[antiwar-van] UPDATE #14: Alison Bodine Defence Cttee Launches 3rd Straight Week of Actions & Events!

[Kira Koshelanyk]

Alison Bodine Defence Committee
UPDATE #14 – Monday October 1, 2007
http://alisonbodine.blogspot.com
defendalisonbodine at hotmail.com

Contact:
Shannon Bundock 778.891.1470
Tamara Hansen 778.882.5223
Aaron Mercredi 604.339.7103
Andrew Barry 604.780.4029

October 1st: Alison Bodine Defence Committee Launches Third Straight Week of Actions Demanding “Canada Border Services Agency: Drop all Charges Against Alison Now!”

The Alison Bodine Defence Committee (ABDC) is beginning the third week of an intense defence campaign with actions and events throughout Vancouver and in Victoria on Vancouver Island. Alison will also speak again on university and college campuses as part of the campaign to pressure the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to drop all charges against her. Alison is a well-known social justice activist in Vancouver and an Executive Committee Member and spokesperson with Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO). She was recently targeted as a political activist and arrested by the Canada Border Services Agency when trying to legally cross the border back into the United States where she is a citizen.

Monday morning began with Alison speaking to students for the second time at Simon Fraser University as part of the “International Week of Solidarity with the Cuban 5 Heroes Held in US Jails – 1st Ever Student Week in Solidarity with the Cuban 5” Campus tour of events. Alison will speak each of these forums this week at Capilano College, Langara College and the University of British Columbia. The ABDC is also organizing a program of ongoing petition drives, rallies and forums.

In the first week of the “Drop All Charges Against Alison Bodine!” petition campaign, the ABDC beat the goal of collecting 1,000 signatures on the petition. The committee has set a new goal to exceed 2,000 signatures on the petition to the CBSA by Tuesday October 9th. The campaign has received support letters from MPs Libby Davies and Bill Siksay, the Hospital Employees Union of BC, the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators, MLA David Chudnovsky and the US-based Pastors for Peace/Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization in a strong show of support for this case of democratic and human rights.

Last Friday Alison won important victories in her case at her scheduled Admissibility hearing when her lawyer Gabriel Chand was finally granted the full disclosure of the case against her. This was an important step forward, as the CBSA prosecuting lawyer tried to argue with Chand's request, but ultimately failed to prevent the right to access this evidence. Due to the introduction of new evidence, the hearing was then adjourned until October 11, 2007 at 11am. For the Alison Bodine Defence Committee, the campaign will continue with mobilization and education in defence of the democratic and human rights of immigrants, refugees, non-residents and social-justice activists.

WE NEED YOUR HELP. It was clear from the beginning that this case was not so simple – that Alison has been singled out for harassment, arrest, detention
and this extended period of uncertainty and legal limbo for purely political reasons. Now this battle is entering its third week of fighting for the democratic and human rights of all activists and organizers. The ABDC is repeating the call for all peace-loving and humanist people, all allies of oppressed people fighting for their rights to get involved and support this important campaign. The ABDC is continuing collecting letters of support and petition signatures from grassroots organizations, labour and student unions, politicians, professors and academics and people from all walks of life to unite in defense of civil liberties.

Send your letter of support to the Canada Border Services Agency and defendalisonbodine at hotmail.com or free_alison_bodine at yahoo.ca

Check the blog for all updates and upcoming actions and events in the campaign!
http://alisonbodine.blogspot.com

Contact us to get involved!
778.891.1470 | 778.882.5223 | 604.339.7103 | 604.780.4029

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Alison’s next appearances in building the campaign to have the CBSA drop all charges against her will be:
TUESDAY OCTOBER 2nd
STUDENT WEEK IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE 5IVE CUBAN HEROES HELD IN U.S. JAILS!
Forum
12:30pm
Students’Union Building (SUB) at Langara College (100 W 49th Ave in Vancouver)

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WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 3rd
STUDENT WEEK IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE 5IVE CUBAN HEROES HELD IN U.S. JAILS!
Forum
12:30pm
Cedar Theatre (Cedar Building – Capilano College)

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THURSDAY OCTOBER 4th
STUDENT WEEK IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE 5IVE CUBAN HEROES HELD IN U.S. JAILS!
Forum
12:30pm
SUB Room 24U (Near ‘the Delly’ – University of British Columbia Students Union Building)

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FRIDAY OCTOBER 5th
"Drop All Charges Against Alison Bodine!”
-Petition Drives & Defence Rally-

*Petition Drives will be held from 10:00am-2:00pm
Petition Drives will be held at:
1. Langara College
2. Capilano College
3. Vancouver Art Gallery – Robson St side, downtown Vancouver

*Defence Rally
"Drop All Charges Against Alison Bodine!”
3:30pm
Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC) Building (300 W. Georgia St – corner of Georgia & Hamilton, downtown Vancouver)

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SATURDAY OCTOBER 6th
“Why I Have Been Targeted – Canada Border Services Agency Violates Civil Liberties”
Free Public Forum
6:30pm
SFU Harbour Center (515 W Hastings St – downtown Vancouver)

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THURSDAY OCTOBER 11th
**ADMISSIBILITY HEARING PRESS CONFERENCE & DEFENCE RALLY**
10:30am
Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC) Building (300 W. Georgia St – corner of Georgia & Hamilton, downtown Vancouver)
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