The Doctor is InThe Doctor is In
Voices In Recovery Podcast
Doug, a former combat and peacekeeping veteran and ex–police staffer, talks about war, PTSD and why he now shows up relentlessly for Palestine and other oppressed communities. The conversation highlights police intimidation, colonial history and the power of using personal experience to stand in solidarity.
1:46:55•8 Apr 2026
From Soldier to Street Protester: Doug’s Fight for Justice and Solidarity
Episode Overview
- Doug describes how years as a combat and peacekeeping soldier, and later as a prisoner security officer, shaped his views on violence and authority.
- He explains why 7 October 2023 pushed him into consistent Palestine solidarity work, from joining Veterans for Peace to attending almost every protest in Calgary.
- The conversation details targeted police intimidation, repeated traffic stops, and criminal charges that Doug links directly to his visibility as an ally.
- Both men criticise police and political double standards, contrasting heavy policing of Palestinian and Indigenous actions with lenient treatment of pro-Israel and far-right groups.
- Doug frames Palestine as a symbol of wider global oppression and argues that people with privilege and experience have a duty to stand beside those being brutalised.
“I’m a combat and peacekeeping veteran, and I stand with Palestine.”
Get ready to be moved by real-life accounts of what happens when a battle-tested veteran turns his focus to justice and solidarity. This conversation centres on Doug (Dr. Douglas Chudley), a former Canadian combat and peacekeeping soldier, ex–Calgary Police prisoner security officer and long-time activist, as he talks through a lifetime of state-sanctioned violence, moral conflict, and his decision to stand with oppressed people – especially Palestinians.
From working at Calgary arrest processing to being targeted at modern protests, he pulls no punches about what he sees as racism, corruption and political influence in law enforcement: “If I wanted that guy dead, he’d be dead… All I did was make sure that he was not going to fight again.” The episode digs into his commitment to Palestinian solidarity after 7 October 2023, his near-constant presence at protests, and why he chooses to be a visible “old white veteran” in the crowd so others feel safer.
You’ll hear how Doug lied about his age to join the army at 15, spent years in conflict zones, and later developed complex PTSD. He explains how those experiences shaped his view of power, colonialism and policing. He talks about tickets, charter challenges, undercover officers, informants and intimidation tactics – and why those moves only make him more determined.
Along the way, Doug and host David use dark humour, sharp language and historical references – from Nazi Germany and British colonialism to the Atlantic slave trade and modern capitalism – to question who gets called a “terrorist” and who gets celebrated as a “hero”. If you’re interested in recovery from blind loyalty to systems, questioning authority, or using your past to stand beside people under attack, this raw conversation has a lot to chew on.
What might your own history push you to stand up for today?
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