[IPSM] No One Is Illegal-Montreal Newswire/Bulletin de Nouvelles (April 3, 2006)
No One Is Illegal Montreal
nooneisillegal at gmail.com
Tue Apr 4 07:37:31 PDT 2006
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NO ONE IS ILLEGAL-MONTREAL NEWS AND EVENTS DIGEST
BULLETIN DE NOUVELLES ET D'ÉVÉNEMENTS DE PERSONNE N'EST ILLÉGAL
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APRIL 3, 2006 -- LE 3 AVRIL 2006 (1.7)
::::: SOLIDARITY WITH/SOLIDARITÉ AVEC AMIR HODHOD :::::
1a) PHOTO ESSAY: Stop the Deportations; Solidarity with Amir Hodhod
1b) GALLERIE DES PHOTOS: Arrêtez les déportations; Solidarité avec Amir Hodhod
1c) (Le Devoir) Expulsé sans possibilité d'appel
1d) (CKLN) Audio: Interview with Amir Hodhod
1e) Statement by Amir Hodhod: The story of an upcoming deportation
1f) Déclaration d'Amir Hodhod: L'histoire d'une déportation imminente
::::: EVENTS/ÉVÉNEMENTS :::::
2) April 8: Media, War & Occupation: from AFGHANISTAN to IRAQ
3) April 19: BREAK THE CHAINS!!! An evening of spoken word, poetry,
music and resistance ... in defense of child political prisoners in
Palestine.
4) 29 avril: Appel à la formation d'un contingent précaire à la manif syndicale
::::: SIX NATIONS :::::
5) Six Nations: Yellow Alert for Warrior Societies
6) (Hamilton Spectator) Natives vow to stand their ground
7) (Radio Canada) Les Amérindiens poursuivent l'occupation
::::: NEWS/NOUVELLES :::::
8) (Radio-Canada Toronto) Les communautés culturelles exigent un moratoire
9) (La Presse) Ottawa sera plus sévère envers les réfugiés
10) (L'Express) Les immigrés manifestent pour leurs droits aux Etats-Unis
11) (Philippine Daily Inquirer) Filipino caregiver in Canada to stay
and fight deportation
12) (Calgary Sun) Portuguese protesters blast Tory crackdown
13) (Toronto Star) Rally to support non-status Portuguese immigrants
14) (Immigration News Briefs) Immigrant Rights Protests Continue (USA)
15) (Pacific News Service) L.A. Schools Hit By Three Days of Walkouts
16) (Immigration News Briefs) Student Walkouts Spread (USA)
17) (Indymedia) Photos, Reports and Stories from US Immigrant Rights Protests
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The No One Is Illegal News and Events Digest is a bilingual (English
and French) weekly selection of analysis, news and events, compiled by
the No One Is Illegal collective in Montreal. To subscribe or
unsubscribe, visit:
https://lists.resist.ca/mailman/listinfo/nooneisillegal-l; to
contribute, e-mail nooneisillegal at gmail.com
Le bulletin de nouvelles et d'événements de Persone n'est illégal
rassemble une sélection hebdomadaire et bilingue (anglais - français)
de nouvelles, analyses et événements compilée par le collectif
Personne n'est illégal - Montréal. Pour vous abonner (ou vous
désabonner), suivez ce lien:
https://lists.resist.ca/mailman/listinfo/nooneisillegal-l; pour
contribuer au bulletin, contactez-nous par courriel: nooneisillegal at gmail.com
-----
(((((1a)))))
An emergency demonstration was held earlier today (Monday, April 3)
outside the downtown Montreal offices of Immigration Canada and the
Canadian Border Services Agency. The demo callout is included below.
A PHOTO ESSAY from the demonstration is available at:
http://gallery.cmaq.net/amir
---
Emergency Demonstration: Monday, April 3 at 11am at 1010 St-Antoine
West (MONTREAL offices of Immigration Canada and the Canadian Border
Services Agency)
-- Stop the Deportations
-- Status for All
-- Solidarity with Amir Hodhod ... and all Non-Status Migrants
Amir Hodhod, a non-status Egyptian refugee, political dissident and
writer -- and an active member of Solidarity Across Borders in
Montreal -- will be deported this week.
-> Elsewhere in the Montreal-area, in the past few days, long-time
non-status migrant workers have been picked up by deportation agents
and detained ...
-> In Toronto, non-status migrants have been rounded-up and deported
in planes, while border agents profile and harass migrants on the
streets and in shopping malls ...
-> Throughout the United States, "illegal" immigrants and their allies
have organized massive and historic demonstrations against racist and
xenophobic anti-immigrant laws ...
In opposing Amir's deportation, we also stand in solidarity with our
sisters and brothers in Toronto and the United States, and with all
who oppose deportations and detentions. In the coming days, weeks,
months and beyond, we will continue to organize and act for justice
and dignity, for all migrants and refugees.
:::::
Stop the Deportations * Status for All * Solidarity with Amir Hodhod
Picket and Demo
MONDAY, April 3rd at 11am
In front of 1010 Saint-Antoine West
(Montreal offices of Immigration Canada and
the Canadian Border Services Agency)
Bonaventure Metro, Saint-Antoine exit)
:::::
PHOTO GALLERY at: http://gallery.cmaq.net/amir
-----
(((((1b)))))
Un rassemblement d'urgence a eu lieu aujourd'hui (lundi le 3 avril)
devant les bureaux d'Immigration Canada et de l'Agence des services
frontaliers du Canada à Montréal. Vous pouvez lire l'appel original de
la manif ci-dessous.
Une GALLERIE DES PHOTOS est disponible à: http://gallery.cmaq.net/amir
---
Rassemblement d'urgence: LUNDI le 3 avril à 11h devant les bureaux
d'Immigration Canada et de l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada
(1010 rue Saint-Antoîne Ouest, au métro Bonaventure, sortie
Saint-Antoîne).
-- Arrêtez les déportations !
-- Un statut pour tous et toutes!
-- Solidarité avec Amir Hodhod ... et toutes personnes sans statut
Amir Hodhod, un réfugié égyptien sans statut, dissident politique,
écrivain et membre actif de Solidarité sans frontières (à Montréal),
sera déporté cette semaine.
-> Partout dans la région de Montréal, dans les dernières semaines,
des travailleurs et travailleuses migrant(e)s sans statut ont été
arrêté(e)s par des agents de déportation, puis détenu(e)s;
-> À Toronto, des personnes migrant(e)s sans statut ont été déportées
par avion; dans les rues et les centres d'achat, des agents de
l'Agence des services frontaliers harcèlent les personnes migrantes
sur la base d'un profilage racial et social très évident;
-> À travers les Etats-Unis, des personnes migrantes « illégales » et
leurs sympathisant(e)s ont organisé des manifestations massives et
historiques contre le racisme et les lois xénophobes et
anti-immigration ;
En nous opposant à la déportation d'Amir, nous résistons aussi en
solidarité avec nos frères et soeurs à Toronto et aux Etats-Unis et
avec tous ceux et toutes celles qui s'opposent aux déportations et aux
détentions. Dans les jours, les semaines, les mois qui suivent et
au-delà, nous continuerons d'organiser notre lutte et d'agir pour la
justice et la dignité de toutes les personnes migrantes et de tou(te)s
les réfugié(e)s.
::::::::::
Arrêtez les déportations * Solidarité avec Amir Hodhod
Rassemblement et piquetage
LUNDI le 3 avril, 11h
Devant le 1010 Saint-Antoîne Ouest
(Bureaux d'Immigration Canada et de l'Agence des services frontaliers du Canada
à Montréal)
Métro Bonaventure, sortie Saint-Antoîne
::::::::::
GALLERIE DES PHOTOS: http://gallery.cmaq.net/amir
-----
(((((1c)))))
Expulsé sans possibilité d'appel
Les groupes qui viennent en aide aux réfugiés s'inquiètent d'une
éventuelle accélération des expulsions
Clairandrée Cauchy
Édition du vendredi 31 mars 2006
Le Devoir
Militant de gauche en Égypte, Amir Hodod avait aussi le malheur d'être
tombé amoureux d'une musulmane, alors qu'il est chrétien. Pourchassé
par des fondamentalistes religieux pour ses amours, la police aux
trousses pour ses écrits contestant le régime en place, M. Hodod a
demandé l'asile au Canada en 2003. Les commissaires de l'Immigration
ne l'ont pas cru et il devrait être expulsé le 6 avril.
Des histoires comme celle d'Amir Hodod, il pourrait y en avoir
plusieurs au cours des prochains mois. Le Parti conservateur a en
effet promis, lors de la dernière campagne électorale, d'accélérer
l'expulsion des revendicateurs du statut de réfugiés déboutés qui
"abusent de notre système", comme le disait la semaine dernière le
nouveau ministre de l'Immigration, Monte Solberg.
