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{{short description|1980s Canadian urban guerrilla group}}
⚫ The '''Squamish Five''' were a group of self-styled "urban guerillas" active in Canada during the early 1980s. Their chosen name was "Direct Action".
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox militant organization
| name = Direct Action
| other_name = Squamish Five, Wimmin's Fire Brigade, Vancouver Five
| dates = 1981–1983
| motives = War against the state
| country = ]
| ideology = ]
| attacks = ], ]
| size = 5+ members
}}
{{Anarchism sidebar}}
⚫ The '''Squamish Five''' (sometimes referred to as the '''Vancouver Five''')<ref name="Antliff2004" /> were a group of self-styled "]s" active in ] during the early 1980s. Their chosen name was '''Direct Action'''. The five were ], Brent Taylor, Juliet Caroline Belmas, Doug Stewart and ].


== Campaigns ==
The five were Ann Hansen, Brent Taylor, Julie Belmas, Gerry Hannah and Doug Stewart. Unlike the ], ], and other groups, they were not motivated by a political ideology which placed them at the vanguard of a Marxist revolution. Rather, they were activists who had become disenchanted and frustrated with traditional methods of activism. They believed that by engaging in semi-symbolic ], they could jolt people into action themselves.
] bassist ]]]


The group's first action was in 1982: vandalizing the ] offices.<ref name="threat">{{Cite book |last1=Hamilton |first1=Dwight |chapter=Direct Action |title=Terror Threat: International and Homegrown Terrorists and Their Threat to Canada |pages=23–25 |date=2007 |language=en |isbn=978-1-55002-736-5 |publisher=Dundurn Press |location=Toronto |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/terrorthreatinte0000hami/page/23/mode/1up |df=mdy-all }}</ref> They began training with stolen weapons in a deserted area north of ] and stole a large cache of ] belonging to the Department of Highways.<ref name="ef-belmas" />
The first actions associated with the group were not particularily extreme. They vandalized the headquarters of Amax, a BC mining company which had been granted a special exemption from environmental laws, and the British Colombia Department of the Environment.


On the morning of May 30, 1982, Hansen, Taylor, and Stewart travelled to ] and set off a large ] at the Dunsmuir ] substation. The damage was extensive, causing over $3 million CAD in damage and leaving four transformers damaged beyond repair. Nobody was injured.<ref name="Antliff2004">{{cite book|author=Antliff, Allan|author-link=Allan Antliff|title=Only a Beginning: An Anarchist Anthology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Of-9Yjbf5OgC|access-date=May 16, 2009|publisher=]|year=2004|pages=75|isbn=1-55152-167-9}}</ref>
After these actions the group began to become more extreme and began training with stolen weapons in a deserted area north of Vancouver. By pure chance they came upon large caches of dynamite used for construction work, which they looted for their own use. They dropped out of normal life, obtained a roster of fake IDs, and began supporting themselves through various forms of fraud and theft.


=== Litton Industries bombing ===
On 30 May 1982, Hansen, Taylor, and Belmas drove to Vancouver Island and set a large bomb at an electricity transmission project. Four transformers were wrecked beyond repair, but no one was injured. The electrical substation had been criticized for being environmentally unsound and serving to help destroy the remaining wilderness on the island.
{{Main|Litton Industries bombing}}


Following this action, Hansen, Taylor, and Stewart filled a van with 500 pounds of dynamite and drove cross-country to Toronto. Their target this time was Litton Systems, a company producing guidance components for the controversial American cruise missiles many feared would increase the risk of nuclear war. Hansen recalls driving the truck full of dynamite across the praries, "listening to the Dead Kennedys, D.O.A., the Doors and Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska". In October 1982, the five filled a stolen pick-up truck with {{convert|550|kg|lb|abbr=on}} of dynamite and drove from Vancouver to ]. Their target was ], a company producing ] for the controversial American ]s many feared would increase the risk of ].<ref name="Antliff2004" />


=== "Wimmin's Fire Brigade" and Red Hot Video firebombing ===
The Litton bomb was supposed to cause property destruction only, with no injuries. The van was parked in full view of corporate security, and an elaborate "warning box" was duct-taped to the hood, displaying a message, a digital clock counting down, and a single stick of dynamite to show it was no joke. Belmas called the security desk and warned them of the explosion, giving instructions on exactly what to do and where the danger area was. But security did not respond the way they expected. The evacuation was just getting started when the bomb exploded minutes ahead of schedule. By sheer luck no one was killed, but several people were injured. A security guard was paralyzed for life.
{{Quote box
| quote = Red Hot Video is part of a multi-billion dollar pornography industry that teaches men to equate sexuality with violence. Although these tapes violate the Criminal Code of Canada and the B.C. guidelines on pornography, all lawful attempts to shutdown Red Hot Video have failed because the justice system was created and is controlled by rich men to protect their profits and property. As a result, we are left no viable alternative but to change the situation ourselves through illegal means.This is an act of self-defence against hate propaganda. We will continue to defend ourselves
| author = Wimmin's Fire Brigade, Press Release, November 22, 1982
| source =
| width = 50%
| align = right
}}


