Blueprints of Disruption

Rabble Rousers' Cooperative

Blueprints of Disruption is dedicated to amplifying the work of activists, organizers and rabble rousers. This weekly podcast, hosted by Jessa McLean and Santiago Helou Quintero, features in-depth discussions that explore different ways to challenge capitalism, decolonize spaces and create movements on the ground. Together we will disrupt the status quo one episode at a time.

  1. Making Connections From Salish Sea to Palestine

    2D AGO

    Making Connections From Salish Sea to Palestine

    Sisters in film, Rawan Ramini and Jada-Gabrielle Pape were brought together for the film, From Salish Sea to Palestine. The joined Blueprints to talk about their use of the medium to make connections between movements, and tell the 'true stories' of their people. Ultimately though, it is a discussion on what really builds solidarity. The most obvious connections between Palestinians and Indigenous Peoples' in so-called Canada are that of colonialism and occupation. Rawan highlights so many of the shared tactics of land displacement, ethnic cleansing and of course, genocide that tie their fights together. Despite shared mechanisms of oppression, Rawan and Jada's work serves as a reminder this ultimately, not what should define them and their people. "Walking along in solidarity means seeing us as a whole people, not just as a people living in resistance" - JadaMore on our guests: Rawan Hassan, Palestinian filmmaker and mother of two. She Directed, wrote and co-produced the Documentary Series: Ana Falastini Jada-Gabrielle Pape, wu’Was’welam, is Xwelmuxw Mestuyuxw: Saanich and Snuneymuxw Nations. She is the Director of From the Salish Sea to Palestine, and the co-founder of Drawing Wisdom. She also Drawing Wisdom Video Podcast, and is part of the Team at Courage Consulting. Hosted by: Jessa McLean Produced by: Santiago Helou Quintero Call to Action: Help Fundraise for a Full Length Feature Film Related Episodes: Filmmaking Resistance (April 2024) Pier-Philippe Chevigny, writer-director of 'Richelieu', discusses how he uses his skills in filmmaking to shed light on social issues Canada's Colonial Imagination (October 2023) Tyler Shipley on the ways our view of the genocide of Indigenous peoples here STILL shapes how Canada interacts with the world. More Resources: More on the Film 'From the Salish Sea to Palestine'Ana Falastini Trailer (VIDEO)Ana Falastini Canada Wide Tour All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: Patreon a href="https://www.instagram.com/blueprints_of_disruption/"...

    54 min
  2. 100 Victoria Street: Community Under Attack w/KW Fightback

    FEB 17

    100 Victoria Street: Community Under Attack w/KW Fightback

    Despite court rulings saying they could stay, the Region of Waterloo has spent considerable effort trying to remove people living at the 100 Victoria Street encampment in Kitchener. Aaron, from Fightback KW! talks about the conflicts the Region, the Police and even social workers instigate to try to push residents out. From the denial of services, a carceral approach and continued court battles, activists have had their hands full organizing to defend the rights of their unhoused neighbours. The discussion is about the community that exists at the encampment, and the deliberate choices 'authorities' are making to punish anyone surviving in ways that defy the capitalist model. "The structures that be have a vested interest in the situation of the people at the very bottom to be as bad as possible” - Aaron, Fightback KWHosted by: Jessa McLean Produced by: Santiago Helou Quintero Call to Action: Donate to Fightback KW via e-transfer fightback.kw(at)gmail(dot)com, orDrop off donations onsite or at Coven in Kitchener Related Episodes: Rabble Rant: Housing Half Measures (Sept 2023) On Waterloo Outdoor Shelter 'Community'Resisting Toronto's Tactics Against the Unhoused (Sept 2024) Organizers with Voices for Unhoused Liberation share what they're doing to fight encampment evictions and against the war on the poor. Voices for Unhoused Liberation (May 2024) On strategy building, the limitations of advocacy work and the need for escalated direct actions. More Resources: The Regional Municipality of Waterloo v. Persons Unknown and to be Ascertained – 2025 Litigation – Waterloo Region Community Legal ServicesRegion ordered not to evict people from homeless encampmentBay Observer: Waterloo Shelter Formula Statement: FightBack @ 100Vic Full Time All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: Patreon Follow us on Instagram or on Bluesky

    48 min
  3. Strategic Incapacitation: Toronto Police and Protests

    FEB 11

    Strategic Incapacitation: Toronto Police and Protests

    Two Toronto based Legal Observers from the Orange Hats return to give us details on the tactics Toronto Police are using to try to bring down the Palestinian Solidarity Movement. Tasked with keeping an eye on cops during protests and other actions, Gisela and Leon have lots of stories to tell. Together the group recently issued a 2025 Year-In-Review on Toronto Police Services conduct at protests. The report includes statistics on injuries and arrests; it warns of trends in policing; and it points to a clear strategy to suppress the activities of activists - and legal observers. Its not all bad news. Thanks to their experience, the Orange Hats are a great source of advice for organizers and activists - or anyone coming into contact with Police. Hosted by: Santiago Helou Quintero and Jessa McLean Produced by: Santiago Helou Quintero Call to Action: Support Legal Observers - Donate to the Orange Hats REGISTER FOR ONLINE COURSE: Documenting Protests - Feb. 25 @6pm ET Related Episodes: Watching Cops: Advice for Activists (Feb 2025) The Orange Hats share how to stay safe at protests, and the tactics Toronto police use to harass, intimidate and brutalize activists Exposing Toronto Police Tactics (Sep 2025) Activist and journalist Benjamin Nolan on the Toronto Police Services' violent responses to peaceful protests and their use of the knee-on-neck technique. More Resources: Inside the ‘shocking’ police operation targeting pro-Palestine activists in Toronto - The BreachPolice Chief Plays Loose with the Truth on Radio Call-in Show - The Grind MagazineWhat is Strategic Incapacitation – Orange Hats Be sure to catch all our content, including articles and resources for activists, on our SUBSTACK. All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: Patreon Follow us on Instagram or on Bluesky