Pas d'instance d'appel
Les groupes qui viennent en aide aux réfugiés s'inquiètent d'une
éventuelle accéleration des expulsions. C'est que l'instance d'appel à
la Commission d'immigration prévue dans la loi de l'Immigration de
2002 n'a toujours pas été mise en place. "Tant qu'il n'y a pas d'appel
parmi les gens qu'on déporte, il y en aura qui auront besoin de
protection", explique la directrice du Conseil canadien des réfugiés,
Janet Dench. Dans une rencontre de presse la semaine dernière, le
ministre ne semblait pas pressé d'aller de l'avant avec la mesure,
mise de côté pas son prédécesseur libéral.
Cette absence d'appel a empêché Amir Hodod de présenter les documents
prouvant ses prises de position contre le régime égyptien, qu'il
n'avait pas en main lors de sa première audience. "Les commissaires
n'avaient pas cru que j'étais un écrivain, un activiste politique,"
explique l'Egyptien qui entend poursuivre son militantisme, qu'il soit
ici ou là-bas.
Il sort trés amer de son aventure canadienne: "Je croyais qu'on
traitait les gens ici de façon plus objective. [...] C'est difficile
de mener une lutte au jour le jour comme sans-statut, pour finir par
se faire déporter. C'est le début d'un autre cauchemar", fait valoir
M. Hodod, qui s'est engagé ici pour les droits des réfugiés et des
immigrants.
Il craint que son exil et son militantisme au Canada ne l'exposent
davantage à la torture ou à la persécution s'il retourne en Égypte.
Selon M. Hodod, les lois égyptiennes rendent passibles
d'emprisonnement des ressortissant qui ont fait des demandes d'asile à
l'étranger.
-----
(((((1d)))))
Canada set to Deport Egyptian Writer and Human Rights Activist
Audio Link: http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2006/03/9179.php
An Interview with Amir Hodhod, 42, an Egyptian refugee who has been
living in Montreal since 2003, is appealing to the Canadian government
to grant him status and to overturn his deportation order, set for
April 6th.
Hodhod fled Egypt seven years ago fearing persecution because of his
opposition to fundamentalist ideologies and his dissenting political
views. He spent three and a half years in the USA before having to
flee from that country due to the well-documented racist and anti-Arab
backlashes that broke out after 9-11.
This is an interview produced and conducted by Mostafa Henaway, Adam
Hanieh and Hazem Jamjoum for ckln 88.1fm
For more information to support Amir Hodhod:
Solidarity Across Borders
www.solidarityacrossborders.org
CKLN 88.1 FM
www.ckln.fm
-----
(((((1e)))))
[Amir Hodhod, an Egyptian political dissident and active member of the
Montreal community for 3 years, is facing deportation on April 6,
2006. We are calling on you to support him in his fight to remain in
Canada by contacting officials to demand an immediate stay of
deportation and that he be granted status in Canada. For more
information about how you can help, please e-mail
sansfrontieres at resist.ca]
STATEMENT BY AMIR HODHOD: THE STORY OF AN UPCOMING DEPORTATION
My name is Amir Hodhod and I am 42 years old. I was born in the city
of Mansoura on the banks of the Nile River in Egypt. My family is a
member of the Coptic Christian minority, and I have one younger
brother and one younger sister. I graduated as a pharmacist in 1990
from Mansoura University and moved to Cairo where I studied
philosophy. Before I fled Egypt I was a writer, and I published
articles in various secular, progressive and dissident magazines.
I left Egypt in 1999 because I was under threat from both the
government and from religious fundamentalists due to my articles and
my political activities. I fled initially to the United States, where
I lived and worked illegally in New York City. I came to Montreal in
2003, fleeing the racist situation I was experiencing and witnessing
in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks.
On April 6, 2006 -- in less than three weeks -- I am scheduled to be
deported to the United States. If I am removed to the United States,
it is almost certain that I will be detained and returned to Egypt.
Currently, Immigration Canada offers me only two options: deportation
to the United States (and almost certain detention); or my "voluntary"
return to Egypt, where I fear persecution due to my political beliefs
and activities.
I feel it is important to make clear -- to my friends and supporters,
and to the media and general population -- some of the important
issues involved as I confront the difficult choices I must make in the
coming days and weeks.
I was a political activist in Egypt -- for leftist and secular
movements -- and those activities continued actively and publicly in
Montreal, especially in the past several months. Recently, I have
written and spoken against the repression in Egypt during the recent
elections, and the government massacre of Sudanese refugees in Cairo
this past December 2005.
Because of my very public political activities, including writings in
Arabic for various progressive websites, I have reason to fear that I
will be persecuted and detained in Egypt.
The human rights situation in Egypt is essentially ignored in the
Canadian media, but the Egyptian regime -- which is supported
financially and militarily by the West -- is one of the most brutal in
the world. In Egypt there are thousands of political prisoners, open
debate and free speech is repressed, torture and ill treatment is a
normal practice by the police and authorities, death in custody is
common, and many activists are disappeared. This situation is
confirmed by various human rights reports and agencies. Anyone
familiar with Egypt is aware of the repressive nature of the Egyptian
authorities.
Right now, the political repression in Egypt is getting worse and
worse due to the recent political confrontations between the
opposition and the Mubarak regime.
I have not hesitated to speak out against injustice, both within
Egypt, and here in Canada. Because of my outspoken beliefs, I have
reason to believe that I will be targeted if I am returned to Egypt.
This is not speculation: I have a very real fear of persecution, based
on my positions as a secular, progressive leftist.
It might seem convenient for me to silently return to Egypt, and to
cease my political activity, including my writings. However, I write
this statement to make clear, to everyone, that I refuse to be
silenced, even in the face of possible removal to a brutal regime. I
insist that the truth about the situation in Egypt be exposed, and I
want to continue to expose those truths.
I ask: How is it possible for the Canadian government to even consider
deporting someone back to a brutal regime, known for torture and
ill-treatment (and if I'm sent to the USA, that means I will certainly
be sent back to Egypt, after enduring detention in US jails). I have
not been given a fair hearing by Canada's refugee system. I was never
allowed to appeal my refugee claim refusal on it merits. And now, I
have no legal avenue to provide all the documentation attesting to the
potential risk and ill treatment I face if I am deported on April 6,
2006.
I was refused recognition as a political refugee by the Canadian
government. But my writings, and my political activities -- on behalf
of secular, progressive leftist movements, and against the Egyptian
government as well as, partially, religious fundamentalists -- make it
clear that there is a high danger of facing persecution (including
detention and torture) if returned. This is the clear definition of a
political refugee, but the Canadian system provides me with no fair
way to be recognized as a political refugee.
I have lived away from Egypt for seven years -- four years in the USA,
and three years in Canada. That entire time I was a non-status person.
That means that I lived the nightmare of uncertainty, not knowing what
the future holds for me, and never being able to properly build my
life. That nightmare continues, as I face the possibility of being
returned to a country that I fled. My future right now is detention
and possible torture.
I want simply to be able to establish a regular life, to build on my
previous experiences, and to be able to contribute meaningfully to
society, including thru my writings and my political activities.
I make this statement so that I can remain true to my beliefs, and not
hide, in any way, my true feelings about the Egyptian regime --
including the thousands of political prisoners -- and the immigration
process in Canada. I have worked to raise awareness about non-status
peoples in Canada, and I feel it's important that I remain outspoken
even as I, a non-status person, confront the fate of deportation.
Amir Hodhod
March 14, 2006
MONTREAL
To stay in touch: sansfrontieres at resist.ca or 514-848-7583
-----
(((((1f)))))
[Amir Hodhod est un dissident politique égyptien et un membre actif de
la communauté montréalaise depuis maintenant trois ans. Il fait face à
une déportation imminente qui aurait lieu le 6 avril 2006. Nous vous
appelons à supporter la lutte qu'il mène pour demeurer au Canada en
contactant les fonctionnaires et en leur demandant un arrêt immédiat
des procédures de déportation ainsi que la reconnaissance de son
statut de réfugié politique au Canada. INFO: sansfrontieres at resist.ca]
DÉCLARATION D'AMIR HODHOD: L'HISTOIRE D'UNE DÉPORTATION IMMINENTE
Mon nom est Amir Hodhod et j'ai 42 ans. Je suis né dans la ville de
Mansoura, sur les berges du Nil en Égypte. Ma famille est de la
minorité chrétienne copte et j'ai un petit frère et une petite sœur.
J'ai obtenu un diplôme de pharmacien en 1990 à l'Université de
Mansoura et je suis par la suite déménagé au Caire, où j'ai poursuivi
des études en philosophie. Avant de fuir l'Égypte, j'étais écrivain et
j'ai publié des articles dans plusieurs revues laïques, progressistes
et dissidentes.
