MAY 4: STATUS FOR ALL!

A march for immigrant justice,
and against poverty, racism & racial profiling

SUNDAY, MAY 4th, 12:30pm
Starting Point:
Corner of Victoria & Van Horne
in COTE-DES-NEIGES
(metro Plamondon, sortie Van Horne)

This is a child-friendly demonstration.
Food and drinks will be available.
There will be vehicles on-hand for those with reduced mobility.

As part of a National Day of Action for immigrant rights, Solidarity Across Borders is again taking to the streets, with our allies, to demand justice and dignity for all migrants. In opposition to deportations and detentions, we demand STATUS FOR ALL! There is no such thing as an "illegal" human being, only illegitimate laws and governments.

Daily, we resist deportations and detentions, we fight for justice in the workplace, we demand safe and secure housing, and we oppose racism and racial profiling. In contrast to the xenophobia promoted by the false "reasonable accommodation" debate in Quebec, we take to the streets to celebrate our collective struggles for justice and dignity in all its diversity and strength.

This year, we march through the streets of Cote-des-Neiges, a predominantly poor, working class and immigrant neighbourhood. Our march will mark the culmination of "Mayworks!", a festival of working class and immigrant culture, organized by the Immigrant Workers Center (IWC). Our march is also part of the Mayday tradition, as we celebrate the struggles of working people locally and throughout the world.

Join us -- with your friends, family, co-workers and neighbours -- on Sunday, May 4, and add your voice and presence to the growing numbers of people in Montreal and beyond who are demanding "STATUS FOR ALL!"

Immigrant rights are workers rights! No borders, no nations, stop the deportations!

INFO: sansfrontieres@resist.ca – 514-848-7583 – www.solidarityacrossborders.org

For background to previous migrant justice marches in Montreal (2003-2007), click HERE.
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ENDORSE & MOBILIZE!

We encourage your group and organization to endorse the May 4 "STATUS FOR ALL" demonstration, and to mobilize within your networks. If you endorse the demonstration, please let us know at sansfrontieres@resist.ca or 514-848-7583.

We also encourage you to announce the demonstration on your e-mail lists, blogs and websites, and at your meetings and events. If you would like to invite someone from Solidarity Across Borders to address your group, please get in touch! We can offer presentations about issues concerning migration, poverty and racism, ranging from 10 minutes to full 2-hour workshops.

If you need flyers and posters to mobilize within your networks, get in touch as well.


GET INVOLVED!

We encourage you to get involved in the organizing of the May 4 "STATUS FOR ALL" march and demonstration. We have an active OUTREACH committee that is meeting people door-to-door in the Cote-des-Neiges area, as well as actively flyering and postering throughout Montreal. As well, we have an ART committee that will be creating images and banners to carry our message during the demonstration. To get involved, e-mail sansfrontieres@resist.ca or phone 514-848-7583.


DONATE!

You can also support our efforts with a donation; whether $20, $50, $100 or more, your donation will help us meet our expenses. If you can donate, please make a cheque out to "Solidarité sans frontières" and send to the address below. Alternatively, to arrange cash donations, just contact us by e-mail or phone.

Cheques can be sent to:
Soldiarité sans frontières
c/o QPIRG-Concordia
1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest, #204
MONTREAL H3G 1N1


MAY 1st

Solidarity Across Borders is also endorsing the Anti-Capitalist Mayday demonstration, and encourages our allies to attend: Thursday, May 1st, 6pm, Corner of Ontario and Valois (metro Joliette). Info: 1erMai2008@gmail.com


INFO: sansfrontieres@resist.ca – 514-848-7583 - www.solidarityacrossborders.org

Read More......

4 MAI: UN STATUT POUR TOUS!

Justice pour les immigrants et les immigrantes
Non à la pauvreté, au racisme et au profilage racial

LE DIMANCHE 4 MAI à 12h30
Point de départ: au coin des rues Victoria et Van Horne à CÔTE-DES-NEIGES
(métro Plamondon, sortie Van Horne)



-> Bienvenue aux enfants!
-> Nourriture et breuvages sur place
-> Véhicules disponibles au besoin pour personnes à mobilité réduite

Dans le cadre des journées nationales d'action pour les droits des immigrants et immigrantes, Solidarité sans frontières prendra de nouveau les rues pour exiger la justice et la dignité pour toutes les personnes migrantes.

Nous marcherons en opposition aux déportations et aux détentions, et pour demander un STATUT POUR TOUTES ET TOUS! Nous marchons parce que, pour nous, il n'existe pas d'être humain qui soit "illégal": il n'y a que des lois injustes et des gouvernements illégitimes.

À tous les jours, nous luttons contre les déportations et les détentions, nous nous battons pour obtenir justice dans nos lieux de travail, nous revendiquons des logements sécuritaires et décents et nous nous opposons au racisme et au profilage racial. À mille lieux de la xénophobie promue par le soi-disant débat des "accommodements raisonnables", nous prendrons les rues pour fêter nos luttes collectives pour la justice et la dignité, dans toute leur diversité et leur force.

Cette année, nous marcherons à travers les rues de Côte-des-Neiges, un quartier majoritairement ouvrier et immigrant. Notre manifestation marquera le point culminant du festival Mai à l'oeuvre!, un festival de la culture ouvrière, organisé chaque année par le Centre des travailleurs et travailleuses immigrant-es de Montréal (IWC-CTI). Notre marche s'inscrit également dans la tradition du 1er mai, en hommage aux luttes menées par les travailleuses et les travailleurs partout dans le monde.

Soyez des nôtres! Amenez votre famille et vos ami-es, vos voisins, voisines et vos collègues de travail. Le dimanche 4 mai prochain, ajoutez votre voix et votre présence à celles d'un nombre grandissant d'individus à Montréal et ailleurs qui exigent un "STATUT POUR TOUTES ET TOUS!"

Immigrants, travailleurs, même combat! Ni frontières, ni prisons, arrêtons les déportations!

INFO: sansfrontieres@resist.ca – 514 848-7583 - www.solidaritesansfrontieres.org

Pour en savoir plus sur des marches passées pour les droits des immigrants (2003-2007), cliquez ICI.
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APPUYEZ LA MARCHE ET MOBILISEZ-VOUS!

Nous invitons tous les groupes à endosser la marche "UN STATUT POUR TOUTES ET TOUS" et à mobiliser leurs réseaux. Si votre groupe ou organisme désire endosser la manifestation, veuillez écrire à sansfrontieres@resist.ca

Nous vous encourageons également à annoncer la manifestation sur vos listes de diffusion, blogues, sites Internet et lors de vos réunions et événements. Si vous désirez inviter un-e membre de Solidarité sans frontières dans une de vos rencontres, n'hésitez pas à nous contacter. Nous pouvons faire des présentations sur des enjeux reliés à l'immigration, à la pauvreté, au racisme, et plus encore. Ces présentations peuvent durer de 10 minutes à 2 heures (pour un atelier complet).

