canada is currently not prepared for the myriad impacts of the climate emergency. 

It’s clear – governments and fossil fuel companies are waging war on humanity. Continuing to extract and burn oil, gas and coal is killing people all over the world and will destroy whole nations. The Canadian government has failed to address the impacts of the climate crisis at just 1.5 degrees of warming. They’ve failed to act against the biggest threat we’ve ever faced, meeting with fossil fuel lobbyists as Canada floods, scorches and burns. We refuse to die for fossil fuels and we refuse to stand by while millions are murdered. We refuse to watch as our government drags its feet to take action to protect us. We ask everyone to join us in the resistance. We have a plan. Are you in?