    54 min
  4. Eyes on the Industry: Mining Watch Canada

    FEB 3

    Eyes on the Industry: Mining Watch Canada

    Guest Jamie Kneen, of Mining Watch Canada gives an overview of the Canadian mining industry, while making the case its a continued colonial enterprise our politicians are more than happy to enable. How is it that an industry so big, with so many established cases of human rights abuses, continue to operate with such impunity, and under the radar? Jamie answers this, and talks about the work Mining Watch Canada does to support local efforts to resist resource extraction, share knowledge and in turn, influence policy here in Canada. What is clear is the impacts of mining are devastating, and Canadian politicians are complicit. Hosted by: Santiago Helou Quinter and Jessa McLean Produced by: Santiago Helou Quintero Related Episodes: Canadian Mining Imperialism: Guatemala's 13 Brave Giants, Grahame Russell of Rights Action on a landmark legal case that exposed HudBay for horrific human rights abuses;Canada's Colonial Imagination, Professor and author Tyler Shipley on the ideology used to justify the genocide of Indigenous peoples and shape foreign policy today. More Resources: Mining in Canada: Latest News and Updates | The NarwhalArbritral Award — Gold Reserve LtdLetter to the Minister of International Trade: Canada’s commitment to a strong Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) | Mining Watch Canada All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: Patreon Follow us on Instagram or on Bluesky

    1h 2m
  5. Connecting North with South: Venezuelan Solidarity Coalition

    JAN 20

    Connecting North with South: Venezuelan Solidarity Coalition

    With Venezuela in the spotlight, we called in Raul Burbano of the Venezuelan Solidarity Coalition to give us a run down of what people in Canada are doing to resist yet another chapter of U.S. imperialist aggression. For almost a decade, organizers have been educating, advocating and mobilizing around the devastating sanctions and other forms of foreign intervention at the hands of the Canadian government. With Carney seemingly siding with Trump on the kidnapping of President Maduro and his wife, activists here are working overtime to turn the tide. Raul, himself a longtime activist, talks about the importance of building relationships between social movements and labour organizations across the Americas, and the shift the work has taken in the past few weeks. Hosted by: Jessa McLean and Santiago Helou Quintero Call to Action: Day of Action on January 24th, 2026 Related Episodes: Venezuelan Chavistas vs. US Imperialism w/Geo Maher. Hear how the decades of struggle and the impact of the Bolivarian Revolution have made Venezuela ungovernable to anyone but the people. Lessons from South America (Dec 2022) Learning from the social movements of Venezuela, and drawing comparisons to Canadian politics. More Resources: International Brigade arrives in Venezuela - Instituto Simón BolívarDetails on Canada's 'Special Economic Measures' Against VenezuelaStatement by Prime Minister Carney on the situation in Venezuela | Prime Minister of Canada You can find even more content on our Substack. All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: Patreon Follow us on Instagram or on Bluesky

    56 min
  6. Venezuelan Chavistas vs. US Imperialism

    JAN 8

    Venezuelan Chavistas vs. US Imperialism

    Professor, activist, abolitionist and author of We Created Chavez, Geo Maher helps unpack what's going on in Venezuela from the often neglected perspective of the grassroots. While the moves of state actors are to be watched and analyzed, Maher argues they alone do not hold the fate of Venezuela in their hands. Semi-autonomous communities, mostly within the poorer barrios of the country, with roots older than even Chavez, wield a power that goes well beyond that of Maduro or the ruling Party. Maher talks about how those 'communes' and the history of the Bolivarian Revolution will be massive barriers to Trump's Imperialist agenda. These 'experiments in democracy', as Maher refers to them, may hold some answers to the questions Canadians find themselves asking in the wake of Trump's threats against them. Namely, how do we best protect against US aggression? Hosted by: Jessa McLean Call to Action: Contact Your MP and demand Canada lift all sanctions against Venezuela Related Episodes: Lessons From: South America, Alexander Moldovan on the social movements in Venezuela; stories of workers and communities fighting back while building networks of support. Canadian Mining Imperialism, on a Canadian landmark legal case that exposed the industry's use of sexual violence, destruction, and death in Guatemala. More Resources: Venezuela Month of Action - International League of Peoples' StruggleBBC: US Discussing Options to Acquire GreenlandCanada's Official Statement on VenezuelaGuest's Recommended Read: America, América – Greg GrandinCanada imposes new sanctions against Venezuelan officials (Mar 2025) For more Blueprints, including articles and resources for activists: Subscribe to our SUBSTACK All of our content is free - made possible by the generous sponsorships of our Patrons. If you would like to support our work through monthly contributions: Patreon Follow us on Instagram or on Bluesky

    45 min

About

Blueprints of Disruption is dedicated to amplifying the work of activists, organizers and rabble rousers. This weekly podcast, hosted by Jessa McLean and Santiago Helou Quintero, features in-depth discussions that explore different ways to challenge capitalism, decolonize spaces and create movements on the ground. Together we will disrupt the status quo one episode at a time.