Contactez-nous également si vous avez besoin de tracts et d'affiches pour mobiliser.


IMPLIQUEZ-VOUS!

Nous sommes à la recherche de personnes qui désirent s'impliquer dans l'organisation de la manifestation du 4 mai. Nous avons un comité de MOBILISATION très actif, qui fait présentement du porte-à-porte dans Côte-des-Neiges et de l'affichage et de la diffusion partout à Montréal. Nous avons également un Comité ART qui fabrique des bannières et des images pour porter notre message durant la manifestation. Pour vous impliquer, envoyez un courriel à sansfrontieres@resist.ca ou appelez-nous au 514 848-7583.


APPUYEZ-NOUS FINANCIÈREMENT

Vous pouvez également nous aider en nous appuyant financièrement. Que ce soit $20, $50, $100 ou plus, votre don nous aidera à défrayer les coûts de cet événement. Si vous voulez contribuer, veuillez faire un chèque à l'ordre de "Solidarité sans frontières" et nous le faire parvenir à l'adresse ci-dessous. Pour des dons en argent comptant, contactez-nous par courriel ou par téléphone.

Les chèques peuvent être envoyés à:
Solidiarité sans frontières
a/s GRIP-Concordia
1500 De Maisonneuve Ouest, bureau 204
Montréal, Qc. H3G 1N1


1ER MAI

Solidarité sans frontières endosse également la Manifestation anti-capitaliste du 1er mai, et nous vous encourageons à y assister. La manifestation aura lieu le jeudi 1er mai à 18 heures, au coin des rues Ontario et Valois (métro Joliette). 1erMai2008@gmail.com.

Read More......

(28 mars) Terre et liberté! Land and Freedom! (March 28)

TERRE ET LIBERTÉ
Manifestation pour une agriculture juste, écologique et solidaire
Vendredi 28 mars 2008 15h
Devant les bureaux de Jean Charest (coin McGill et Sherbrooke)


LAND AND FREEDOM!
A Demonstration for justice, solidarity and ecology in agriculture
Friday, March 28th, 2008at 3pm
In Front of the office of Jean Charest (corner McGill and Sherbrooke)

[English below]

Après plus d’une année de consultation à travers le Québec, la Commission pour l’avenir de l’agriculture et l’agroalimentaire (CAAAQ) a déposé son rapport en février. Ce rapport remet en question le modèle d’agriculture que l’État québécois privilégie et le gouvernement semble vouloir le reléguer à un fond de tiroir. Profitons du dépôt du rapport pour nous faire entendre et ne laissons pas les propositions issues de la passer sous silence!

Que fait notre gouvernement par rapport à l’agriculture ? Les politiques agricoles en place au Québec sont basés sur une vision industrielle de l’agriculture. Plutôt que d’aider les communautés locales à développer une agriculture écologique répondant à leurs besoins, elles servent les intérêts des grandes corporations qui n’ont aucun respect pour la terre et les vies humaines. Partout sur la planète, ce modèle d’agriculture brime le droit à l’autodétermination des peuples et des collectivités. Partout aussi, une résistance se forme pour défendre le droit à la terre et la liberté. Au Mexique, les zapatistes se sont opposés à la signature de l’ALENA qui niait leur droit à posséder la terre collectivement. En Inde, en Amérique du Sud et en Europe, des groupes se sont formés pour détruire des champs d’OGM.

Alors qu’il en a l’occasion suite au rapport de la CAAAQ, le gouvernement québécois refuse de revoir le modèle d’agriculture qu’il préconise. Pourtant il ne fait aucun doute que l’agriculture est en crise écologique, sociale et économique. La concentration des fermes est de plus en plus importantes, les cours d’eau sont en piètres états et plus d’une région est traversée par des conflits notamment par rapport aux porcheries.

Bien que nous ne soyons pas dupes des manigances pseudo-démocratiques de nos gouvernements, nous croyons que le rapport de la CAAAQ contient un ensemble de recommandations bénéfiques pour l’agriculture.Dans cette perspective, nous demandons :

1. l’abolition du monopole syndical de l’UPA
2. la mise en place d’un financement public favorisant les petites fermes écologiques
3. l'interdiction de l’usage des OGM, des pesticides de synthèse et des hormones de croissances
4. le respect des droits et la justice pour tou-te-s les travailleuses et travailleurs migrant-e-s et la régularisation de toutes les personnes sans-status.

Nous reconnaissons par ailleurs que le Québec et le Canadasont basés sur le vol de la terre des communautés autochtones. Notre travailest en solidarité avec les luttes autochtones dans le cadre d’un mouvement global pour l’autodétermination des peuples et collectivités, ici commeailleurs.

Terre et liberté !
Manifestation pour une agriculture juste, écologique et solidaire
Vendredi 28 mars 2007 15h
Devant les bureaux de Jean Charest (coin McGill et Sherbrooke)

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Land and freedom
A Demonstration for justice, solidarity and ecology in agriculture
Friday, March 28th, 2008at 3pm
In Front of the office of Jean Charest (corner McGill and Sherbrooke)

[Endorsed by No One Is Illegal-Montreal]

After more than a year of consultations across Québec, “la Commission pour l’avenir de l’agriculture et l’agroalimentaire” (CAAAQ) released its report this February. The report confronts the actions and policies of the Quebec government regarding agriculture and suggests major changes. Since its release the government has refuted its recommendations and attempted to silence the serious concerns it raises. We will not let these concerns and recommendations go unheard!

What is our government doing in relation to agriculture? Quebec's current agricultural policies prioritize industrial practices. Instead of supporting local communities develop an agriculture that responds to their needs, these policies are designed to serve the interests of corporations, who have no respect for the earth or human life. Across the world, this model of agriculture has displaced entire communities and is undermining the basic self-determination of people. In the face of this reality, people all over the planet are engaging in resistance and fighting for their land and freedom. In Mexico, the Zapatistas continue to show their opposition the NAFTA (North American Free TradeAgreement), which favors large-scale industrial agriculture over the rights of communities to own and work land collectively. In India, South America and Europe, people have come together in protest, to destroy whole crops of genetically modified plants.

Despite the progressive recommendations of the CAAAQ the government continues to refuse reconsidering its current model of agriculture. This reaction comes, in spiteof the clear fact, that agriculture is experiencing an ecological, social andeconomic crisis. Some examples of this reality are: the marginalization of small farms by ever expanding industrial farms, the increasing pollution of rivers and lakes by toxic run-off from industrial farming and conflicts - most notably surrounding the issue of pigfarms – that are springing up in various regions.