J'ai quitté l'Égypte en 1999 parce que j'étais menacé d'une part par
le gouvernement et d'autre part par les intégristes religieux, à cause
de mes écrits et de mes activités politiques. J'ai fui d'abord vers
les États-Unis; je me suis installé à New York, où j'ai vécu et
travaillé clandestinement. Je suis arrivé à Montréal en 2003, tentant
d'échapper aux incidents racistes que j'ai subis et vus suite aux
attentats du 11 septembre 2001.
Le 6 avril 2006 – dans moins de trois semaines – le gouvernement doit
me déporter vers les États-Unis. Si j'y suis renvoyé, il est presque
certain que je serai détenu et ensuite expulsé vers l'Égypte.
Présentement, Immigration Canada ne m'offre que deux options: la
déportation vers les États-Unis (avec emprisonnement
quasi-automatique) ou mon retour «volontaire» en Égypte, où je crains
la persécution à cause de mes opinions et activités politiques.
Je crois devoir clarifier – auprès de mes ami-e-s, de mes
sympathisant-e-s, des médias et de la population en général – certains
des enjeux importants qui surviennent tandis que je fais face aux
décisions difficiles que je devrai prendre dans les jours et les
semaines à venir.
En Égypte, j'étais un militant – impliqué dans les mouvements laïques
et de gauche. J'ai poursuivi ces activités activement et publiquement
depuis mon arrivée à Montréal, surtout au cours des derniers mois.
Récemment, j'ai dénoncé le climat de répression qui sévissait en
Égypte pendant les élections ainsi que le massacre de réfugiés
soudanais par le gouvernement égyptien qui est survenu au Caire en
décembre 2005.
À cause de mes activités politiques très publiques, incluant la
publication de textes en arabe pour divers site web progressistes,
j'ai plusieurs raisons de croire que je serai persécuté et emprisonné
si je suis renvoyé en Égypte.
La situation au niveau des droits humains en Égypte est
essentiellement ignorée par les médias canadiens, malgré que le régime
actuel, appuyé financièrement et militairement par l'Occident, soit un
des plus brutaux au monde. En Égypte, il y a des milliers de
prisonniers et prisonnières politiques, la liberté d'expression y est
constamment bafouée, la torture et les mauvais traitements sont des
pratiques habituelles de la police et des autorités, les personnes
mortes en détention sont nombreuses et plusieurs militant-e-s
«disparaissent» de façon mystérieuse. Cette situation a été confirmée
à maintes reprises par des organismes de droits humains. Tous ceux et
celles qui connaissent un tant soit peu l'Égypte sont au courant de la
nature répressive des autorités égyptiennes.
À l'heure actuelle, la répression politique en Égypte s'empire de jour
en jour, dans le contexte des confrontations entre l'opposition et le
régime Mubarak.
Je n'ai jamais hésité à dénoncer l'injustice, en Égypte comme au
Canada. À cause de mes opinions, tout me porte à croire que je serai
ciblé si renvoyé en Égypte. Ce n'est pas de la spéculation: je crains
réellement la persécution parce que je suis un gauchiste, laïque et
progressiste.
Il pourrait sembler qu'il serait plus facile pour moi de retourner
tranquillement en Égypte et de cesser mes activités politiques,
incluant l'écriture. Je rédige toutefois cette déclaration parce que
je veux que ce soit clair, aux yeux de tous et toutes, que je refuse
d'être réduit au silence, même lorsque confronté à une déportation
possible vers un régime autocratique. J'insiste pour que la vérité au
sujet de la situation en Égypte soit dévoilée. C'est ce que je
continuerai à faire.
Je demande donc: comment est-il possible pour le gouvernement canadien
de même songer à déporter quelqu'un vers un régime brutal, connu pour
ses pratiques de torture et de sévices (et si je suis renvoyé aux
États-Unis, je serai certainement retourné ensuite en Égypte, après
avoir enduré la détention dans les prisons américaines). Le système
canadien de détermination du statut de réfugié ne m'a pas accordé une
audience juste. Je n'ai jamais pu aller en appel sur le fonds et les
mérites de ma demande de réfugié. Et maintenant, je dois continuer à
fournir toute la documentation qui atteste des risques potentiels et
des mauvais traitements que je subirai si je suis déporté le 6 avril
prochain.
On ne m'a pas reconnu en tant que réfugié politique. Mais mes écrits
et mes activités politiques – en appui à des mouvement gauchistes,
progressistes et laïques, contre le gouvernement égyptien ainsi que
contre, partiellement, les intégristes religieux – indiquent
clairement qu'il y a un haut risque de persécution (incluant
l'emprisonnement et la torture) en cas de renvoi. Voilà une définition
claire d'un réfugié politique. La loi canadienne, elle, ne me fournit
aucun moyen juste pour être reconnu ainsi.
Je vis à l'extérieur de l'Égypte depuis sept ans: quatre ans aux
États-Unis et trois ans au Canada. Depuis sept ans, je suis donc un
sans-statut. Cela veux dire que je vis le cauchemar de l'incertitude
au quotidien, que je ne sais pas ce que le futur me réserve et que je
suis incapable de mener mon existence comme je l'entends. Le
cauchemar continue, car je fais face à la possibilité d'être expulsé
vers un pays que j'ai fui. Mon avenir, maintenant, est la détention
et, possiblement, la torture.
Je désire simplement avoir une vie normale, de me construire sur la
base de mes expériences passées et de contribuer à la société,
notamment à travers l'écriture et à travers mes activités politiques.
J'écris cette déclaration pour que je puisse rester fidèle à mes
croyances et ne pas cacher, d'aucune façon, mes sentiments réels au
sujet du régime égyptien – incluant les milliers de prisonniers
politiques – et le système d'immigration canadien. J'ai travaillé pour
sensibiliser les gens à la cause des sans-statut au Canada, et je
crois qu'il est important que je continue à dénoncer les injustices,
même alors que je confronte le processus de déportation.
Amir Hodhod
14 mars 2006
MONTRÉAL
INFO: sansfrontieres at resist.ca ou 514-848-7583
-----
(((((2)))))
Media, War & Occupation:
from AFGHANISTAN to IRAQ.
An evening of performances & presentations exploring culture &
politics, to benefit Montreal's predominant campus / community radio
station during CKUT's 2006 Funding Drive - 'LIVE WIRE'....
---------------------------->
SUNDAY, April 9th, 2006
La Sala Rossa,
4848 St. Laurent
Doors 8pm.
Suggested Donation 7-10$
---------------------------->
Music, film & speakers will address the realities of resistance and
occupation from Afghanistan to Iraq, exploring the overt & covert role
that the Canadian government has played and major media's role in the
covering & uncovering military occupation.
Presentations & Performances from: SONALI KOLHATKAR, Afghan Women's
Mission, * JOONEED KHAN, International Reporter from La Presse, * the
NARCICYST of Iraqi hip-hop group EUPHRATES, the HASSAN el-HADI band,
North African rhythms, * CKUT Radio DJ's....
----> Information on Presenters & Performers:
SONALI KOLHATKAR is the Coordinator of the AFGHAN WOMEN'S MISSION
based out of Los Angeles. Sonali will give a slide show on the
current reality in Afghanistan four years after the U.S, lead attack,
invasion and military occupation. In her presentation, Sonali will
specifically address the role Canadian troops are playing in
Afghanistan. The Afghan Women's Mission works closely with RAWA [the
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan] to support
health, education, and other programs for Afghan women.
[http://afghanwomensmission.org] Sonali is also a news producer at
KPFK Pacifica Radio in Los Angeles, and producer of a daily morning
news program, 'UPRISING RADIO'[http://uprisingradio.org].
JOONEED KHAN is a journalist with the Montreal French language daily
La Presse. Jooneed has worked as an international affairs reporter
and analyst for the past 30 years, covering conflicts in more than 50
countries. In 2003, he spent three months in Iraq, before, during and
after the bombings. Khan was born in Mauritius, in the Indian Ocean,
and is a graduate of the Université de Montréal.
The NARCICYST of EUPHRATES is MC of the Montreal based Iraqi hip-hop
crew Euphrates, whose recent album 'Stereotypes Incorporated' made
musical waves both locally & internationally. Euphrates weaves
together modern hip-hop innovation, the politics of grassroots
movements and the spirit of the Iraqi Diaspora. [http://narcy.net]
The HASSAN el-HADI band features Oud, Arabic Flute, Banjo & Arabic
Percussion. Hassan el-Hadi is an accomplished composer, songwriter and
singer as well as an impressive Oud player. Originally from Marrakesh
Morocco, where a diversity of Moroccan music & culture merges, el-Hadi
draws inspiration from music throughout the Middle East.
