[Indigsol] FW: RALLIES AT CARLETON AND THE U OF O TO DEMAND OUR RIGHTS]

[mattm-b at resist.ca]

Subject: RALLIES AT CARLETON AND THE U OF O TO DEMAND OUR RIGHTS
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2009 04:49:23 +0000








****PUBLIC
DISCUSSION & SUPPORT RALLIES AT CARLETON UNIVERSITY AND THE
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA****




Defend the Right to Organize on Campus! Call on the Carleton University
and University
of Ottawa Administrations to uphold free expression and follow clear and
transparent procedures.



On February 8th, Students Against Israeli Apartheid at Carleton University
put up
100 posters for "Israeli Apartheid Week", a series of lectures and
public events that will occur on campuses in over 40 cities around the
world.  On February 9, these posters were taken down and banned from
campus under the order of Carleton's Equity Services.  Their rationale was
that the posters "could be seen to incite others to infringe rights
protected in the Ontario Human Rights code" and are "insensitive to
the norms of civil discourse in a free and democratic society".

On February 13th, Solidarity for Palestinian
Human Rights (SPHR) at the U of O got the approval of the U of O
Administration
to put up the Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW) poster.  With the posters
stamped, SPHR was ready to
put them up at the end of reading week.  However,
on Feb. 20th, the U of O Communications office sent the following
message to SPHR U of O:
“A poster from the campus group Solidarity
for Palestinian Human Rights has recently come to the attention of the
Communications Office.  All posters
approved by the Communications Office must promote a campus culture where all
members of the community can play a part in a declaration of human rights
recognizing
the inherent dignity and equal rights of all students.  Consequently, we
will not
place this particular poster on our campus billboards.”



The poster was created by cartoonist Carlos Latuff and depicts a situation
- a
child being killed by aerial bombardment – that occurred over 430 times in
Israel's latest attack on Gaza according to United Nations reports. The
poster
can be viewed at:
http://www.apartheidweek.org/sites/apartheidweek.org/files/Israeli%20Apartheid%20Week%202009%20poster.jpg.

Since it depicts a situation that has a factual basis and its intention is
clearly to invite people to a lecture series, the notion that it is an
incitement or a violation to norms of civil discourse is preposterous.



On Thursday February 26th, join OPIRG-Carleton and show your support for SAIA
and SPHR. Come to a public discussion and TWO RALLIES (one after the
other) to call the Administrations at
Carleton and the U of O to account by asking them to clarify why and how
these
posters were banned.  Show these
administrations that civil discourse is dependent upon rights to free
expression and organizing, especially around contentious issues.



Date: Thursday February 26th 2009

Time for Carleton: 11:30 - 1:00pm.  The regular shuttle service leaves
Carleton at 1:30pm after the Carleton rally will and
arrive at the U of O at 1:50pm.  People
will gather at the shuttle drop-off location (across from Montpetit) to begin
the rally at the U of O.  The rally at the U of O will begin in front of
the shuttle bus-stop at 2:00pm.


Meeting location at Carleton: C264 Loeb Building Meeting location at U of
O: shuttle bus-stop (across from Monpetit)


Event Description: The rally at Carleton will be
mostly silent.  People are invited to symbolically cover their
mouths.  The rally at the University of Ottawa will not be silent.  If you
have letters (from
groups, unions, organizations or individuals) you would like to deliver to
the
university administrations about the banning of the Israeli Apartheid poster
please bring them with you.  Both rallies will end at the presidents'
offices.


Campus Maps: http://www2.carleton.ca/campus/  and
http://www.uottawa.ca/maps/maincampus.html




Carleton is accessible by public transit. The O-train as well as the
number 4,7
and 117 all have stops at Carleton.  The
U of O is also highly accessible by public transit.  Many main downtown
routes stop at the U of
O.  To plan your trip or view transit
maps please visit: http://octranspo.com



All are welcome (you don't need to be a university student). People are
welcome to join both rallies or only one.



Spread the word, bring your friends and show your support for the right to
organize on campus by calling the Carleton and U of O Administrations to
account.


So many new options, so little time.  Windows Live Messenger.
_________________________________________________________________
So many new options, so little time. Windows Live Messenger.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowslive/products/messenger.aspx

-- 
"All oppression is relative.
All oppression is specific."

- Albert Memmi
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