Although, we are conscious of the illegitimacy of our pseudo-democratic government and its various arms, we do believe that the recommendations issued by the CAAAQ are helpful. In this light, we demand:

1. The abolition of the unionization monopoly held by UPA (AgriculturalProducers Union of Quebec).
2. A restructuring of agricultural subsidies, in favor of small-scale organic farms over large-scale industrial farms.
3. A ban on the use of GMOs, synthetic pesticides and growth hormones.
4. Respect for the rights of, and justice for all migrant workers as well as the full regularization of all on-status people.

We recognize that the lands we know as Quebec and Canada are stolen lands.
As part of a global movement for self-determination our work is rooted in support and solidarity with indigenous struggles. Land and freedom!

Land and freedom
A Demonstration for justice, solidarity and ecology in agriculture
Friday, March 28th, 2008 at 3pm
In Front of the office of Jean Charest (corner McGill and Sherbrooke)

Read More......

An open letter by Ivan Apaolaza Sancho

My name is Ivan Apaolaza Sancho, I am a graduate in sociology and my nationality is Basque. I have been detained at the Rivières-des-Prairies detention centre in Montreal since June 29th 2007 on the basis of an arrest warrant issued by the Spanish state (and with the help of Immigration Canada). This is a Spanish state that during all of my deportation proceedings has presented no evidence whatsoever against me, only accusations—accusation which I deny, a state that seeks my deportation based on the principle that accusations are evidence, and on an conception of justice founded not on the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty but rather than one is guilty until innocence is proven.

[News compilation linked HERE.]

In December of 2007, my lawyers filed a motion seeking the dismissal of the deportation proceedings against me in light of the total absence of evidence presented. Although the commissioner presiding over my case had initially agreed to do so, he refused to even rule on the motion after having received our arguments and those of the Minister.

If I am deported, I will be placed in the hands of the Spanish police or of the Civil Guard, both being forces with a sad record of torture, torture which has been denounced each year (including 2007) by Amnesty International, and which has been decried by the UN Special Rapporteur. For example, last week a young Basque named Igor Porto found himself in the intensive care until of the San Sebastien hospital with several broken ribs and a punctured lung after having passed through the hands of the Civil Guard.

The Spanish judicial system permits incommunicado detention in police custody for five days, without the right to a lawyer, to a trustworthy doctor or to communication with one’s family. The Anti-Terrorist Law that permits such detention clearly violates basic principles of international human rights law and has been denounced by the majority of parties and social movements in the Basque country.

The U.S. has its infamous PATRIOT Act, and in Spain there is the Anti-Terrorist Law and the Political Parties Law. These laws have permitted the closure of newspapers, the banning of political parties and the imprisonment of persons for the simple reason that that are Basque and pro-independence—laws which make you a member of the ETA when you don’t even know you’re a member, laws which allowed a judge to justify the closure of EGIN (the newspaper with the second largest circulation in the Basque country) by stating that “there is no lack of evidence to justice the shutdown of EGIN, all you have to do is read it”, laws which transform pro-independence Basques directly into terrorists, where people are not judged for their unlawful acts but for their ideas.

In response to this situation, the city council of my home town has passed resolutions asking Canada to grant me political asylum and to liberate me, and my neighbours in the Basque country have already gathered over 2,000 signatures on a petition with the same demands.

I will also take advantage of this opportunity to denounce the conditions that were imposed on my here in Rivières-des-Prairies. For six months, I was in the most restriction section of the prison, without the right to participate in any activities. I had only one hour a day in the courtyard, no gym, no studies, nothing. This is a regime where calling my family in the Basque country was a privilege not a right, where I was not permitted to embrace my family who had come to visit me all the way from the Basque country, and where it still takes two months for my mail to come through.

I have lived in Canada and in Quebec for almost seven years without having any problems, working as a carpenter. It’s true that I assumed another name in order to work and to live, but I did so out of fear of exactly what is happening to me now. Fully aware of what happened to Gorka Salazar Perea and Eduardo Plagaro Perez de Arrilucea, who were extradited to Spain in 2005 and who are still in prison for crimes they did not commit, I did not want to become another Basque political prisoner in Canada. That is what I am today.

All I ask is to be able to stay here, to live peacefully, without fear of reprisals from the Spanish government because I am Basque and pro-independence.

Centre de Détention Rivière-des-Prairies
March 2008 -- MONTREAL

Read More......

Une lettre ouverte d'Ivan Apaolaza Sancho

Je m’appelle Ivan Apaolaza Sancho, diplômé en sociologie, de nationalité Basque. Je suis détenu au Centre de détention de Rivières-des-Prairies depuis le 20 juin 2007 en vertu d’un ordre d’arrestation de l’état espagnol (avec l’aide du Ministère de l’immigration du Canada). Un état espagnol qui durant tout mon processus de déportation n’a présenté aucune preuve contre moi, seulement les accusations—accusations que je nie. Un état qui cherche mon expulsion en se fondant sur le dire que des accusations sont des preuves, sur une idée de justice basée non sur le droit d’être innocent jusqu’as ce qu’on démontre le contraire sinon qu’on est coupable jusqu’à ce qu’on prouve son innocence.


[Compilation des nouvelles ICI.]

En décembre 2007, mes avocats ont déposé une requête demandant le rejet des procédures de déportation à cause de l’absence totale de preuve. Bien que le commissaire en charge de mon cas ait accepté initialement de statuer sur la requête, après avoir reçu nos arguments et celles du Ministre, il a refusé de le faire.

Si je suis déporté, je serais remis entre les mains de la Police espagnole ou de la Garde Civile, des corps avec un triste parcours de torture, tortures qui sont dénoncées chaque année (l’année 2007 inclut) par Amnistie internationale, tortures que le Rapporteur Spécial de l’ONU a dénoncées. Comme exemple, la semaine passé un jeune basque, Igor Porto, s’est retrouvé à l’unité des soins intensifs de l’hôpital de San Sebastian avec plusieurs côtes cassées et un poumon perforé après avoir passé par les mains de la Garde Civile.

Le système judiciaire espagnol permet la détention incommunicado pour cinq jours aux mains de la police sans droit à l’avocat ni à un médecin de confiance ni de contacte avec la famille. Cette loi anti-terroriste viole clairement les principes de base du droit international en matière de droits de la personne et est dénoncée par la majorité des partis et des mouvements sociaux du pays Basque.

Les Etats-Unis a sa tristement célèbre PATRIOT Act, Duplessis avait sa Loi du Cadenas, Trudeau la Loi des Mesures de Guerre, et en Espagne il y a la loi anti-terroriste et la loi des partis politiques. Ces lois ont permis la fermeture de journaux, d’interdire des partis politiques et d’emprisonner des personnes pour le simple fait d’être des indépendantistes Basques, des lois qui te rendent membre de l’ETA sans que tu saches toi-même que t’es membre, des lois qui permettent à un juge de défendre la fermeture d’EGIN, le deuxième journal au pays Basque, en disant « que pour fermer EGIN il ne manque pas de preuve, il suffit de le lire », des lois qui transforment des indépendantistes Basques directement en terroristes, où on ne juge pas des personnes pour des actes délictuels sinon que pour des idées.