[http://www.hassanelhadi.net/]
Organized by CKUT's Community News Collective: 514 398 6788 /
news[at]ckut.ca / http://www.ckut.ca
----> Media, War & Occupation: from AFGHANISTAN to IRAQ, is being
endorsed & supported by the following groups & organizations:
AMARC, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters, * QPIRG
- the Quebec Public Interest Research Group - McGill, * QPIRG - the
Quebec Public Interest Research Group - Concordia,* the South Asian
Women's Community Center [SAWCC], Montreal, * No One is Illegal
Montreal, * World March of Women, Marche mondiale des femmes -
Montreal, * the Simone de Beauvoir Institute of Concordia University,
* the Dominion, Canada's Grassroots Newspaper, * the McGill Daily,
McGill Universities Independent News Paper * the International
Solidarity Movement - Montreal, * Artivistic Collective, * Casa Del
Popolo, * Human Rights Working Group, McGill University, Faculty of
Law, * Mile End Neighbours For Peace, * CitizenShift, National Film
Board of Canada, * the Campus Coalition of Progressive McGill Students
[CCPMS], * the Link
-----
(((((3)))))
BREAK THE CHAINS!!!
... an evening of spoken word, poetry, music and resistance
... in defense of child political prisoners in Palestine.
:::::
Wednesday April 19, 2006
@ EL SALON
4388 St-Laurent Boulevard
(between Rachel and Mt-Royal)
$5 or pay what you can.
:::::
---
7pm - Film: STOLEN YOUTH (directed by Saed Andoni)
about child political prisoners in Palestine.
7:30pm - Guest speakers from Palestine:
-> Amjad Al Khatib (recently released child political prisoner)
and
-> Ayed Abu Eqtaish (former political prisoner and currently research
co-ordinator for Defence for Children International in Ramallah)
with
-> Kahentinetha Horn (journalist and elder from Kahnawake of Mohawk territory,
speaking about indigenous resistance)
8:30pm - Spoken Word and Poetry
with
-> Rafeef Ziadah (Toronto/Palestine)
and
-> Ehab Lotayef (Montreal/Egypt)
Featuring solidarity statements from North American political
prisoners: Marilyn Buck, David Gilbert, Jaan Laaman, Russell Maroon
Shoats, Jalil Muntaqim, the Cuban Five and Janet and Janine Africa
9:30pm - DJs and Bands!!!
---
Organized and sponsored by: Books to Prisoners-Montreal; the Coalition
Against the Deportation of Palestinian Refugees; Indigenous Peoples
Solidarity Movement (IPSM); International Solidarity Movement
(ISM)-Montreal; Montreal Anarchist Black Cross Federation; No One Is
Illegal-Montreal; Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) at
McGill and Concordia; Twelve Months Political Prisoner/POW Calendar
Project.
National tour organized by SUMOUD: A Political Prisoner Solidarity
Group (http://sumoud.tao.ca)
INFO: ism-montreal at resist.ca or 514-848-7583
-----
(((((4)))))
APPEL À LA FORMATION D'UN CONTINGENT PRÉCAIRE
DANS LA MANIFESTATION SYNDICALE DU 29 AVRIL 2006
À l'occasion de la journée des travailleuses et des travailleurs, le
Réseau de Solidarité des Travailleuses et Travailleurs (RST) et
l'Association pour une Solidarité Syndicale Étudiante (ASSÉ) vous
invitent à une réunion d'organisation dans le but de d'unir nos forces
afin de former un contingent «Précaires» dans la manifestation
organisée par les grandes centrales syndicales. Ce contingent mettra
de l'avant le syndicalisme de combat, en opposition à la tactique de
concertation des grandes centrales syndicales qui ont tendance à
délaisser les secteurs de travail jugés non-rentables.
Les revendications communes pour le contingent précaire sont :
1. Pour une éducation publique, gratuite, laïque, de qualité,
accessible et non discriminatoire
2. Contre la précarité au travail et à tous les niveaux
3. Pour la régularisation de toutes les personnes sans statut et la
fin des déportations
4. Pour des logements décents et accessibles
5. Contre la pauvreté
6. Pour des mouvements sociaux combatifs et démocratiques
La rencontre aura lieu le 1er avril à 14h dans le sous-sol du
Commensal, (rue St-Denis, entre Ontario et Maisonneuve)
En espérant travailler avec vous pour le 29 avril et pour bien
d'autres occasions! Ensemble, nous vaincrons!
RST.WSN et l'ASSÉ
--> Cet effort est endossé par Personne n'est illégal-Montréal
(noii-montreal at resist.ca)
-----
(((((5)))))
This is issued today to all media and across First Nations in Canada
Please use your communications system to send this out further
We stand with you and I have alerted others to comment publicly
Box 75, Ginew, Manitoba, Canada ROA 2RO
>From (Mush-ko-dah-be-shik-eese) Terrance Nelson, Okiijida Society
Spokesman and Representative from Canada; National (US) Board of
Directors: American Indian Movement
Yellow Alert for Warrior Societies
March 31, 2006
The Okiijida Society is issuing a yellow alert for all Warrior
Societies regarding the escalating situation between Mohawks at Six
Nations and the Ontario Provincial Police. In 1990, most First Nations
were in shock over the Oka crisis. Since 1990, warrior societies have
meet regularly to plan out a strategy if a similar situation occurred.
A yellow alert is a stand by alert issued by warrior societies to
their membership on a particular situation. It is also a warning to
Canada that the situation is being monitored.
Mohawks at Six Nations issued the following, "At noon, Wednesday,
March 29th, four Ontario Provincial Police OPP cruisers were spotted
at the nearby Unity Road School, three Jimmys, about 14 to 15
undercover cops, two cruisers side by side above the site and on the
other side at Canadian Tire the cruisers face the site directly …We
welcome our brothers, sisters, friends and allies with open arms to
stand in solidarity with us against this illegal invasion of Six
nations Land (Highway 6, Caledonia Ontario)."
In 1990, Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation was the first non
Mohawks to blockade to show their support. The warrior societies
across Canada agreed to the following on situations like this. 1. To
stay in our home territory and monitor the situation. 2. That if
bloodshed occurred we would take action in our territories that would
include blockades but more importantly, we agreed that in the event of
the Canadian army killing indigenous people, we would bring the
Canadian economy to a halt. We have made it perfectly clear to Canada
that the Treaties gave recognition to the whites to peaceful
co-existence, deliberate bloodshed by Canada is an end to that treaty
right.
As the Mohawks stated "The whole issue is jurisdiction and title and
we're allies, not subjects,". Canada must stop using guns to resolve
its legal disputes with the Indigenous People. They know they stole
it, they have to give it back." It will remain to be seen if the
Conservatives who were in power in 1990 have learned anything from the
Oka crisis.
For Further information contact
Chief Terrance Nelson
204-782-4827
---
THE "ONE-EYED ONE-HORNED FLYING PURPLE PEOPLE EATERS" DESCEND ON SIX
NATIONS WITH ANOTHER INJUNCTION
Mnn. March 31, 2006. The invaders think that if they give us a piece
of paper, they can eat us all up. They started eating up all the
Beothuk on the east coast. When they finished them all off, they
headed west. Their voracious appetite couldn't be satisfied. Once
they start eating, they can't stop. Such hogs!
Rumor has it that the Ontario court has made another secret unilateral
injunction. Sheriff John Dobson arrived at 4:30 pm Wednesday, March
30th, at the Douglas Creek Estates in a white government car with two
women who stayed in the car. He showed up with an Indian guy named
Monte as his "Tonto", a Six Nations resident. Tonto arrived in an
Ontario Provincial Police cruiser with another Indian cop from
Manitoulin Island. Dobson seems to think he's hot stuff like a
sheriff in a cowboys and Indians movie. He was gaudily attired in the
usual colonial regalia. It was a pukey green outfit, a bullet proof
vest and a side arm. Can you think of a better representation of the
colonial belief that "might makes right" than this? Did he think that
legality depended on his clothing fetishes? The poor chap was
obviously deranged.
The men had painted a thick black line on the road. His "Kemosabe"
was standing close by. When they were told to back off, they did a
quick step dance to the side.
With his big toe barely touching the line Dobson started babbling away
in some sort of alien purple people eater tongue. He was looking at a
script he held in his hand. He acted like the Ontario Court had asked
him to deliver a pizza – or was it another unilateral in'junk'tion?
Doesn't he know that the Ontario Court is supposed to uphold the honor
of the Crown? Doesn't he know that under both international and
Canadian law, when negotiations fail, "everyone shall be entitled to a
fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial
tribunal"? Since when was an Ontario court neutral in a dispute
between Ontario and an Indigenous nation?
The women saw the antics of Dobson and his "faithful Indian companion"
bizarre and for the 'junk' it was. They started to drum and sing
loudly hoping that Dobson and Monte would regain their sanity and come
to their senses.
Then the Six Nations People served him with an injunction that "you
are in violation of Kaianereh'ko:wa, state of peace, … by your actions
of aggression, violence, breaking the peace, conspiracy to commit
murder, … blood sacrifice, genocide against the On'kwe'hon:we,
original people of the land". Dobson jumped as if he was scared by
his own reflection in the mirror. He said, "I am not part of this".
