Local 514

From Khartoum to Montréal: 3 years of war and solidarity w/ Duha Elmardi

As of April 15, 2026, it has been three years of devastating war in Sudan. In its fourth year, the war and the organizing efforts that have emerged in response across Montreal and the diaspora. Despite being the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, many are still unaware of the scale and devastation of the war in Sudan. Local 514 host Kalden Dhatsenpa speaks with Duha Elmardi about the escalating humanitarian crisis amid ongoing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This includes mass displacement, famine, attacks on civilians, and reports of ethnic cleansing in Darfur and Al-Fashir. She outlines the collapse of healthcare and education systems, the widespread use of sexual violence against women and girls, and the dangers faced by activists, journalists, and humanitarian workers on the ground. It is a layered crisis beyond the comprehension of many, as is evident in the weak analyses in The Atlantic’s piece “The war about nothing,” which has since been renamed. Duha shares with us the realities facing Sudanese refugees and diaspora communities in Canada, from immigration delays and family reunification struggles to the emotional toll of witnessing ongoing violence from afar. Duha speaks about grassroots solidarity efforts led by the Sudan Solidarity Collective and highlights inspiring collaborations with Black, Palestinian, and migrant justice movements across Canada. At the same time, she points to areas where stronger solidarity is still needed, including campaigns targeting the UAE’s role in the war and demands for accountability over Canadian-made weapons found in Sudan. Throughout the interview, Duha emphasizes the importance of sustained public engagement, collective action, and international solidarity. Articles mentioned: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/09/sudan-civil-war-humanitarian-crisis/683563/ [https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/09/sudan-civil-war-humanitarian-crisis/683563/] https://breachmedia.ca/in-the-genocide-in-sudan-canada-has-a-hand-in-the-violence/ [https://breachmedia.ca/in-the-genocide-in-sudan-canada-has-a-hand-in-the-violence/] https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/sudan-rsf-massacres-canadian-rifles-sterling-cross-9.6969856 [https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/sudan-rsf-massacres-canadian-rifles-sterling-cross-9.6969856] https://continent.substack.com/p/is-the-sudan-war-really-about-nothing [https://continent.substack.com/p/is-the-sudan-war-really-about-nothing] Organizations mentioned: https://www.sudansolidarity.com [https://www.sudansolidarity.com] https://www.instagram.com/mtl4sudan/ [https://www.instagram.com/mtl4sudan/]

When celebrating the Habs gets you beaten by police

With the Stanley Cup playoffs underway in Montreal, the excitement is everywhere and the SPVM is deploying to contain it, but some say they are overacting. Alex MacMillan who started the Spark Solidarity page has been weighing in on what he considers excess brutality towards Habs fans by the Montreal Police. In this interview Alex details the long history of police interventions against hockey riots, the laws that changed how the police in montreal react, as well as the contrasting styles of big game crowd control used in places like Toronto that are much more peaceful than in Montreal. With the Habs continuing on in the playoffs one question remains, should public funds be used for beating up fans of the Montreal Canadiens who have not broken any laws?

Solidarity with Muslim prisoners

Muslim prisoners in Quebec face a compounded type of discrimination. There is the usual deprivation of life and freedom that the public expects prisoners to face. However, there is a rigidity of prison life that is wholly unaccommodating to the Muslim faith, and some are saying it is becoming even worse with budget cuts from both federal and provincial governments that take away educational opportunities from prisoners.Two community organizers are taking things into their own hands with the Eid Card writing initiative for incarcerated Muslims. Local 514 host, Kalden Dhatsenpa speaks to the organizers, Nashwa and Nabeela who have taken on efforts to spread awareness and raise funds for this unspoken issue.They talk about Islamophobia in Québec’s institutions, the broader global uses of prisons to stifle racialized and Indigenous communities, as well as the reception of their initiative by these prisoners.

McGill’s new identification policy has some concerned

Should university staff at McGill be allowed to demand students identify themselves on campus? Montreal’s McGill University’s board of governors has voted in favour of a controversial new policy. It’s called the Identification Policy for Access to Properties Owned, Occupied, or Used by the University. This policy was proposed by Professor Fabrice Labeau on January 14, 2026 and it received quick criticism for the power it gives to McGill security and staff to demand identification from anyone on campus grounds. The concerns raised about the policy point to its timing after the pro-palestine encampments. Critics of the policy are concerned about how the policy might be used against protestors trying to protect their privacy, women wearing a veil for religious reasons, and those who wear the mask for medical purposes. To learn more about the policy and the concerns around it, Local 514 host Kalden Dhatsenpa speaks to student from McGill that helped organize an open letter of opposition to the policy back in the winter.

How Zionists are using the Canadian border as a political tool w/ Ali Salman

The National Post recently published a column by Terry Newman that referred to an event organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement Montreal as “pro-terror.” The event was intended to share the experiences of former Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons. As Ali Salman explains, PYM aimed to shed light on stories that are often hidden from public view.This framing is nothing new to organizers and activists who are familiar with the narratives that have long been used against Palestinians. What is new, however, is what the article reveals about a Montreal lawyer named Neil Oberman, who wrote to two federal ministers as well as the community centre where the event was held. Oberman’s letter includes many of the usual accusations against PYM, such as calling it “pro-terror” and “hate-promoting.” The most striking passage is where he asks that Minister Lena Diab “ensure that any foreign nationals scheduled to speak at or participate in this event, in particular any individuals described as ‘released political prisoners,’ are denied entry to Canada or refused the issuance of any visa or travel authorization.”This reflects a broader tactic that has emerged in efforts against supporters of the Palestinian movement: the politicized use of the Canadian border. Similar cases have involved the Irish band Kneecap, French parliamentarian Rima Hassan, and representatives from the Palestinian Football Association. In this instance, the same approach was attempted against speakers at a Montreal event, even though they appeared by video rather than in person.Local 514 speaks with Ali Salman to get the full context of the event and to hear his perspective on these efforts to use border controls as a tool against Palestinians and their allies.