Face à cette situation, le conseil municipal de ma ville natale a passé des résolutions demande au Canada de m’octroyer l’asile politique et de me libérer et mes voisins au pays Basque ont déjà ramassé plus que 2,000 signatures sur une pétition avec les mêmes demandes.

Je profite aussi de cette opportunité pour dénoncer le régime de vie qui m’a été imposé à Rivières-des-Prairies pendant six mois. J’étais au secteur le plus restrictif au centre de détention, sans droit à aucune activité. Je n’ai eu qu’une heure à la cour par jour, aucun gymnase, aucun études, rien. Un régime où appeler ma famille au pays Basques n’était pas un droit sinon un privilège, un régime qui ne m’a pas permis d’embrasser mes parents qui sont venu me voir depuis l’Europe et où ça prend toujours deux mois avant de recevoir mon courrier.

J’ai vécu au Canada et au Québec pour presque sept ans sans avoir de problèmes, travaillant comme menuisier. C’est vrai que j’ai assumé un nom d’emprunt afin de vivre et travailler ici, mais j’ai dû le faire parce que je craignais précisément ce qui m’arrive actuellement. Bien au courrant de ce qui s’est passé à Gorka Salazar Perea et Eduardo Plagaro Perez de Arrilucea, qui ont été extradés en Espagne en 2005 et qui sont toujours en prison pour des crimes qu’ils n’ont pas commis, je ne voulais pas devenir un autre prisonnier politique Basque au Canada. C’est ce que je suis aujourd’hui.

Tout ce que je demande, c’est de pouvoir rester ici, pour vivre tranquille sans craindre les représailles du gouvernement espagnol parce que je suis Basque et indépendantiste.

Centre de Détention Rivière-des-Prairies
Mars 2008 -- Montréal

Read More......

Radio Personne n'est illégal (mars 2008)

RADIO PERSONNE N'EST ILLÉGAL fait partie d’un mouvement mondial de résistance et de lutte collective pour l’autodétermination des personnes migrantes et des peuples autochtones. Dans l'édition du mois de mars 2008 de Radio Personne n'est illégal, on entend :

-> Abdelaziz Chaami du Mouvement des Indigènes de la République, de Lyon en France ;
-> Latifa Charkaoui nous parle de la conférence qui s'est tenue à Montréal lors de la Journée internationale de la femme;
-> Adil Charkaoui, l'une des cinq personnes soumises à un « certificat de sécurité » explique en profondeur de la « nouvelle » loi sur ces certificats;
-> Nazila Bettache, membre de Personne n'est illégal-Montréal, présente la série ateliers « Accommode donc ça »organisée à Montréal.


ÉCOUTEZ l'édition de mars 2008 de RADIO PERSONNE N'EST ILLÉGAL ICI.


-- Le mouvement des Indigènes de la République --

Le mouvement des Indigènes de la République est un mouvement autonome, anticolonial et antiraciste lancé en janvier 2005. Il se veut une réponse à l'état français, aux politiques et à l'attitude raciste de la société française envers les personnes marginalisées, arabes, Africaines ou de religion musulmane.

Dans cette édition 2008 de RADIO Personne n'est illégal, vous pouvez entendre ABDELAZIZ CHAAMBI, un membre actif du Mouvement des Indigènes de la République. Il nous parle de Lyon en France.

Dans cette entrevue en trois parties il aborde les aspects suivants: les motifs qui ont mené à la création du mouvement; les raisons d'employer le terme « Indigènes »; l'union entre les noirs, les arabes et les populations musulmanes; la fracture entre les luttes contre antisémitisme et l'islamophobie; l'affaire Ilan Halimi et les doubles mesures en ce qui concerne le racisme en France; le bannissement du hijab en France; les luttes internes contre l'oppression au sein des communautés marginalisées; l'attitude indigène face aux Français de gauche; le concept d'état et des frontières nationales; et plus.

Pour plus d'information : http://www.indigenes-republique.org


-- La continuité des luttes contre les procès secrets et les certificats de sécurité --

En février dernier la nouvelle loi sur les certificats de sécurité du gouvernement canadien est entrée en vigueur afin de répondre à la précédente loi jugée inconstitutionnelle par la Cour Suprême. La nouvelle loi permet toujours l'emploi de preuves cachées et de procès secrets et ne change rien à l'injustice fondamentale du processus des certificats de sécurité qui permet la détention d'individus sur la base de soupçons, sans leur accorder leur droit à un procès juste et équitable et sans la possibilité de se défendre contre des allégations non prouvées.

Ce mois-ci dans notre émission, nous entendrons LATIFA CHARKAOUI, la mère d'Adil Charkaoui, qui a pris la parole lors de la journée internationale de la femme durant la conférence organisée le 1er mars dernier par le groupe Femmes de diverses origines. Dans son touchant message, elle parle de ce que vit et endure sa famille dans ce contexte de certificat de sécurité. Une situation qui a transformé les membres de la famille en prisonniers. Elle récite aussi « Le bracelet », le texte d'un dialogue imaginaire, rédigé par Adil Charkaoui pour expliquer à son fils ce qu'est le bracelet GPS qu'il est contraint de porter à sa cheville comme condition pour sa sortie de prison.

AUSSI nous vous présentons une interview exclusive avec ADIL CHARKAOUI qui est soumis à un certificat de sécurité depuis le mois de mai 2003 et surveillé par l'état depuis près d'une décennie. Dans cette interview, Adil parle de la nouvelle loi sur les certificats de sécurité, des avocats spéciaux, du défi légal que lui fait subir cette nouvelle loi, de ses conditions de « libération », des ses réactions face aux allégations sans preuve portée contre lui sur le site internet de la Cour fédéral, de l'utilisation des certificats de sécurité pour justifier la « guerre au terrorisme », et plus encore.

Pour plus d'information : http://www.adilinfo.org
« Le bracelet » est en ligne au : http://www.adilinfo.org/fr/node/277


-- « Accommode donc ça », une réponse antiraciste au débat sur les accommodements raisonnables --

La mobilisation continue contre le racisme, le sexisme et la xénophobie présents au Québec par l'entremise du débat sur les accommodements raisonnables et de la Commission Bouchard-Taylor. Dans notre émission du mois de mars et dans le cadre de la semaine contre le racisme, la campagne « Accommode donc ça » a organisé une série d'ateliers et de discussions et a élaboré un contre rapport à la Commission Bouchard-Taylor. Nous parlons avec NAZILA BETTACHE, une membre de Personne n'est illégal-Montréal, et organisatrice de la campagne antiraciste « Accommode donc ça ».