They dropped their paper on the ground, jumped on their high horses
and headed into the sunset. "Hey, you're littering", one of the guys
yelled after them. They didn't turn back to clean up their mess.
When the men drew a black line on the ground they were reminding all
of the territorial divide between Indigenous and Canadian
jurisdiction. The Indigenous people agreed to allow the Europeans to
find refuge on Turtle Island. We never agreed to give up our property
and lives to them. We negotiated the Two Row Wampum agreement to
share the river. The refugees were to remain in their own boat on a
parallel path with the Indigenous people.
The refugees were seriously deranged and had a maniacal plan. They
refused to respect Indigenous law. Motivated by full blown greed they
decided to unilaterally take over the whole of Turtle Island by using
a process called "genocide". They kept pushing us off our
territories. They killed 99% us. They told themselves they were on
"a mission from god".
To cope with this insane behavior we tried to deal with these lost
lunatics in terms that they understood. We tried to get them to
control themselves, but to avail. One of the agreements was made on
October 25, 1784. The Six Nations got General Haldimand to make a
commitment on behalf of the King George III of England to protect us
and our future generations forever, on a territory stretching for six
miles on either side of the Grand River from its mouth to its source.
The colonizers refused to abide by their word. The colonial
governments did not keep themselves or their wayward subjects in
check. They're still trying to steer our canoe and force us into
their boat at gunpoint.
That black line on the road was meant to remind colonial society that
they had agreed to respect our independence and our title to Turtle
Island in return for our alliance in their disputes with their
European cousins. We only formed alliances in the first place because
we needed protection from them. We are not under their jurisdiction.
We never agreed to become British subjects. We never agreed to become
Canadian citizens.
We really need to find an international mediator right now – someone
who doesn't have an interest in the outcome. It won't be easy to find
one. So many states are committed to appropriating indigenous land.
Perhaps it needs a mediation team, including representatives of both
Indigenous people and colonial states who are not involved in this
particular dispute. The mediators must understand the colonial law
that the colonizers are seeking to uphold as well as our law, the
Kaianereh'ko:wa. If they don't want to go for outside help, they
could try mediating with us on our terms according to the
Kaianereh'ko:wa. We've tried for over two centuries their form of
negotiations based on their use of force and threats. This never
worked. Now they have to try and do it our way. They might be
surprised at how well it works if only they would give it a try. If
only they could understand.
Unfortunately the colonizers have never been healed since squatting on
Turtle Island. They've become one of the most materially wealthy
"cookie monsters" in the world, while they remain socially and
spiritually impoverished. Their relationships are all based on
domination and immediate gain with no thought for the future
generations.
Despite their huge horde of stolen Indigenous property which they
amassed as a result of the holocaust they caused, they refuse to share
anything with us or our future generations. Their plan is that in
another 20 years there will be no more "Indian problem". You can't
steal land. You can only illegally occupy it. You can't put it in
your pocket and walk away. You have to kill the Indigenous people on
it and then put your roots in our place. We aren't going to let you
do it.
To them everything is their personal possession. They think that only
some of their people have rights of ownership. How can this sickness
be cured? The great peace under the Kaianereh'ko:wa, the law of
Turtle Island.
Kahentinetha Horn
MNN Mohawk Nation News
Kahentinetha2 at yahoo.com
Coming soon daily news on www.mnn.mohawknationnews.com
-----
(((((6)))))
Natives vow to stand their ground
Mood tense as sheriff visits
By Paul Legall
The Hamilton Spectator
CALEDONIA (Mar 31, 2006)
http://www.hamiltonspectator.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=hamilton/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1143760213848&call_pageid=1020420665036&col=1014656511815
Native protesters had just staked their territory with a black line on
the road and were in no mood to budge yesterday when a sheriff tried
to evict them from a construction site outside of town.
About an hour before Sheriff John Dawson arrived, the Six Nation
activists had spray painted the line across the Argyle Street entrance
of Douglas Creek Estates and said they couldn't be responsible for
outsiders who crossed it.
Michael Laughing, 40, who led a group of protesters from the Akwesasne
Reserve at Cornwall, had earlier said some of his cohorts were willing
to die to protect the land. "They'll have to kill me to remove me from
here," he said, adding clan mothers at his reserve asked him to assist
the Six Nations protesters.
The mood was tense when Dawson arrived around 4 p.m. and started
reading the latest version of a contempt order to evict the natives
from the site.
Sheriff Dawson had stepped about a foot over the black line and
initially refused to move back, which angered protesters even more. He
eventually relented and took a few steps back, saying, "no problem."
Six Nations activist Jeff Hawk confronted the sheriff with an eviction
order of his own, which accused the authorities of a myriad of crimes
against aboriginal people, including genocide. He ordered the sheriff
to read it first before the contempt order, saying it superseded any
order of the provincial courts.
Dawson ignored him and continued reading the five-page document citing
protesters for civil and criminal contempt of court.
If they didn't leave on their own, the OPP could come in and arrest
them and they would be placed on six months' probation with orders not
to return within 100 feet of the site.
The sheriff's words were soon drowned out by Hawk's stentorian voice,
as he read out the words of his proclamation entitled: "Notice of
Violation of the Law."
"You are in violation of the supreme law of the universe by your acts
of aggression, violence, breaking the peace, conspiracy to commit
murder, blood sacrifice, genocide against the On'kwehon:we, original
people of the land," Hawk stated.
The protesters, who were massed around a barricade, refused to take
copies of the sheriff's contempt order and the stack of documents was
dumped on the street outside the black line. One of the protesters
stomped the pile with his boot and somebody lit the paper, which
smouldered for several minutes before going out.
It was the third time in three weeks that Dawson had appeared to read
the injunction and serve notice the protesters were in contempt of
court.
But nobody left after yesterday's reading and, as of late last night,
there was no sign of police.
A high steel worker, who assisted in the 911 rescue and recovery
operation in New York City, Laughing thought Dawson had been
disrespectful to his people.
"The man didn't ever listen. If he had shown some respect, maybe he
would have gotten further," he told reporters.
A member of a core group who moved onto the site a month ago, Hawk
said the latest reading doesn't affect his resolve to stay on the
site.
Calling the action a land "reclamation," the protesters say the
subdivision is on land that was deeded to Six Nations in the Haldimand
Proclamation of 1784 and still belongs to them.
Hawk and other protesters have said the provincial courts have no
jurisdiction over native lands and they'll only deal with the Attorney
General of Canada, the Governor General, the Queen or her delegates on
a "nation-to-nation" basis.
"We plan to maintain the site until we get what we want... It's not
about the money. It's about the land. We want the land back six miles
on each side of the Grand River from the mouth to the source," he told
reporters.
Don Henning, of Henco Industries, has said he has a clear title to the
land and has fulfilled all the planning requirements, including
notification of the Six Nations elected band council, in getting
Douglas Creek Estates approved. He said his company is being held
hostage between the protesters and the federal government. He has
appealed to the minister of Indian Affairs to help resolve the
impasse.
Last week, Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice sent an emissary on a
"fact-finding" mission.
"They sent us a monkey. We sent him back. We wanted an organ grinder
(who calls the tune), not a monkey," Hawk told reporters. "I'm staying
here. I don't plan to go. Am I supposed to be a good little Indian and
walk off the land?"
-----
(((((7)))))
Les Amérindiens poursuivent l'occupation
Mise à jour le vendredi 31 mars 2006, 9 h 47
http://radio-canada.ca/regions/Ontario/2006/03/31/002-caledonia-occupation.shtml
L'occupation d'un chantier de construction se poursuit à Caledonia, au
sud de Hamilton. Les membres de la communauté autochtone des Six
Nations demandent un moratoire sur les travaux et affirment que le
terrain leur appartient, en vertu d'un traité de 1784.
Entamée le 28 février, l'occupation est dans une phase critique: un
juge a ordonné l'expulsion des manifestants; les policiers ont même le
pouvoir d'intervenir avec force depuis le 22 mars.
La Police provinciale de l'Ontario reste, pour l'instant, à bonne
distance des manifestants, par crainte d'une répétition tragiques
survenus lors de l'occupation du parc Ipperwash en 1995. Une
intervention policière n'est cependant pas exclue.
Un médiateur du gouvernement fédéral est sur place pour tenter de
trouver une solution pacifique au conflit. Jusqu'à maintenant, ses
efforts sont demeurés vains.
Les promoteurs immobiliers affirment qu'ils ont tous les documents
pour prouver qu'ils sont propriétaires des lieux.
La construction des 72 maisons est interrompue jusqu'à nouvel ordre.
-----
(((((8)))))
Les communautés culturelles exigent un moratoire
Mise à jour le mercredi 29 mars 2006, 14 h 04
http://radio-canada.ca/regions/Ontario/2006/03/29/005-moratoire-expulsion.shtml
Les membres des communautés culturelles de Toronto réclament un
moratoire sur l'expulsion des travailleurs illégaux.