The bombers fled Toronto for ] and ceased their activities as they moved underground together. On November 22, 1982, they emerged as part of a larger group under the name ''"Wimmin's Fire Brigade"''.<ref name="Antliff2004" /> They subsequently ] three franchises of Red Hot Video, a chain of video pornography stores which had attracted the attention of ] activists and the local community and was accused of selling ] as well as violent and ] pornography. The majority of the stores closed or changed names.<ref>{{cite book |author-last1=Hansen |author-first1=Ann |title=Direct Action: memoirs of an urban guerrilla |date=2001 |publisher=Between the Lines |location=Toronto |isbn=9781902593487 |page=301}}</ref>
The bombers fled Toronto for Vancouver and ceased their activities for several months. But the high-profile crime had attracted major police attention and the ] was closing in. Hansen and Belmas would committ one more militant action, the firebombing of two stores selling violen porno films, before all five were captured on the road to their training area by an RCMP tactical unit disguised as a road crew. This was just outside the town of Squamish, BC, giving rise to the name.


Ann Hansen alleges in her memoirs that the police were surveilling them at the time of the Red Hot Video action, which would mean the police broke the law to get the evidence needed to proceed with the charges on the earlier bombings.<ref>{{cite book |author-last1=Hansen |author-first1=Ann |title=Direct Action : memoirs of an urban guerrilla |date=2001 |publisher=Between the Lines |location=Toronto |isbn=9781902593487 |page=348}}</ref>
Surprisingly, the five all received rather minor sentences. Ann Hansen was sentenced to life but paroled after only eight years. All are now out of prison.


== Arrest and trial ==
In 2001 Ann Hansen's "Direct Action: Memoirs of an Urban Guerilla" was published. While she acknowledges tactical mistakes and misconceptions, Hansen maintains that her actions were justified, and liberal, capitalist democracies should be overthrown by violent action.
The high-profile crimes attracted major police attention and the ] was closing in. On the morning of January 20, 1983, an RCMP tactical unit disguised as a road crew captured all five on the road to their training area.<ref name="inside">Hamilton, Dwight. "Inside Canadian Intelligence", 2006</ref>

Punk band ] released a pair of benefit singles, ''Right to Be Wild'' and ''Burn It Down'', for the arrested members.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Meissner|first=Dirk|date=April 27, 1983|title=D.O.A Rocks Strand|page=B6|work=Kamloops News|url=|access-date=}}</ref>

== Legacy ==

After prison, Juliet Belmas attended ], and completed a degree in film. She produced independent art films on the conditions of women in prison and was working on her memoirs as of 2012.<ref name="ef-belmas"> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120225134205/http://news.infoshop.org/article.php?story=20100518052124702 |date=February 25, 2012 }}</ref>

In 1987, experimental filmmaker Oliver Hockenhull released '']'', an avant-garde documentary which criticized the political undertones in media coverage of the Squamish Five.<ref>Calvin Wharton, "Oliver Hockenhull's Determinations". '']'', April 1988. pp. 31-32.</ref>

In 1988, ] released an award winning ] entitled '']''.<ref>], "The Squamish Five". '']'', January 1989.</ref> The film's cast included ] as Ann Hansen, ] as Brent Taylor, ] as Juliet Belmas, ] as Doug Stewart, and David McLeod as Gerry Hannah.<ref>Greg Quill, "They're the only terrorists we've got eh?". '']'', November 5, 1988.</ref>

== See also ==
* ]
* ] – A 1970s and 1980s French urban guerrilla group
* ] – A branch of anarchism which puts a particular emphasis on environmental issues
* ] – A branch of anarchism combining anarchism and feminism

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* Interview with Juliet Belmas in May/June 2010 issue of Earth First! Journal
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050827185052/http://www.kersplebedeb.com/mystuff/profiles/vancouverfive.html |date=August 27, 2005 }}. Includes an interview with Ann Hansen and an essay by a supporter of the Five in Toronto.
* '''', an audio CD recorded by Ann Hansen, presenting information from her book.
* , court sentencing documents relating to Belmas' court trials.
* , an essay which discusses the legitimacy of violence in civil unrest; the Squamish Five are cited as examples of the effectiveness of the technique.