Pour plus d'information:
Un archive les articles de blogue de Personne n'est illégal est disponible ICI.
Déclaration de Personne n'est illégal sur les accommodements raisonnables.


ÉCOUTEZ l'édition de mars 2008 de RADIO PERSONNE N'EST ILLÉGAL ICI.


RADIO PERSONNE N'EST ILLÉGAL est diffusée en direct les premiers jeudis de tous les mois, entre 17h et 18h (Heure de l'Est), dans le cadre d’« Off the Hour ». L'émission est produite en collaboration avec le collectif des nouvelles de la radio CKUT, 90,3 FM à Montréal. Elle est accessible sur internet au www.ckut.ca.

Si vous êtes intéressé à rediffuser nos émissions ou nos interviews, s'il vous plaît contactez-nous à nooneisillegal@gmail.com

Les communautés et les stations de radios alternatives à travers l'Amérique rediffusent des extraits des programmes mensuels de RADIO PERSONNE N'EST ILLÉGAL.

Les émissions sont archivées et accessibles ICI.

Personne n'est illégal-Montréal fait partie d'un mouvement mondial de résistance, luttant pour la justice et la dignité et le droit à l'autodétermination des personnes migrantes, des réfugiés et des peuples autochtones. Notre campagne est une confrontation publique avec l'état canadien pour dénoncer et agir pour combattre le profilage racial, la brutalité policière, les détentions et les déportations. Nous s'opposons aussi au déplacement et au génocide des peuples autochtones sur « l'île de la Tortue ».

Syntonisez RADIO PERSONNE N'EST ILLÉGAL, en direct, le premier jeudi de chaque mois, de 17h à 18h, dans le cadre d’« Off the Hour » sur les ondes de CKUT
-> Vous pouvez nous écouter au 90,3 FM dans la région de Montréal ;
-> Vous pouvez nous écouter partout, sur internat au www.ckut.ca ;
-> Si vous êtes intéressé à rediffuser nos émissions, s'il vous plaît contactez-nous.

Information : 514-848-7583 -- nooneisillegal@gmail.com
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com

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No One Is Illegal Radio (March 2008)

No One Is Illegal Radio reports about the frontline struggles for justice, dignity and self-determination by migrants, refugees and indigenous peoples. This month's edition of No One Is Illegal is entirely in French; below is a description, in English of the show's content. The French text is linked HERE.

On this month's edition of No One Is Illegal Radio:
-> Abdelaziz Chaambi, of the anti-colonial Mouvement des Indigènes de la république, from Lyon, France
-> Latifa Charkaoui, speaking from the International Women's Day Conference in Montreal
-> Adil Charkaoui, one of five persons under a "security certificate", speaking at length about the "new" security certificate law
-> Nazila Bettache, member of No One Is Illegal-Montreal, speaking about the Accommodate This! workshop series in Montreal.


LISTEN to the March 2008 edition of No One Is Illegal Radio HERE.

-- Le mouvement des Indigènes de la république --

'Le mouvement des Indigènes' was launched in January 2005, as an autonomous anti-colonial and anti-racist response to the French state and society's policies and attitudes towards marginalized Arab, African and Muslim populations. On this month's edition of No One Is Illegal, we hear from ABDELAZIZ CHAAMBI, an active member of 'Le mouvement des Indigènes', from Lyon, France.

In this three-part interview, Abdelaziz addresses the following topics: the underlying motivations for the creation of 'le mouvement des Indigènes'; the use of the term 'indigènes'; the unity between black, Arab and Muslim populations; the fractured unity between struggles against anti-Semitism and Islamophobia; the Ilan Halimi Affair and racist double-standards in France; the ban on the hijab in France; the internal struggle against oppression within marginalized communities; the Indigènes attitude toward the 'French' left; the concept of the 'state' and national borders; and more.

For more info: http://www.indigenes-republique.org


-- The continuing struggle against secret trials and security certificates --

This past February, the Canadian government put into effect a "new" security certificate law, in response to the previous law being declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The new law still allows for secret evidence and secret trials, and does not address the fundamental unfairnes of the security certificate process, which allows for individuals to be detained and put under suspicion without the basic right to a fair and free trial., and without any ability to challenge the unproven allegations.

On this month's show, we hear from LATIFA CHARKAOUI, mother of Adil Charkaoui, who spoke at an International Women's Day conference organized by the Women of Diverse Origins group in Montreal on March 1st. In her moving speech, she speaks about
the conditions endured by her family under a security certificate, which transforms family members into jailers. She also recites a story called 'The Bracelet', which is an imagined dialogue, written by Adil Charkaoui, between himself and his young son concerning the GPS tracking bracelet he is forced to wear on his ankle as a condition of release from prison.

As well, we have an exclusive extended audio interview with ADIL CHARKAOUI, who has been under a security certificate since May 2003, and under state surveillance for almost a decade. In this interview, Adil addresses the new security certificate law, special advocates, his legal challenge to the new law, his current conditions of "release", his reaction to the publication of unproved allegations against him on the website of the Federal Court; the use of security certificates to justify the "war on terror", and more.

For more info: http://www.adilinfo.org
"The Bracelet" is linked at: http://www.adilinfo.org/en/node/281


-- Accommodate This! An anti-racist response to the reasonable accommodation debate --

The organizing against the racism, sexism and xenophobia inherent in Quebec's 'reasonable accommodation' debate, and the related Bouchard-Taylor Commission, continues. In the month of March, as part a week of actions against racism, the "Accommodate This!" campaign has organized a series or discussions and workshops, as well as putting together a counter-report to the Bouchard-Taylor Commission. We speak with NAZILA BETTACHE, a member of No One Is Illegal-Montreal, and an organizer of the Accommodate This! anti-racist series.

For more info:
No One Is Illegal-Montreal archive on "reasonable accommodation" is linked HERE.
No One Is Illegal Statement on "Reasonable Accommodation"


LISTEN to the March 2008 edition of No One Is Illegal Radio HERE.

No One Is Illegal Radio broadcasts live on the first Thursday of every month, from 5-6pm (EST), as part of "Off the Hour", produced in collaboration with the community news collective at CKUT. We're at 90.3 FM in Montreal, and www.ckut.ca on the web.

--> If you are interested in re-broadcasting our programs or interviews, please get in touch at nooneisillegal@gmail.com
Community and alternative stations across North America re-broadcast excerpts of No One Is Illegal Radio monthly.

--> No One Is Illegal Radio's shows are archived HERE.

No One Is Illegal-Montreal is part of a worldwide movement of resistance, fighting for justice and dignity, and the right to self-determination for migrants, refugees and indigenous people. Our campaign is in public confrontation with the Canadian state, denouncing and taking action to combat racial profiling, police brutality, detentions and deportations, as well as opposing the displacement and genocide of indigenous peoples on Turtle Island.

