Stories of Resistance
Because This Isn’t Just a Moment - It’s a Movement
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Yes, Charlie Angus / The Resistance has swag.
But we aren't selling it.
We’re giving it out to folks who are making a difference in these dark times because we believe the resistance lives in the everyday acts of ordinary people.
Last week we posted this photo of the very cool tote bags screened by the brilliant folks at Peach Berserk - and then we put a call out:
Tell us how you’re resisting - big ways, small ways, at home, at work, in your community - and what brings you hope.
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The plan was simple - we’d take these stories of resistance, draw a few names and send out some limited edition tote bags as a thank-you.
We thought we'd get a handful of replies.
What happened instead stopped us in our tracks. In minutes the inbox filled up with over 100 voices from across the continent.
The recipients have been contacted by email, but we wanted to share a few stories that inspired us, reminded us of our purpose, and demonstrated once again that resistance is not just a moment—it is a movement.
Grocery Store Revolutionary
Jean is a senior who shops daily and takes the resistance to the grocery store aisles. She's spreading the word in her apartment building about buying Canadian-made products and how to resist U.S. corporations without hurting Canadian workers.
"We need more info on companies that employ Canadians," she told us.
Jean is doing her part by helping her neighbours understand where their products come from—and why it matters.
On the Frontline of Social Justice
Kevin, a lifelong resister, didn't mince words. He wrote passionately about how he fights every day for 2SLGBTQ+ rights and against anti-Black racism. He's one of many who are pushing back hard against the right-wing war on social programs and social justice.
"I stand with people like yourself," he wrote, "against the regime of PP."
That's solidarity. That's the frontline.
Art & Activism
Richard is a fierce defender of Canadian values. He came to a recent Grievous Angels show and passed along his beloved bumper sticker with the slogan:
"Fck Putin, Eat Perogies."
He'd planned to slap it on his Yamaha this spring but wanted us to have it instead. Turns out they're no longer available—he gave away the last one.
Richard shares political commentary, amplifies the work of the resistance, and even worked the message into a local theatre production where he volunteers as a sound designer.
Bringing Care and Grassroots Hope to the North
Rachel travels to Attawapiskat First Nation every Tuesday to meet with clients. She never goes empty-handed - bringing granola bars is what’s she’s known for.
Rachel's been buying reusable bags for years, but said this tote bag hit different.
She's been examining every label in the grocery store, turning shopping into activism.
"I feel proud, strong, and free," she wrote. "We are part of something huge."
From Food Bank to Front Porch - Resistance at Home
Scott and his wife cancelled their Netflix and Prime subscriptions. They cut out U.S. groceries and support their local food bank with cash and non-U.S. goods.
This summer, they're planting a victory garden.
And they've hung a Canadian flag on their porch—not in some hollow nationalistic gesture, but in defiance. In resistance. In solidarity.
"Elbows up, my friend," he wrote. "We're all in this for the long haul."
Holding the Line in MAGA Country
Lisa wrote to us from Florida and her story hit hard.
Her husband is MAGA. Her community is overrun by right-wing extremism. But she's out there every day—organizing rallies, joining networks, running social media for resistance groups, fighting voter suppression, speaking truth online despite threats from MAGA trolls.
"I get tired. I get depressed," Lisa shared. "But I have faith. I have faith because I know there are more of us than them. We're gonna win this—because we have to."
Lisa, your friends in Canada hear you.
We see you. We're with you.
Finding Power and Purpose on the Family Farm
A teacher who reached out to us shared a question they recently asked their class:“What have you done, or do you plan to do, in response to tariffs and policies from the usa?”(Lowercase intentional, he said.)
Most students mentioned shopping choices and travel plans.
But one response stood apart. She didn’t include her name.
She’s a student from Manitoba, the daughter of a small cattle farm family, and she hopes to one day write children’s programming for the CBC. Because of the tariffs, her family is now worried about putting food on the table.
Here’s what she shared:
"Elbow's up reflection: The tariffs have and will continue to change my life through my family. I come from a small cattle farm that is now worried about having food to put on the table. For me, I'll be moving back home for the summer as free labour around the farm so that we can start taking crops to local markets in hopes of having enough money to last through the winter. Before the tariffs and the fear in my grandfather's farm, I had no plan to be working the farm again, but I know that I can make an impact by going home this summer. And right now, that feeling of control in my life is worth being overworked and underpaid back home."
Gratitude as a Form of Resistance
Emily wrote:
Send me a cool Charlie Angus Resistance tote — or not. Doesn't matter. Just know I'm grateful. Grateful for your resistance. For your Substack. For your tour. For your posts that push us through the dark days. For standing the gaff beside your fellow Canadians — elbows up, hearts steady, unbought, unbroken.
💯🇨🇦♥️💯🇨🇦♥️
📢 Sol, Sol, Sol, Solidarity!! 📢
Thank you, Emily, this means more than you know.
The Artist Behind the Merch
Kingi Carpenter runs Peach Berserk in Toronto. She’s been part of the punk rock resistance since she was 16 - sneaking out of her all-girl school dorm to see Charlie Angus' punk band in underground Toronto clubs. Charlie was 17.
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Charlie Angus / The Resistance is about solidarity - not sales.
But Kingi is an incredible talent, a longtime supporter of the movement, and small business owner where sales do matter. If you want a Resistance t-shirt or tote bag, get in touch with Kingi directly.
Because people are resisting in ways that might never make the headlines - but are just as important as a protest or picket line. People are on the move and they’re staying strong, even when they feel surrounded.
And that’s the heart of this work. We’re in this together.
Elbows up.
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