Dimanche, 22 Portugais sans-papiers devaient être expulsés du pays,
mais seulement 15 se sont présentés à l'aéroport Pearson. L'Agence des
services frontaliers compte expulser près de 70 autres Portugais
vivant dans la région de Toronto au cours des deux prochaines
semaines.
Mercredi, des représentants de communautés latino-américaines,
caraïbéennes, portugaises, pakistanaises ont uni leurs voix à Toronto
pour dénoncer l'attitude d'Ottawa. Selon elles, le gouvernement
fédéral a tort d'adopter la ligne dure à l'endroit des sans-papiers
parce que le problème réside dans le système d'immigration canadien.
« Nous ne demandons pas une amnistie. Nous réclamons un système qui
permettra la sélection d'immigrants aptes à travailler », déclare
Vilma Filici, dirigeante du Canadian Hispanic Congress. Elle admet que
le pays doit faciliter l'arrivée d'immigrants sans casier judiciaire
ou sans problème de santé trop important.
La plupart des Portugais expulsés travaillaient dans le domaine de la
construction.
Les représentants des communautés culturelles dénoncent le fait que le
système d'immigration évalue les candidatures avec un système de
pointage qui favorise l'entrée au pays de travailleurs diplômés, mais
dont les compétences ne sont pas reconnues: ainsi, des médecins
d'origine étrangère doivent travailler comme chauffeur de taxi.
Ils déplorent également que le système empêche l'arrivée de
travailleurs moins diplômés, comme les travailleurs de la
construction, même s'il existe une pénurie de main-d'oeuvre dans ce
domaine.
Selon eux, le Canada devrait réformer le système d'immigration pour
permettre la venue de travailleurs dont le pays a besoin plutôt que de
renvoyer les gens qui travaillent clandestinement au pays depuis des
années.
Un permis de travail plutôt que l'expulsion
En plus de l'imposition d'un moratoire sur les expulsions pour
réformer le système d'immigration, les membres des communautés
culturelles demandent que tous les travailleurs qui occupent un emploi
au noir depuis deux ans se voient accorder un permis de travail, de
façon à leur permettre de travailler légalement. Lors de l'échéance de
ce permis de deux ans, la citoyenneté canadienne serait
automatiquement accordée à ceux qui n'ont pas de dossier criminel.
Solberg nie cibler une communauté
Le ministre fédéral de l'Immigration, Monte Solberg, nie les
allégations de la communauté portugaise torontoise à l'effet que les
expulsions ciblent les membres de certains groupes ethniques.
Le ministre Solberg affirme vouloir signaler aux immigrants que la
seule façon de vivre au Canada est de faire une demande légitime.
Inquiétudes au Portugal
L'expulsion des Portugais provoque des réactions dans leur pays
d'origine. Lisbonne s'inquiète du changement d'attitude du Canada
envers les travailleurs sans papiers. Les délais très courts accordés
aux familles expulsées ont choqué l'opinion publique portugaise.
Le ministre des Affaires étrangère du Portugal doit en discuter à
Ottawa avec son homologue canadien Peter MacKay.
II y aurait entre 10 000 et 15 000 Portugais en situation illégale au
Canada. Plusieurs travaillent dans le domaine de la construction à
Toronto.
-----
(((((9)))))
Ottawa sera plus sévère envers les réfugiés
Laura-Julie Perreault
La Presse - Le lundi 27 mars 2006
Vancouver
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20060327/CPACTUALITES/60327008/5050/CPPRESSE
Le gouvernement conservateur compte adopter la ligne dure avec les
demandeurs d'asile déboutés. Le nouveau ministre de l'Immigration,
Monte Solberg, souhaite expulser plus rapidement ceux qui se voient
refuser l'asile au Canada.
«Je suis inquiet au sujet des personnes qui sont refusées et qui
abusent de notre système. Elles passent des années et des années à
accaparer nos tribunaux, nous obligeant à dépenser des millions de
dollars. Cet argent pourrait profiter à ceux qui sont au pays de
manière légitime», a dit hier le ministre Solberg.
Il a tenu ces propos lors d'un point de presse à la suite d'un
discours qu'il a prononcé à la conférence nationale Métropolis sur les
enjeux migratoires, à Vancouver. Quelque 500 spécialistes canadiens de
l'immigration y assistent.
Le Canada, qui a reçu autour de 20000 demandes d'asile l'an dernier,
accorde le statut de réfugiés dans plus de 70% des cas, un des taux
les plus élevés au monde.
Dans son discours, M. Solberg a affirmé que son ministère veut
accélérer la procédure de renvoi pour les 30% de demandeurs qui ne
répondent pas aux critères du Canada. De plus, le gouvernement
conservateur ne compte pas pour le moment mettre sur pied la section
d'appel qui permettrait aux demandeurs déboutés d'être entendus à
nouveau. La Loi sur l'immigration, modifiée en 2001, en prévoit
pourtant la création.
«Les gens ont déjà des possibilités sans fin pour demander une
révision judiciaire devant la Cour fédérale ou pour déposer une
demande de résidence permanente pour des motifs humanitaires. Nous
devons regarder le système (d'immigration) au grand complet avant de
décider si nous mettrons sur pied la section d'appel», estime le
ministre.
Janet Dench, directrice du Conseil canadien des réfugiés, croit que M.
Solberg fait fausse route. «Si c'est notre devoir de protéger les gens
qui fuient la persécution, nous devons nous assurer que nous avons la
procédure nécessaire pour qu'ils reçoivent cette protection. Mais
puisque la section d'appel n'est pas en place, ceux qui ont besoin de
protection et qui sont déboutés pour les mauvaises raisons n'ont pas
de recours, a-t-elle déclaré à La Presse. C'est ahurissant qu'un
nouveau gouvernement ne tente pas de corriger le plus vite possible
l'erreur du gouvernement précédent.»
Dans son discours, le ministre Solberg a présenté les priorités du
gouvernement conservateur en matière d'immigration. Il a rappelé que
le premier ministre Stephen Harper compte réduire de moitié les frais
d'établissement de 975$ que doivent présentement verser les immigrants
avant leur arrivée au Canada.
Le ministre a aussi affirmé qu'il ferait de la reconnaissance des
compétences des immigrés son cheval de bataille. «Nous allons prendre
les mesures nécessaires pour combler l'écart entre les critères de
sélection des immigrants et la situation des nouveaux arrivants au
Canada. Il n'est pas normal qu'un médecin formé à l'étranger doive
naviguer dans un labyrinthe de règles et de prescriptions avant de se
trouver un emploi dans le domaine médical, et ce, malgré une pénurie
croissante de médecins.»
La troisième priorité du gouvernement conservateur sera de donner plus
rapidement la citoyenneté canadienne aux enfants adoptés à l'étranger
par des parents canadiens.
Le critique en matière d'immigration du Nouveau Parti démocratique,
Bill Siskay, a assisté hier au discours du ministre et s'est dit
inquiet de l'étroitesse des objectifs conservateurs en matière
d'immigration. «Il faut voir ce qu'il y aura dans le discours du
Trône», a dit le député de Colombie-Britannique.
Il remet en cause la diminution des frais d'établissement. «Si un
gouvernement dit que c'est une mauvaise mesure de demander 975$ aux
immigrants pour leur établissement au Canada, je ne vois pas pourquoi
ce serait bien de leur en demander la moitié. Il faut éliminer ces
frais complètement», a dit Bill Siskay à La Presse.
-----
(((((10)))))
http://www.lexpress.fr/info/infojour/reuters.asp?id=17628&0903
dimanche 2 avril 2006, mis à jour à 09:22
Les immigrés manifestent pour leurs droits aux Etats-Unis
Reuters
Plusieurs milliers de personnes ont manifesté samedi à New York sous
une marée de drapeaux colorés de pays d'Amérique latine pour défendre
les droits des immigrés aux Etats-Unis.
Cette foule bigarrée de plus de 10.000 personnes a traversé le pont de
Brooklyn en direction de Manhattan, scandant des slogans tels que
"Nous sommes tous des Américains" et brandissant des pancartes avec
des inscriptions en anglais et en espagnol telles que "Nous ne sommes
pas des criminels" ou "Les droits des immigrés sont les droits de
l'homme".
Cette manifestation new-yorkaise était la plus importante d'une série
de rassemblements organisés à travers les Etats-Unis, notamment en
Californie, pour protester contre le renforcement de la législation
sur l'immigration envisagé par le Congrès, à quelques mois des
élections de mi-mandat.
"Nous sommes des travailleurs, pas des terroristes", a affirmé
Augustin Rangel, un homme de 40 ans arrivé du Mexique il y a quatre
ans et qui travaille à la fois comme peintre et employé de bar. "Nous
travaillons dur pour ce pays et pour nos familles. Nous voulons les
mêmes droits que tout le monde."