Tune-in live to No One Is Illegal Radio on the 1st Thursday of every month, from 5-6pm, as part of CKUT's "Off The Hour".
--> You can listen live in the MONTREAL-area at 90.3FM.
--> You can listen ANYWHERE online at www.ckut.ca
--> If you are interested in re-broadcasting our programs or interviews, please get in touch.

INFO: 514-848-7583 -- nooneisillegal@gmail.com
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com

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STELLA: 13ème Anniversaire/13th Anniversary

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Forum Communautaire: ACCOMMODE DONC ÇA!

… Lancement du Contre-Rapport "Accommode donc ça!"
… Dans le cadre de la semaine d'activités contre le racisme et le sexisme

JEUDI, 20 MARS, 18H
À L'Alizé, 900 Ontario Est (coin St André)
Métro Berri-UQAM
Contribution volontaire

Avec des performances live de:
Kalmunity Vibe Collective & Jonathan Emile du groupe Île City

Poètes-Artistes:
23 (tu-three) & Aliyah (aka TruTh)

PLUS: des photos, vidéos, témoignages et présentations basés sur le Contre-Rapport "Accommode donc ça!"

Le Souper commencera à 18h.

Le Contre-Rapport "Accommode donc ça!" est une collection de témoignages, d'articles, de lettres, de discussions, de photos, de vidéos, et plus. C'est un document qui recueille les voix et les actions des communautés migrantes et racisées, dénonçant le racisme, le sexisme, et toutes les formes de marginalisation et d'exploitation.

Contrairement au Rapport de la Commission Bouchard-Taylor, qui légitimise la xénophobie, le contre-rapport "Accommode donc ça!" aborde les véritables enjeux qui affectent nos communautés, et est inspiré de nos luttes quotidiennes, pour la survie, la justice et la dignité.

--> Nous encourageons nos amiEs et alliéEs à assister à ce forum communautaire unique, alors que nous développons plus de force dans les luttes que nous partageons contre l'oppression. <--

Organisé par la Campagne Accommode donc ça!
INFO: nooneisillegal@gmail.com - 514-398-3323
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com
----------

PLUS D'INFOS:

Le Contre-Rapport "Accommode donc ça!" sera lancé dans un format "surprise"! Le rapport aborde la lutte contre l'oppression raciste et sexiste, ainsi que la lutte pour la justice sociale et la dignité, inspirés de notre travail militant au quotidien. Quelques éléments de son contenu:

- Des réponses au "débat sur les Accommodements Raisonnables" et à la Commission Bouchard-Taylor, notamment des déclarations, des interviews, des extraits audio, des poèmes et plus.

- Des analyses à propos du "débat sur les Accommodements Raisonnables", par Personne N'est Illégal-Montréal, Le Centre des Travailleurs et Travailleuses ImmigrantEs, l'Institut Simone de Beauvoir, et d'autres.

- Des références sur les thèmes "Sexe, Race et Identité Religieuse" et "Violence sexiste étatique et interpersonnelle", tirées de la série d'ateliers "Accommode donc ça!"

- Des interviews et extraits audio de la Journée Internationale des Femmes, ainsi que des manifestations contre la Commission Bouchard-Taylor à Montréal.

- Poésie : "Hurray for Herouxville!" et plus...

- Une Histoire des Actions menées dans le cadre de la Justice pour les MigrantEs à Montréal (2003-2007) en vidéo, audio et texte, notamment: "Reprendre les jours: pas à pas vers Ottawa" (2005), sur la marche Personne N'est Illégal de Montréal à Ottawa. "This is Solidarity" (2007), sur le Campement Sans Frontières, tenu au Centre de Détention Laval. Extraits vidéo de la Commission Populaire sur les Mesures de Sécurité en Immigration (2005), et des courts, des Les Lucioles, Volatile Works et Solidarité Sans Frontières.

- Des photo-reportages sur les actions militantes et la résistance à Montréal!

Et plus!

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Community Forum: ACCOMMODATE THIS!

… Launch of "Accommodate this!" Counter-Report
… Part of a week of activities against racism and sexism

THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 6pm
At L'Alizé, 900 Ontario East (corner St André)
Métro Berri-UQAM
By donation; pay-what-you-can.


Featuring live performances by:
Kalmunity Vibe Collective & Jonathan Emile from Île City

Spoken Word Artists:
23 (tu-three) & Aliyah (aka TruTh)

AND: photos, videos, testimonies and presentations from the "Accommodate This!" Counter-Report.

Dinner begins at 6pm.


The "Accommodate This!" Counter-Report is a collection of testimonies, articles, analysis, letters, discussions, narratives, photos, videos and more. It is a document of the voices and organizing of migrant and racialized communities, speaking out against racism, sexism and all forms of marginalization and exploitation.

In contrast to the delayed Bouchard-Taylor Commission Report, which validates xenophobia, the "Accommodate This!" counter-report talks about the real issues affecting our communities, rooted in our day-to-day struggles for survival, justice and dignity.

--> We encourage all friends and allies to attend this unique Community Forum, as we draw strength from our shared struggles against oppression. <--

Organized by the Accommodate This! Campaign.
INFO: nooneisillegal@gmail.com - 514-398-3323
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com
----------

MORE INFO:

The "Accommodate This!" Counter-Report will be launched in a special "surprise" format! The report addresses the fight against racist and sexist oppression, and the struggle for social justice and dignity, rooted in our day-to-day organizing. Some of the content includes:

- Grassroots responses to the "Reasonable Accommodation" debate and the Bouchard-Taylor Commission, including statements, interviews, audio excerpts, spoken word pieces and more.

- Analysis on the "reasonable accommodation" debate, by No One Is Illegal-Montreal, the Immigrant Workers Center, the Simone de Beauvoir Institute and others.

- Readers on "Gender, Race and Religious Identity" and "State and Interpersonal Gender Violence", from the "Accommodate this!" workshop series.

- Audio interviews from International Women's Day, and recent protests against the Bouchard-Taylor Commission in Montreal.

- Spoken word: "Hurray for Herouxville!" and more.

- A History of Migrant Justice Actions in Montreal (2003-2007) in videos, audio and text, including: "Take Back the Days" (2005) about the No One Is Illegal March on Ottawa; "This is Solidarity" (2007) about the No Border Camp outside the Laval Detention Center; video excerpts from the People's Commission on Immigration "Security" Measures (2005),;and video shorts by Les Lucioles, Volatile Works and Solidarity Across Borders.

- Photo Reports on organizing and resistance in Montreal.

And more!

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Résistance Visuelle!

