Solidarity

"The year 1983 began like any other year in Canada's leftmost--er, West Coast province. Then Bill's bills unleashed four months of public unrest. The newly elected Social Credit government announced an avalanche of far-right legislation that shocked the country. By dropping viciously anti-union legislation that slashed protection for hard-won human rights, Premier Bill Bennett attacked nearly everyone in his contingency. A resistance movement called Solidarity sprung up across the province. Massive street protests, occupations and plans for an all-out general strike had all eyes on B.C.. Like other uprisings--from France in 1968 to the anti-racism protests of 2020--Solidarity arrived unexpectedly and rocked social foundations. Revolution, in one province? Filled with revealing interviews and lively, insightful prose, David Spaner's Solidarity goes behind the scenes of one of the greatest social uprisings in North American history. Spaner delves into the Solidarity months of 1983 through his own experience and that of the activists, both iconic and unsung, that organized B.C.'s masses. Solidarity's intimate storytelling mixes popular culture and rebel politics, finding political answers in the personal lives of those touched by the movement. In recreating this one singularly dramatic event, Spaner's Solidarity becomes the ongoing history of 20th century B.C.--exploring its great divides and unions, cultures and subcultures, and conflicts that continue into the 21st century."--