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Latest revision as of 07:46, 12 December 2024

1980s Canadian urban guerrilla group

Direct Action
Also known asSquamish Five, Wimmin's Fire Brigade, Vancouver Five
Dates of operation1981–1983
CountryCanada
MotivesWar against the state
IdeologyAnarchism
Notable attacksBombings, arson
Size5+ members
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    The Squamish Five (sometimes referred to as the Vancouver Five) were a group of self-styled "urban guerrillas" active in Canada during the early 1980s. Their chosen name was Direct Action. The five were Ann Hansen, Brent Taylor, Juliet Caroline Belmas, Doug Stewart and Gerry Hannah.

    Campaigns

    Direct Action member and Subhumans bassist Gerry Hannah

    The group's first action was in 1982: vandalizing the British Columbia Ministry of Environment offices. They began training with stolen weapons in a deserted area north of Vancouver and stole a large cache of dynamite belonging to the Department of Highways.

    On the morning of May 30, 1982, Hansen, Taylor, and Stewart travelled to Vancouver Island and set off a large bomb at the Dunsmuir BC Hydro substation. The damage was extensive, causing over $3 million CAD in damage and leaving four transformers damaged beyond repair. Nobody was injured.

    Litton Industries bombing

    Main article: Litton Industries bombing

    In October 1982, the five filled a stolen pick-up truck with 550 kg (1,210 lb) of dynamite and drove from Vancouver to Toronto. Their target was Litton Industries, a company producing guidance components for the controversial American cruise missiles many feared would increase the risk of nuclear war.

    "Wimmin's Fire Brigade" and Red Hot Video firebombing

    Red Hot Video is part of a multi-billion dollar pornography industry that teaches men to equate sexuality with violence. Although these tapes violate the Criminal Code of Canada and the B.C. guidelines on pornography, all lawful attempts to shutdown Red Hot Video have failed because the justice system was created and is controlled by rich men to protect their profits and property. As a result, we are left no viable alternative but to change the situation ourselves through illegal means.This is an act of self-defence against hate propaganda. We will continue to defend ourselves

    Wimmin's Fire Brigade, Press Release, November 22, 1982

    The bombers fled Toronto for Vancouver and ceased their activities as they moved underground together. On November 22, 1982, they emerged as part of a larger group under the name "Wimmin's Fire Brigade". They subsequently firebombed three franchises of Red Hot Video, a chain of video pornography stores which had attracted the attention of feminist activists and the local community and was accused of selling snuff films as well as violent and paedophilic pornography. The majority of the stores closed or changed names.

    Ann Hansen alleges in her memoirs that the police were surveilling them at the time of the Red Hot Video action, which would mean the police broke the law to get the evidence needed to proceed with the charges on the earlier bombings.

    Arrest and trial

    The high-profile crimes attracted major police attention and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was closing in. On the morning of January 20, 1983, an RCMP tactical unit disguised as a road crew captured all five on the road to their training area.

    Punk band D.O.A released a pair of benefit singles, Right to Be Wild and Burn It Down, for the arrested members.

    Legacy

    After prison, Juliet Belmas attended Emily Carr University of Art and Design, and completed a degree in film. She produced independent art films on the conditions of women in prison and was working on her memoirs as of 2012.

    In 1987, experimental filmmaker Oliver Hockenhull released Determinations, an avant-garde documentary which criticized the political undertones in media coverage of the Squamish Five.

    In 1988, CBC Television released an award winning docudrama entitled The Squamish Five. The film's cast included Nicky Guadagni as Ann Hansen, Michael McManus as Brent Taylor, Robyn Stevan as Juliet Belmas, Albert Schultz as Doug Stewart, and David McLeod as Gerry Hannah.

    See also

    References

    1. ^ Antliff, Allan (2004). Only a Beginning: An Anarchist Anthology. Arsenal Pulp Press. p. 75. ISBN 1-55152-167-9. Retrieved May 16, 2009.
    2. Hamilton, Dwight (2007). "Direct Action". Terror Threat: International and Homegrown Terrorists and Their Threat to Canada. Toronto: Dundurn Press. pp. 23–25. ISBN 978-1-55002-736-5.
    3. ^ interview with Juliet Belmas in Earth First! Journal Archived February 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
    4. Hansen, Ann (2001). Direct Action: memoirs of an urban guerrilla. Toronto: Between the Lines. p. 301. ISBN 9781902593487.
    5. Hansen, Ann (2001). Direct Action : memoirs of an urban guerrilla. Toronto: Between the Lines. p. 348. ISBN 9781902593487.
    6. Hamilton, Dwight. "Inside Canadian Intelligence", 2006
    7. Meissner, Dirk (April 27, 1983). "D.O.A Rocks Strand". Kamloops News. p. B6.
    8. Calvin Wharton, "Oliver Hockenhull's Determinations". Cinema Canada, April 1988. pp. 31-32.
    9. Paul Donovan, "The Squamish Five". Cinema Canada, January 1989.
    10. Greg Quill, "They're the only terrorists we've got eh?". Toronto Star, November 5, 1988.

    External links

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