Wed. April 17, Olympic Plaza downtown Calgary, over 30 demonstrators resist Canadian oil extraction in the Ecuadorian rainforest. Demonstrators marched to Telus Convention Centre, where Amazon Watch allies once demonstrated on May 1, 2012 to resist Talisman Energy's projected extractive development in Peru. Together with representative leaders from the Achuar Nation, allies in Canada were successful in resisting Talisman's designs.  

Over three million hectares and at least seven directly impacted Indigenous nationalities are at stake in what is called the 11th Oil Round. Gemini award-winning actress and aboriginal activist Michelle Thrush was present at today's demonstration, as was Adam Zuckerman of Amazon Watch, Mike Byerley with Canada Supports the Achuar and Karen Huggins of Project Plougshares. The Amazon Watch Press Release notes other community representatives, from faith groups to labor unionists, who stood together under the Idle No More banner, now a widespread international movement to support Indigenous resistance to ecocide. On the same day, the demonstration became a breaking story for over a dozen newspapers in Ecuador. 

Later that day, a second demonstration led by Mike Byerley and Adam Zuckerman was stopped by security guards at the Westin Hotel. "We came out of the cab with our signs. As soon as they saw us, that was it," said Byerley. Only five in total arrived intending to demonstrate before a reception with stakeholders in the oil industry.