RÉSISTANCE VISUELLE
Exposition photo + affiches
Du 1er au 27 avril

Vernissage :
Jeudi 3 avril
16h à 19h

le Divan Orange
4234 St-Laurent

Le Projet accompagnement solidarité Colombie (PASC) vous invite au vernissage et à l'exposition tout au long d'avril, présentant des photos et affiches comme moyen d'expression et de compréhension des luttes anti-colonialistes à travers les Amériques.

Présentations:

- Le PASC va partager les histoires et les luttes de communautés paysannes colombiennes en résistance contre la violence étatique au service du développement capitaliste.

- Personne n'est illégal – Montréal va présenter une analyse des intersections entre migration, racisme et Apartheid.

- Le Collectif de la Ruche vous invite à participer dans une exploration de l'affiche du Plan Colombie et des connections entre le colonialisme, la militarisation et l'exploitation des ressources naturelles.

Traduction vers le français, l'anglais et l'espagnol.
Une co-présentation de CKUT
Contact : 514.966.8421 - info@pasc.ca

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Visual Resistance!

VISUAL RESISTANCE
Photo and Poster Exhibition
April 1st to 27th

Vernissage:
Thursday, April 3rd
4 PM to 7 PM

@ Le Divan Orange
4234 St-Laurent

Project Accompaniment Solidarity Colombia (PASC) invites you to a teach-in and vernissage to mark the opening of a month long exhibition presenting photos and posters as a means of expressing and understanding anti-colonialist struggles across the Americas.


Presentations:

- PASC will share the stories and struggles of Colombian peasant communities in civil resistance against State violence for capitalist expansion.

- No One Is Illegal – Montreal will present an analysis of the intersections between migration, racism and Apartheid.

- The Beehive Collective invites you to participate in an exploration of the Plan Colombia poster and the connections between colonization, militarization and resource extraction.


Translation for French, English and Spanish.

This is a CKUT co-presentation.

Contact:
514-966-8421 - info@pasc.ca

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Mohamed Bennis wants coroner's reports made public

Father of man shot by police officer wants coroner's report made public

The Gazette - Friday, March 14, 2008

It's now more than two years since his son was shot to death by a Montreal police officer in front of a Côte des Neiges mosque.

Mohamed Bennis says he is over the mourning period for his son, Mohamed Anas Bennis, but feels it is his right to see the police and coroner's reports so he knows exactly what happened.

So far this request has been denied, and he has only received verbal reports.

Montreal police say one of their officers shot Bennis, 25, after he attacked him with a knife, slashing him in the neck and the leg on Kent Ave. in Côte des Neiges during a police operation.

Bennis, who has no criminal record, was walking home after morning prayers at the mosque.

A financial consultant living in Casablanca, Mohamed Bennis has hired Montreal lawyer Alain Arsenault to write to Justice Minister Jacques Dupuis and the Quebec Coroner's Office to formally request copies of the reports.

His suspicion, Bennis told a news conference yesterday sponsored by groups opposed to police brutality, is that his son was shot because he was bearded, dressed as a devout Muslim and was caught in an anti-terrorist operation and mistaken for one.

A Gazette story December 3, 2005 reported the officer who shot Bennis was assisting in a Sûreté du Québec operation involving a fraud ring.

Arsenault said he will ask that a public inquiry be held so the circumstances of Bennis's death can be examined.

"We want to look at the degree of legitimate force used," he said.

"Was it not possible to use other methods?" he asked.

As for the knife Bennis allegedly used to attack an officer, Arsenault wants to know if fingerprints were lifted from it, and if the blood found there matched that of the officer.

"Apparently there were no fingerprints on the knife. How come?" Arsenault asked.

"Unless there is a public coroner's inquest, there will always be doubts."

Arsenault said there are two versions why the father was not allowed to see copies of the various reports.

One is that the police report contains confidential information on the police operation.

"Can we get a copy of the report without these confidential items?" he asked.

The other reason is that since nobody faces criminal charges, this type of report is not made public to protect privacy. Arsenault rejects this argument.

"A man has died in connection with a police operation and in my opinion there should always be a public coroner's inquest."

"Right now all we have are hypotheses."

Justice Minister Jacques Dupuis would not comment on any aspect of the case, said his press aide, Philippe Archambault.

The family of Mohamed Anas Bennis is supporting a 3 p.m. protest against police brutality tomorrow at Berri and Ste. Catherine Sts.

[Original article linked HERE.]

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Why We Resist the 2010 Winter Olympics

The Olympics are not about the human spirit & have little to do with athletic excellence; they are a multi-billion dollar industry backed by powerful elites, real estate, construction, hotel, tourism and television corporations, working hand in hand with their partners in crime: government officials & members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).



10 Reasons to Resist the 2010 Olympics
by Zig-Zag

1. Colonialism & Fascism

The modern Olympics have a long history of racism, from its early founding
members (i.e., Pierre de Coubertin, a French Baron who advocated sports as
a means of strengthening colonialism) to recent IOC presidents. The 1936
Berlin Olympics empowered Hitler’s Nazi regime. Both the 1988 Seoul and
2008 Beijing Summer Games helped legitimize authoritarian regimes in Asia.
The 1968 Mexico City Olympics (where over 300 student protesters were
massacred by soldiers, days before the Olympics began) also helped
legitimize state terror. IOC President Avery Brundage, an infamous US
racist and Nazi sympathizer, didn’t even acknowledge the massacre. But
when two Black US athletes raised their fists in a Black power salute on
the medal podium, he had them immediately stripped of their medals and
ejected from the Games! Another well-known fascist IOC president was Juan
Antonio Samaranch (IOC president from 1980-2001), a former government
official in Franco’s fascist regime in Spain.


2. No Olympics on Stolen Land

BC remains largely unceded and non-surrendered Indigenous territories.
According to Canadian law, BC has neither the legal nor moral right to
exist, let alone claim land and govern over Native peoples. Despite this,
and a fraudulent treaty process now underway, the government continues to
sell, lease and ‘develop’ Native land for the benefit of corporations,
including mining, logging, oil & gas, and ski resorts. Meanwhile,
Indigenous peoples suffer the highest rates of poverty, unemployment,
imprisonment, police violence, disease, suicides, etc.


3. Ecological Destruction

Despite claims to be the “greenest Olympics” ever, and PR statements about
‘sustainability’, the 2010 Olympics will be among the most environmentally
destructive in history, with tens of thousands of trees cut down &
mountainsides blasted for Olympic venues in the Callaghan Valley (near
Whistler) & the Sea-to-Sky Highway expansion. In the summer of 2007, a
record number of black bears were hit on the Sea-to-Sky Highway, with at
least 11 dying (attributed to loss of habitat). Massive amounts of
concrete used in construction have also caused millions of Salmon to die
in the Fraser River, where tons of gravel are being mined to make
concrete.


