Eleonore Riffe
Photo and video portfolio
From left, Ellen Moore, Marguerite Bilodeau, Lise Bernier and Margaret Godbeer attend a meeting of the organization “Montreal Raging Grannies” at Unitarian Church, in Montreal on Monday, March 27, 2017. Each first and third monday of the month, the Raging Grannies organize a meeting to discuss past and next “gaggles”, exchange about issues they want to defend and welcome new members.
Some of the Montreal Raging Grannies practice one of their song during their meeting at Unitarian Church, in Montreal, on Monday March 27, 2017. One of the member rewrote lyrics of a famous song “Playmate, come out and Play with me” with words denouncing Trudeau’s government involvement in the market of weapons. The Raging Grannies created a song database where they share all the songs written by all the different groups.
From left, Nancy Brown, Sascha Astles and Elizabeth Vezina discuss about their next actions during the meeting, at the Unitarian Church, in Montreal, on Monday, March 27, 2017. The ladies planned to perform by surprise in the commercial centers of the underground city to protest against Trudeau’s government involvement in the market of weapons. They are not allowed to carry banners and look for solutions such as funny cardboards to hide under their coat in case of troubles with security guards.
Marguerite Bilodeau corrects the lyrics of a song that the Montreal Raging Grannies will perform, before a demonstration, at Marguerite’s apartment, in Montreal, on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. The Montreal Raging Grannies meet to prepare for a march organized for International women’s day. At the end of the event they are expected to sing some of their songs related to the event of the day.
Some members of the Montreal Raging Grannies practiced their songs, at Marguerite’s apartment, in Montreal, on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. The Montreal Raging Grannies meet to prepare for a march organized for International women’s day. At the end of the event they are expected to sing some of their songs related to the event of the day.
From left, Margaret Godbeer and Sheila Laursen relax before the march they will attend with the Raging Grannies, at Marguerite Bilodeau’s apartment, in Montreal, on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. After practicing their song, the ladies sip a cup of tea and slip into their costumes before joining the event.
Sascha Astles waits for the elevator in Marguerite Bilodeau’s place, in Montreal, on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. The lady will join the rest of the group dressed with a hat full of flowers, a symbol of the Raging Grannies. International women’s day is the first event she attends as a Raging Granny.
Sheila Laursen attends the march on International women’s day at Place du 6 décembre 1989, in Montreal, on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. Sheila joined the Raging Grannies in 2010. Being involved with this organization helps “to keep (her) sane”.
Sascha Astles attends the march on International women’s day at Place du 6 décembre 1989, in Montreal, on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. Sascha is a young granny. She joined the organization because she considered she “was always raging”.
The Montreal Raging Grannies wait for the beginning of the march on International women’s day at Place du 6 décembre 1989, in Montreal, on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. Many women’s organizations gather that day to emphasize the cause they defend with long speeches before the march starts.
The Montreal Raging Grannies walk for International women’s day on Côte-des-Neiges Street, in Montreal, on Wednesday, March 8, 2017. The march ends like it starts with few speeches and finally, the raging grannies performed three of their songs. People enjoyed their presence.
Some members of the Montreal Raging Grannies attend an open mic night at the Brass Door Pub, in Montreal, On Tuesday, March 28, 2017. The Montreal Raging Grannies were invited by Mc Gill students for Amnesty International to perform some of their songs.
The Montreal Raging Grannies practice their songs just before starting their action, in the tunnel of the underground city of Montreal, on Saturday, April 1, 2017. The ladies want to bring attention on the market of weapons organized by the government in an unexpected place full of people. A new member with a big join the group.
Ellen Moore takes on her dress and hat for the happening the Raging grannies prepare, in the food court of an underground city of Montreal, on Saturday, April 1, 2017. Ellen joined the group eleven years ago and is involved in other community activities.
Sheila Laursen distributes postcards to people who are in the tunnel of the underground city of Montreal, on Saturday, April 1, 2017. The Raging Grannies distributed 250 postcards made by themselves to invite Canadian citizens to ask Trudeau’s government to stop selling weapons to Saudis. A message is written in both French and English and has to be filled and can be sent without any cost directly to the government.
The Montreal Raging Grannies perform their songs on Ste Catherine Street, in Montreal, on Saturday, April 1, 2017. People stop to watch, applause them and take pictures of them. They use intentionally colorful costumes and hats and sing to bring awareness on serious topics.

Montreal Raging grannies

We are not entertainment, we are educators

In the late 1980 in Victoria, British-Columbia, a gang of grannies gathered to protest together and bring attention to justice, social and environmental issues. The activist Raging Grannies movement was born. Later on, in 1989, the idea spread and reached the East coast. The Montreal Raging Grannies emerged. Nowadays, “gaggles” as they name themselves are located in nearly every province of Canada, many states in USA and across the ocean until New-Zealand, Australia, Scotland and some more countries…

 

Raging Grannies are peacemakers. They participate in demonstrations, perform when and where they are not expected, in order to denounce issues such as military budgets, women and Indigenous issues, nuclear pollution, medicare, landmines, fair trade, climate change, GMO foods, toxic pollutants and war toys, to name just a few.
Each time they appear or participate in an event, they use their voices to sing on famous tunes, lyrics they have arranged to convey their message.
Raging grannies play with traditional clichés of grandmother’s style and emphasize their characters with colorful clothes, hats full of flowers and badges collected as trophee of each cause they support.
Despite their ability to laugh about themselves and the sense of humor in their way to approach people, the Montreal Raging Grannies defend themselves from being an entertainment. Their main goal is to bring awareness. “We’re not entertainment. We are educators”.  They meet every month to organize their next actions, they fact-check their information and share issues they want to support. These ladies don’t gather to drink a cup of tea, even though they might bring some cookies. They meet to discuss politics. Many of them came from scientific or environmental background or used to be social workers. Many of them were teachers and continue their mission to educate, retired or not, it’s a mission without a deadline. They will stop eventually “when the world will be in peace”.

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