[Bloquez l'empire!] Occupation by the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte; ICE raids in NewBedford, MA; Justice for Anas Bennis: NO ONE IS ILLEGAL RADIO (April 2007)

[No One is Illegal Montreal]

No One Is Illegal-Montreal Radio (April 2007)
part of CKUT's Open Conspiracy for Social Change

LISTEN to our April 10, 2007 show online at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=22676

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On this month's show:

... we get a firsthand account of the occupation of a quarry by the
Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte in Eastern Ontario;

... we also talk to an organizer doing support work in the aftermath
of a recent raid on migrant workers in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the
largest single workplace raid in recent memory;

... and we'll hear from the sister of Anas Bennis, the victim of an
unexplained police killing in Montreal in 2005.


The show includes:

SHAWN BRANT of theTyendinaga Mohawk Community in Eastern Ontario,
about the ongoing occupation of a quarry, as part of a land
reclamation effort on the Culberston Tract.

CORINN WILLIAMS of the Community Economic Development Center of
Southeastern Massachusetts. She played an active role in lending
support to the targeted immigrant workers of a recent raid by
Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on a manufacturing plant. The
raid, which involved hundreds of armed agents, police, military, as
well as helicopters, resulted in the detention of more than 350
migrant workers, mainly young women with infant and small children,
originally from El Salvador and Guatemala.

KHADIJA BENNIS. Khadija is the twin sister of Anas Bennis who was
killed by Montreal police in still unexplained circumstances on
December 1, 2005. More than 16 months after the death of her brother,
she continues to speak out about the police killing of her brother,
and the continued demands by her family for justice and closure in
this case.

LISTEN to our April 10, 2007 show online at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=22676

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On the April edition of No One Is Illegal radio, we'll hear about the
current occupation of a quarry by Mohawk demonstrations from the
Tyendinaga Mohawk Community in Eastern Ontario, on the Bay of Quinte.

Three weeks ago, more than 125 members of the Mohawks of the Bay of
Quinte -- clad in camouflage and with camping gear -- seized control
of a gravel quarry site on a piece of land called the Culberston
Tract, beside the Tyendinaga Mohawk Community and on the outskirts of
the settler town of Deseronto, Ontario. They've been there ever since,
refusing to allow their land to be literally taken from the ground
until their claim on the Culberston Tract is settled.

No One Is Illegal radio spoke with Shawn Brant, a spokesperson from
Tyendinaga, from the occupation site at the quarry.

Audio linked here:
http://www.radio4all.net/pub/files/jaggisingh@gmail.com/2840-1-20070411-SeanBrandt-UPLOAD.mp3

More info about the Culberston Tract and the current occupation at:
http://ocap.ca/firstnations/tyendinaga/culberston

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For the last several months, there have been several high-profile
raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on factories,
meatpacking plants, janitorial services and other workplaces that
employ immigrants. Thousands of so-called "illegal" workers and their
families have been targeted, and victimized, by these raids.

On March 6, 2007, just a little more than a month ago, at least 300
armed ICE agents, in collaboration with police agencies and the
military, raided a workplace in the town of New Bedford,
Massachusetts, south of Boston. More than 350 workers, mainly young
women from Guatemala and El Salvador, were arrested and detained in
the brutal raid that involved helicopters, and the authorities chasing
some migrants into the ocean. Ironically, the workplace had milllions
of dollars worth of contracts to the USA military, sewing backpacks
for soldiers.

The raid, one of the largest raids in a single workplace in recent
memory, separated many children, including infants, from their
parents. Many of the arrested migrants were also flown to a detention
centre thousands of miles away in Texas.

No One Is Illegal Radio was able to speak with Corinn Williams of the
Community Economic Development Center of SE Massachusetts about the
raid. She has been active in immigrant support work in New Bedford for
more than a decade, and played an active role in lending support to
the targeted immigrant workers of the recent raid.

Audio linked here:
http://www.radio4all.net/pub/files/jaggisingh@gmail.com/2840-1-20070411-NewBedfordPart1-UPLOAD.mp3

"On the upload" bonus audio linked here:
http://www.radio4all.net/pub/files/jaggisingh@gmail.com/2840-1-20070411-NewBedfordPART2.mp3

Background info:
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=SPECIAL21

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No One Is Illegal Montreal, along with many other groups in Montreal,
is a member of the Justice for Anas Coalition. The Coalition formed in
the aftermath of the death of Mohamed Anas Bennis, 25, who was killed
on the early morning of December 1, 2005 as he was leaving a
neighborhood mosque after prayers. Inexplicably, Bennis is alleged to
have wielded a kitchen knife, and tried to attack police officers, at
which point he was shot and killed by two police bullets.

It is now more than 16 months after the Bennis killing, and there are
still no clear answers about his death that have been presented to the
Bennis family. Even a video that captures the incident has remained
hidden, in what clearly seems like a police cover-up of a police
killing motivated by racial profiling.

This Wednesday, April 11, a picket will be held outside the offices of
the Quebec Ministry of Public Security to demand that the Public
Security Minister immediately release all reports, evidence and
information concerning the death of Anas Bennis to the Bennis family
and to the public; as well as a full, public and independent inquiry
into the death of Anas Bennis. Khadija Bennis, Anas' twin sister, will
demand to meet with the Minister.

In the final segment for this month's show, we hear from Khadija
Bennis, the spokesperson of the Justice for Anas Coalition. She spoke
on a panel on racial profiling and police brutality last Thursday,
March 29 at McGill. In this excerpt, she speaks about the killing of
her brother on December 1, 2005, more than 16 months ago.

Audio Linked at:
http://www.radio4all.net/pub/files/jaggisingh@gmail.com/2840-1-20070411-Khadija-UPLOAD.mp3

Previous interview by Khadija Bennis with No One Is Illegal (December
2006) linked here:
http://www.radio4all.net/pub/archive2/07.01.07/jaggisingh@gmail.com/2840-1-20061212-Part2Khadija.mp3

Background info: http://www.justicepouranas.ca

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LISTEN to our April 10, 2007 show online at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=22676

-----
No One Is Illegal Radio is a monthly news and current affairs show on
CKUT community radio in Montreal, produced and hosted by members of
the No One Is Illegal collective. Please note, starting May 2007, our
live show moves to the 1st Thursday of each month from 5-6pm, part of
Off the Hour on CKUT (90.3FM). Our next show will be May 3, 2007.

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, exploitation and wage-slave
conditions, as well as opposing the displacement and genocide of
indigenous peoples on Turtle Island.

514-848-7583 -- noii-montreal at resist.ca -- http://montreal.nooneisillegal.org