4. Homelessness

Since winning the 2010 Winter Games in 2003, Vancouver has lost over 850
units of low-income housing; during the same period, homelessness has
increased from 1,000 to over 2,500. It is estimated by 2010, the
number of homeless may be as high as 6,000. Since the 1980s, Olympic Games
have caused the displacement of over 2 million people (Fair Play for
Housing Rights report, 2007). In Seoul 1988, some 750,000 poor were
displaced, in Atlanta 1996, over 30,000, and for Beijing in 2008, an
estimated 1.5 million have been displaced. Yet still today Olympic
officials talk about ‘sustainability’ and ‘Olympic legacies’!


5. Criminalization of the Poor

To ‘clean out’ the poor and undesirables, Olympic host cities routinely
begin a campaign to criminalize the poor. In Vancouver, the city has
launched Project Civil City and new by-laws to criminalize begging for
money, sleeping outdoors, etc. It has also included hundreds of thousands
of dollars for increased private security (i.e., the Downtown
Ambassadors). New garbage canisters on streets make it more difficult for
the poor to gather recyclables, and new benches make it impossible to lay
down. These measures fit with government plans to remove poor downtown
residents to mental institutions, “detox centers” on former military
bases, and the ‘fly-back’ scheme by police to return persons wanted on
warrants in other provinces. This is nothing less than a process of
social cleansing!


6. Impact on Women

Events such as the Olympics draw hundreds of thousands of spectators and
cause large increases in prostitution and trafficking of women. In
Vancouver, over 68 women are missing and/or murdered. Many were Native,
and many were reportedly involved in the sex trade. In 2007, the
trial of William Pickton occurred for six of these murders, and he is to be
tried for an additional 20 more. In northern BC, over 30 young women,
mostly Native, are missing and/or murdered along Highway 16. The 2010
Olympics and its invasion of tourists and corporations will only increase
this violence against women.


7. 2010 Police State

Some 12,500 police, military and security personnel are to be deployed for
2010, including Emergency Response Teams, riot cops, helicopters, armoured
vehicles, etc. The RCMP plan on erecting 40 km of crowd-control fencing
along with CCTV video surveillance cameras. Special security zones will
be established to control entry near Olympic venues. For 3 weeks,
Vancouver will be an occupied Police State! And once the Olympics are
over, there is no guarantee many of these security measures will not
remain (i.e., CCTV). Repression also involves attacks on anti-Olympic
groups & individuals, including arrests of protesters, raids of offices,
surveillance, media smear campaigns, cuts to funding programs, etc., all
in an effort to undermine anti-2010 resistance. This repression has
already been used against anti-poverty & housing groups, environmentalists
and Natives, in Vancouver.


8. Public Debt

VANOC and government officials claim the 2010 Games will cost some $2
billion. However, this amount doesn’t include the Sea-to-Sky Highway
expansion, the Canada Line Skytrain to the airport, the Vancouver
Convention Center, or the lower mainland Gateway Project. Including these
costs, since they were necessary to win the bid and had to be completed by
2010, makes the true cost of the Games some $6 billion, which must be paid
for through public debt, money that could’ve been spent on social
services, housing, drug treatment, healthcare, etc.

9. Olympic Corruption

The modern Olympics are well known for their corruption, including both
top IOC officials involved in bribery scandals (i.e. Salt Lake City 2002)
or athletes found to be using performance-enhancing drugs (such as
steroids). Yet the IOC still claims the youth need an inspiration and a
“model” of good sportsmanship! Despite published reports of bribery
scandals involving IOC members and host cities (i.e., The New Lords of the
Rings, by Andrew Jennings), the Olympics continue to be seen as an
honorable & noble enterprise, thanks to the corporate media.

10. Corporate Invasion

Government’s and business use the Olympics as a means to attract corporate
investment. In BC, the Liberal government has ‘streamlined’ application
processes, cut taxes, and offered other incentives to increase certain
industries such as mining, oil & gas drilling, and ski resorts. This
includes large increases in transport systems, including new ports,
bridges, expanded highways & rail-lines. This is all part of their
Investment to 2010 Strategy. The results have been dramatic,
record-breaking increases in these industries, resulting in greater
environmental destruction and more corporate power & influence over our
daily lives. Many of the main corporate sponsors of the Olympics
are themselves responsible for massive ecological destruction and human
rights violations, including McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Petro-Canada,
TransCanada, Dow, Teck Cominco, etc., while others are major arms
manufacturers (General Electric & General Motors).

For more Info: www.No2010.com

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Québec: Manifestation anti-militariste (28 mars)

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Screening of "Continuous Journey"

Screening of Continuous Journey

Thursday March 13th, 6.30pm
Cultural Studies Building, Rm 101 (3475 Peel)
McGill University

The Komagata Maru Incident is one of the most neglected important events
in the history of twentieth century race relations in Canada. The
Incident occurred after the Canadian government, responding to mounting
racial tensions in BC, restricted immigration from India by passing the
Continuous Journey Provision of the Immigration Acts of 1908 and 1910.
This law required that all immigrants travel on a continuous journey from
the country of their origin. The Continuous Journey Provision was
explicitly instituted to prevent further immigration of Indian migrant
workers deemed undesirable by the Canadian government.

In the spring of 1914 a group of Indian entrepreneurs set out to challenge
this racist legislation of the Canadian state, to claim their right as
British subjects to travel anywhere in the Empire. They chartered a
steamship called the Komagata Maru in order to make the journey to Canada.
Upon arrival on May 23, 1914, the passengers were detained on the ship for
two months. They were not allowed to set foot on Canadian soil during
their detainment. During this time the Canadian government attempted to
negotiate with the leaders of the Indian community on shore to have the
ship leave with minimal violence. When it became clear that the passengers
would not leave without provisions, the Canadian government attempted to
take the ship by force. As this takeover attempt failed, the Canadian
government called in an armed navy cruiser. It was at this point of
heightened tension and confrontation that the passengers of the Komagata
Maru negotiated their departure. Upon arrival in India, nineteen of the
passengers were shot dead by British authorities because they were
considered seditious for challenging Canadian legislation. Several of the
leaders were also accused of sedition, and then imprisoned or hanged.

The consensus amongst Sikh historians is that this event forged the way in
which Sikhs would interact with the rest of Canadian society ever after.
Today on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Komagata Maru Incident,
Punjabi migrants are still fighting against racist immigration practices.
The case of Laibar Singh, a 48-year old paralyzed Dalit Punjabi refugee
claimant that has defied the Canadian state's current racist immigration
and taken sanctuary in a Sikh Temple in Vancouver, has been touted as the
second Komagata Maru.

For more information on Laibar Singh's case or migrant justice organisations:
http://noii-van.resist.ca/
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/
http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org/

Sponsored by:
Migrant Rights Committee of Parc Extension
Solidarity Across Borders
& No One is Illegal Montreal

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