Cette manifestation, qui a pris l'allure d'un défilé de carnaval avec
femmes, enfants et personnes plus âgées, devait se rendre jusque
devant le bâtiment de Manhattan où les immigrés font la queue tous les
jours de la semaine pour obtenir des visas fédéraux.
Camella Pinkney-Price, représentante des Eglises évangéliques
hispaniques, a souligné que les manifestants entendaient protester
contre un projet de loi menaçant de poursuites pénales les personnes
qui viennent en aide aux 11 millions de travailleurs clandestins
estimés aux Etats-Unis.
APPEL AU BOYCOTT
"Nous voulons dire que nous méritons d'avoir un statut légal",
a-t-elle dit. "Pourquoi appelle-t-on immigrés clandestins des
personnes qui suent sang et eau pour ce pays?"
La Chambre des représentants a adopté en décembre un projet de loi
qualifiant les immigrés clandestins de criminels et prônant la
construction d'une barrière de plus d'un millier de kilomètres le long
de la frontière entre les Etats-Unis et le Mexique.
Le Sénat débat actuellement d'une proposition alternative, qui offre
aux immigrés bénéficiant de visas temporaires de travail et aux
clandestins la perspective d'acquérir à terme la nationalité
américaine. Parallèlement, ce projet prévoit un renforcement des
contrôles sur les lieux de travail et la création d'un statut de
"travailleur invité" réclamé par le président George Bush.
Julio Diaz, 30 ans, est arrivé clandestinement en provenance de la
ville mexicaine de Veracruz à l'âge de 17 ans. Il travaille dans une
cafétéria et il est venu manifester avec son épouse et leurs deux
enfants de sept et huit ans, portant chacun un drapeau américain.
"Nous sommes venus aujourd'hui pour défendre la régularisation des
immigrés comme moi", explique-t-il. "Nous n'avons pas besoin d'une
amnistie mais nous voudrions des visas temporaires afin de pas risquer
nos vies lorsque nous franchissons la frontière pour rendre visite à
nos familles.
"Je paye des impôts et je travaille dur."
Lors d'un rassemblement en Californie, Javier Bonales, responsable de
la branche locale du puissant Syndicat international des camionneurs,
a lancé un appel à une journée de boycott.
"Le 1er mai, nous envisageons un vaste boycott américain", a-t-il
prévenu. "Pendant une journée, nous n'allons pas nous rendre au
travail et nous n'allons rien acheter. Nous allons rester chez nous et
nous allons montrer notre soutien à tous ces travailleurs."
-----
(((((11)))))
http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=71381
Filipino caregiver in Canada to stay and fight deportation
First posted 09:15am (Mla time) April 02, 2006
By Nikko Dizon
Inquirer
A FILIPINO caregiver, who was given until today by Canadian
immigration authorities to voluntary leave the country, has decided to
stay put and instead challenge the order of the Citizenship and
Immigration Canada (CIC) office, a Canada-based migrant worker
advocacy group said yesterday.
Emelda Emnace, who has been working as a live-in caregiver in Canada
for less than two years, has decided not to go home to the
Philippines, Glecy Duran, vice chair of Siklab, the national
organization of Filipino migrant workers in Canada, told the Inquirer
in an overseas call yesterday.
Duran said that Emnace, a 40-year-old mother of two girls, was a
victim of bureaucracy in Canada and the failure of the Canadian
government to provide exhaustive information for live-in caregivers on
their stay in the country.
According to Siklab, Emnace arrived in Canada in May 2004 and worked
for one year as a live-in caregiver taking care of two children for a
Vancouver family.
After the family no longer needed her services, Emnace actively sought
employment elsewhere.
"She did find another employer but the job didn't materialize. Then
she got another job offer. This time, she and her prospective employer
submitted to the CIC all the necessary documents," Duran said.
However, due to processing delays, Emnace was not re-issued a valid
working permit and lost her temporary status.
"Live-in caregivers under CIC's Live-in Caregiver Program (LCP) are
required to hold a valid working permit issued by CIC which is good
for one year and tie the live-in caregivers to working for only one
employer," Siklab said.
Duran said the LCP manual states that caregivers are allowed to change
employers under the three year limit and Emnace was very well within
the limit.
"Emelda should not be deported because she did her part and looked for
employers. The bureaucracy delayed the processing of her papers,"
Duran said.
By tomorrow, April 3, Emnace would be technically considered "out of
status," Duran said.
Emnace has another 30 days until "a removal action by the police or
immigration authorities" is implemented, Duran said.
Duran said Emnace and Siklab had asked the CIC to review Emnace's case.
"If our request is denied, we will apply for a 'humanitarian
compassionate' (consideration) for her because her abusive ex-husband
is still in the Philippines," Duran said.
-----
(((((12)))))
Portuguese protesters blast Tory crackdown
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2006/03/30/1511919-sun.html
By PABLO FERNANDEZ, CALGARY SUN
Ottawa's crackdown on undocumented Portuguese workers is "stupid, cold
and narrow-minded," said more than 30 Calgarians who protested the
fed's move at city hall yesterday.
The Tory government has deported two dozen Portuguese nationals from
Toronto during the last few days and many more are expected to follow
in the next two weeks.
Immigration Minister Monte Solberg said the illegal workers must be
sent back in order to be fair to prospective immigrants who meet
criteria and who await permission to move to Canada.
But the government's blitz on his countrymen is akin to treating
people like cattle, said Calgary protester Antonio Simoes.
"We object to the state sending people who are working, and who are
often times established, back in favour of somebody who's...
untested," he said. "We're not letting the tested horse run the race,
hoping that the one in the corral is going to do better.
"There's people here who are good, who are already integrated into
society, so why would I send them back in favour of people who are
going to arrive and who may very well cost the state funds to be
settled."
Most of the Portuguese nationals working in Canada illegally and
facing deportation have tried for years to get their papers, but have
been continuously turned down be-cause of unrealistically strict
immigration requirements, Simoes said.
-----
(((((13)))))
New hope for illegals, says Portuguese minister
As fear rises and more failed claimants put on airplanes, Canada said
considering program for construction workers
Apr. 2, 2006. 01:00 AM
DEBRA BLACK
STAFF REPORTER
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1143931815420&call_pageid=968350130169&col=969483202845
Portugal's Minister of State and Foreign Affairs says Canada is
considering establishing a program that would allow illegal immigrants
working in Canada's booming residential construction industry to stay
here.
Diogo Freitas do Amaral told reporters gathered at the Portuguese
Consulate in Toronto Friday night that he proposed the idea to
Canada's Immigration Minister Monte Solberg during a visit to Ottawa
late last week. He said it was warmly received.
"The minister said the idea was considered reasonable and that it
would be studied," said Freitas do Amaral in Portuguese. "They said
they would seek solutions ... Also we suggested that in cases where
the Portuguese have had children here they should not be deported.
They said they would consider it."
The Portuguese minister was dispatched to Ottawa for an emergency
meeting with Solberg and Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay last
week after controversy raged in Portugal over the number of illegal
immigrants facing deportation.
The Portuguese Foreign Minister's remarks come as more deportations of
failed Portuguese refugee claimants took place last night at Pearson
airport and rumours continue to swirl in the Portuguese community
about a crackdown.
Yesterday a rally was held across from the Dufferin Mall to support
illegal Portuguese immigrants, many of whom fear they are now being
targeted by police and immigration officers. Organizers called for an
end to what they describe as "increased immigration enforcement and
U.S.-style targeting of people on the streets."
Paulo Santos, a 19-year-old high school student, told the crowd he and
his parents and younger sister are to be deported April 23. "My dad is
a bricklayer," Santos said. "My mom is a house cleaner. We want to
stay. If I go back I won't have a future. Most families are here to
give their children a future."
As Santos was speaking, Antonio Sousa and his family were at Pearson
airport preparing for a flight back to Portugal. Sousa, who came to
Canada in 2001, had filed a refugee claim but it was turned down. He
was one of 17 people who were slated to be sent home last night.
Today, another eight families are scheduled to be flown back.
The rally, which drew support from about 200 people from the
neighbourhood along with representatives from the Canadian Auto
Workers and some local politicians, was sparked by stories that
"undocumented" Portuguese immigrants had recently been stopped by
police and immigration officials at the Dufferin Mall and were
detained.
The general manager of the Dufferin Mall has told tenants in the mall
that neither the police nor immigration officials have asked for
permission to come into the mall for such purposes. He said he could
not find any evidence of such a sweep.
Francisco Rico-Martinez, a spokesperson for the Canadian Council for
Refugees, doesn't believe the story is anything more than rumours
fuelled by fear. He said the council received at least 100 calls about
the so-called sweep in the mall, but nobody was able to confirm that
it had actually happened.
However, No One is Illegal, the organization that held the rally
yesterday, remains adamant that the searches and detainments at the
Dufferin Mall happened. Sima Zerehi, a member of No One is Illegal,
said her organization has received many phone calls from settlement
workers who claim their clients have been stopped at the mall and
asked to show their papers.
