The organization was formed shortly after a Vancouver demonstration in support of Rodney King during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, fusing an affinity group called Anarchists of Colour with Langara College's students of colour collective, the Third World Alliance, and other activists.
Members of Roots of Resistance were of various left-wing political tendencies, from anarchism to Marxism, as well as divergent cultural and religious perspectives.
Uniting the group was an anti-colonial and anti-capitalist critique, including support of First Nations sovereignty and opposition to global imperialism.
Roots of Resistance also criticized parliamentary attempts to restrict immigration, and directly opposed neo-fascist activity, two important issues in early- to mid-1990s Canada.
Roots of Resistance's most newsworthy moments were its Anti-Canada Day demonstrations on 1 July, events designed to expose the colonialist and genocidal history of the Canadian state.