On2Ottawa is a Canadian environmental activist group founded in March 2023. Their members engage in

civil disobedience Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be called "civil". Hen ...

to pressure the Government of Canada to take action on climate change, often to the point of

arrest An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be questi ...

. Their actions have included

traffic obstruction Traffic obstruction is a common tactic used during public protests and demonstrations. The transport users affected by such disruptions are sometimes unsympathetic to the cause. Legality Most jurisdictions consider the obstruction of traffic a ...

s, disruption of cultural events, and

art vandalism Vandalism of art is intentional damage of an artwork. The object, usually exhibited in public, becomes damaged as a result of the act, and remains in place right after the act. This may distinguish it from art destruction and iconoclasm, whe ...

Views

The group draws inspiration from the teaching of UK climate scientist David King. They aspire to unite other Canadian environmental groups to converge in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

for mass protest. On2Ottawa has called for the creation of a legally-binding citizens' assembly to develop

environmental policy Environmental policy is the commitment of an organization or government to the laws, regulations, and other policy mechanisms concerning environmental issues. These issues generally include air and water pollution, waste management, ecosystem mana ...

. Prompted by the unprecedented severity of the

2023 Canadian wildfires Beginning in March 2023, and with increased intensity starting in June, Canada was affected by a record-setting series of wildfires. All 13 Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories were affected, with large fires in Alberta ...

, On2Ottawa has called for the implementation in Canada of a nationalized firefighting service.

History of activities

On March 1, 2023, three On2Ottawa activists, including Laura Sullivan, smeared pink paint on an exhibit at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Victoria. The activists applied the washable paint to a model of a Woolly mammoth. Victoria police arrested the activists and charged them with mischief. Two weeks later, On2Ottawa activist

Casey Hatherly Casey Hatherly (born 1985 or 1986, commonly known as Ever) is a Canadian climate activist and member of On2Ottawa. Hatherly was arrested in March 2023 after interrupting Avril Lavigne at the Juno Awards to protest against climate related issue ...

interrupted singer

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...

while presenting on stage during the Juno Awards of 2023. Naked from the waist up, Hatherly had "Land back", "Save the green belt" and "Stop logging old growth now" was written on her torso. Hatherly was charged with mischief and was detained overnight in Edmonton Remand Centre before appearing in an Edmonton court. On April 15, 2023, Hatherly splattered pink paint around the entrance of the Office of the Prime Minister. Hatherly posed with a sign that stated “Demand climate action now!” before chaining herself to the building. Two On2Ottawa members were detained by police after firefighters cut the chain attaching Hatherly to the building. On August 8, 2023, Sullivan set off pink smoke bombs and sprayed pink paint on the

Toronto Sign File:Toronto sign (44247399214).jpg, The Toronto sign at night The Toronto Sign is an illuminated three-dimensional sign in Nathan Phillips Square in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that spells the city's name. It is tall and long (prior to the addi ...

in Toronto, before gluing herself to its base. From August 20 to September 9, 2023, On2Ottawa members participated in periodic

throughout the capital and in neighbouring

Gatineau Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region and is part of Canada's N ...

, leading to multiple arrests. On August 29, 2023, Kaleb Suedfeld, a member of On2Ottawa, threw washable pink paint on Tom Thomson's ''

Northern River Northern River (Japanese :ノーザンリバー, foaled April 12, 2008) is a Japanese Thoroughbred racehorse and the winner of the 2011 Arlington Cup. Career His brother is , who won the 2011 Elm Stakes and 2012 Diolite Kinen. Northern Riv ...

'' at the National Gallery of Canada. Suedfeld glued himself to the floor and read out a statement before being arrested and charged with mischief. The painting, protected by a glass covering, was undamaged. It was placed back on display on August 30.

References

External links

On2Ottawa
- Twitter
On2Ottawa
- Website {{Climate change Climate change organizations Environmental organizations based in Canada