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Photo: Ashley Fraser, The Ottawa Citizen, Dec. 13, 2007. — Protesters dressed as Santa Claus and several of his elves were arrested at 24 Sussex Drive last night when they took Stephen Harper a lump of coal. It was to be his reward for what they call his sabotage of the UN climate talks in Indonesia.

That’s a picture of yours truly as... well, a flying elf. 

I was arrested last week. Again.

First time ever as one of Santa’s Little Helpers, though.

Let me tell you what happened as an introduction to how the tactic — the nonviolent raid — can be, and has been, used in a wide range of campaigns. 

Despite the civil disobedience training and the rehearsals, Santa looked quite apprehensive as we neared the police barricade. “What if I forget some of the things I want to say?”, he worried. I tried to reassure him as best I could. “Your statement will be fantastic. Just speak from your big Santa heart, and trust you’ll remember the gist of your lines”, I offered.

Santa’s statement in front of the Prime Minister’s residence was indeed fantastic. Under the microphones and the TV lenses and the spotlights, he spoke of the melting North Pole, how his toy-making workshops were flooded, how his sleigh and reindeers had trouble taking off because of the thinning ice, and how naughty the Canadian Prime Minister had been for sabotaging the Bali talks on climate warming. 

As he put his foot on the metal barricade, a lump of coal in his hand, the police told him he would be arrested if he crossed. They said they would charge him with Obstructing Police, under the Canadian Criminal Code. 

He paused for a long, intense moment. Then calmly, he said the real crime was obstructing climate justice. And with resolve, he went over. Five of us elves followed. Each with our own little statement. 

We were then taken to the local police station, where we were processed and held before being released, a few hours later. The release conditions pending our trial say we are banned from contacting our Prime Minister directly or indirectly (including petitions... we asked), and from going near other buildings where Stephen Harper works and lives, including Parliament Hill.

As I picked up my stuff to leave after signing the paperwork, I recognized the Mounted Police officer who had fingerprinted me and taken my mug shot.  He stood there, waiting. As I walked past, he grabbed my hand in front of all the other police and congratulated us for our action. He said he had been posted near the North Pole, and knew how important it was to preserve the Inuit lifestyle, which he had grown to respect immensely. 

I thanked him. 

As I walked out the door and was greeted by friends, a small feeling of pride filled me, as I took a deep breath of the biting cold Ottawa air. 

The nonviolent raid had done it’s dilemma demonstration thing again.

— Philippe Duhamel, interTactica.org

Stay tuned for my next post, where I’ll explain the nonviolent raid as a tactic and some its past and potential uses. Please share your thoughts in the comments below.