But when asked for specific cases, she admitted she can't provide them
because the settlement workers won't reveal the names of their clients
because of confidentiality.
With files from Isabel Teotonio
-----
(((((14)))))
IMMIGRANT PROTESTS CONTINUE
(Immigration News Briefs is a weekly supplement to Weekly News
Update on the Americas, published by Nicaragua Solidarity
Network, 339 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012; tel 212-674-9499;
fax 212-674-9139; wnu at igc.org. INB is also distributed free via
email; contact nicajg at panix.com for info.)
More than 500,000 people marched in Los Angeles on Mar. 25 to
demand legalization for out-of-status immigrants and protest
anti-immigrant legislation being considered by the Senate [see
INB 3/18/06, 3/25/06]. Police estimated the crowd size using
aerial photographs and other techniques, police commander Louis
Gray Jr. said. [AP 3/26/06]
The LA demonstration was the largest of a wave of protests
sweeping cities across the US, starting with Feb. 14 rallies and
strikes in Philadelphia and Georgetown, Delaware, and energized
by a massive Mar. 10 rally in Chicago [see INB 2/18/06, 3/11/06,
3/25/06]. According to a Mar. 25 article by New American Media,
more than 50 demonstrations took place over the previous few
weeks, including in Minneapolis, Knoxville, Seattle, St. Louis,
Portland (OR), Staten Island (NY) and Grand Rapids (MI). [NAM
3/25/06]
More than 50,000 people protested on Mar. 25 in downtown Denver,
Colorado, according to police. Some 5,000-7,000 people gathered
in Charlotte, North Carolina. A rally in Dallas, Texas, drew
1,500. In Sacramento, California, more than 4,000 people took
part in an annual march honoring the late farm labor leader Cesar
Chavez. [AP 3/26/06] According to an email update from the
Houston, Texas-based zine The Alarm, between 5,000 and 6,000
people marched in Houston on Mar. 25 for the DREAM Act--
legislation that would allow immigrant students to legalize their
status. [The Alarm 3/29/06]
In New York on Mar. 25, several hundred people gathered at a
"dialogue with elected leaders" in Jackson Heights, Queens,
organized by Immigrant Communities in Action [whose name was
given incorrectly in INB 2/18/06]. At least 75 people protested
outside the federal building in Manhattan at a vigil organized by
Families for Freedom, highlighting the plight of US citizen
children affected by the deportation of parents. [New York Times
3/26/06; FFF 3/20/06] On Mar. 26, 1,000 people marched in Upper
Manhattan. [El Diario-La Prensa (NY) 3/27/06] Immigrants also
marched in Columbus, Ohio on Mar. 26. [AP 3/27/06]
On Mar. 27, several thousand demonstrators gathered on the west
lawn of the Capitol in Washington, DC, joined by 100 religious
leaders who denounced a House provision that would make it a
crime to give aid to illegal immigrants. [NYT 3/28/06; San Jose
Mercury News 3/27/06]
On Mar. 27 in San Francisco, as many as 5,000 demonstrators
marched to the offices of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). The march
marked the culmination of a week-long hunger strike. [David Bacon
email 3/27/06; NYT 3/28/06] As many as 2,500 immigrants from a
broad array of backgrounds rallied on Boston Common. [Boston
Globe 3/28/06] About 4,000 people turned out for a rally in
Detroit; business owners of Latin American descent closed their
shops in support of the protest. [NYT 3/28/06]
About 200 students rallied in front of the Statehouse in Trenton,
New Jersey on Mar. 30 to urge state and federal lawmakers to
consider bills that would allow undocumented students to attend
college at in-state tuition rates. [Ocean County Observer
3/31/06; AP 3/30/06]
On Mar. 31, the birthday of Cesar Chavez, hundreds of students,
farmworkers and supporters marched through the streets of El
Paso, Texas, to support immigrant rights and pay homage to the
farmworker leader, who died in April 1993. [La Jornada (Mexico)
4/1/06]
On Apr. 1 in New York City, more than 10,000 people marched over
the Brooklyn Bridge to demand legalization and protest anti-
immigrant legislation. The march ended with a rally at
Manhattan's federal building. [AP 4/1/06]
In Costa Mesa, California, about 40 miles south of Los Angeles,
some 1,500 people turned out in the wind and rain on Apr. 1 to
support immigrant rights. The mostly young and Latino crowd
marched around city hall, waving US and Mexican flags. [MSNBC
4/1/06] Last year Costa Mesa's City Council approved a plan to
give local police authority to enforce immigration law. Federal
officials have not yet decided whether to accept the city's
proposal. [AP 4/1/06]
Labor, immigrant and civil rights and religious groups are
organizing for a National Day of Action on Apr. 10. [AP 3/26/06]
-----
(((((15)))))
L.A. Schools Hit By Three Days of Walkouts
http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=ea10479fc7d866
b9c5da9de166a6eaf9
News Report, City News Service,
Wave Newspapers, Mar 30, 2006
LOS ANGELES - Despite school lockdowns and rainy weather, thousands of
students from nearly two dozen campuses rallied for immigrant rights
this week.
Spokespersons for the Los Angeles Unified School District said about
6,000 students were absent from school Tuesday and that students from
20 to 24 campuses were taking part in protests across the area.
Students also marched in Bellflower, Wilmington and Compton.
It was the third day of student protests about the immigration reform
legislation being debated by the U.S. Senate.
More than 36,000 students from 26 school districts throughout the
county skipped classes Monday and marched through streets and on
freeways to protest an immigration bill
Last Friday, more than 2,000 students from various schools staged a
walkout. Roughly 1,000 students walked out of Huntington Park High
School early Friday morning.
As the day progressed, hundreds more students left class from
King-Drew Medical Magnet, South Gate, Garfield, Roosevelt, Montebello
and South East high schools, according to the LAUSD.
Some South East students threw rocks and bottles at Los Angeles
Unified School Police officers, according to the district. Five
officers were taken the hospital for treatment and released.
South Gate police and the California Highway Patrol said the students'
march caused some traffic congestion, but no other major problems.
Some minor vandalism was reported in Huntington Park.
Students told television reporters that they didn't necessarily fully
grasp the nuances of the bill, but said they opposed any measure to
deport immigrants.
"They're making laws for all immigrants to go back to their countries
and we just think that's not right," student Francisco Velazquez said.
"We all want to stay here. We all want to get a good education."
"They want to send all the people from Mexico - who came from Mexico
without papers - they want to send them all back, and we don't want
that," another student said.
One girl, when asked if she understood the bill, looked at her friends
and responded, "We don't know, but we want to stay here."
About 1,000 students rallied for much of the day at Los Angeles City
Hall, with several representatives meeting privately with Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa. The mayor later spoke to the students, saying
their voices were being heard, but urging them to return to class.
The immigration issue was also the subject of a massive demonstration
in downtown Saturday.
Police estimated that as many as 500,000 people marched and
demonstrated downtown. Despite the numbers, police said there were no
arrests or injuries during the day.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addressed the crowd.
"We cannot criminalize people who are working, people who are
contributing to our economy and contributing to the nation,"
Villaraigosa said.
Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, D-Los Angeles, also attended the rally.
"We believe in the American dream, and all we want is that dream to be
made available to all who work hard and want to benefit from it,"
Nuñez said. "We don't want a handout - what we are looking for is
sensible legislation."
LAUSD officials said middle and high school classes throughout the
district would have classroom discussions Tuesday on a bill introduced
by Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., which would crack down on
employers hiring illegal workers and people smuggling illegal
immigrants into the country.
"We will have in-class teachings for students so that they can have
conversations to deal with this issue in a very productive way," said
Rowena Lagrosa, executive officer of educational services for the
district.
The class discussions will also address freedom of speech, civil
protests and events in U.S. history that have involved public
protests, according to a district statement.
In addition to the lockdown, police presence was beefed up on LAUSD
campuses, district officials said.
Robert Hinojosa, principal of Huntington Park High School, said his
students were staying on campus Tuesday.
"So far it's quiet. The rain is helping," he said. "Some of [the
students] still have their high school exit exams to pass, and they're
very conscious that it has to get back to business as usual."
Student Martin Iniguez said his classmates should return to the classroom.
"If we don't stay in school - we're marching out when we should be in
a learning environment and it seems that we don't want that - it just
looks bad on us," he said.
The Sensenbrenner bill, HR 4437, would require employers to verify
Social Security numbers with the Department of Homeland Security,
increase penalities for immigrant smuggling and stiffen penalities for
undocumented immigrants who re-enter the United States after having
been removed.
Under the bill, approved last December by the House of
Representatives, local law enforcement agencies would be reimbursed
for detaining illegal immigrants. Refugees with aggravated felony
convictions would also be barred from receiving green cards.
The U.S. Senate's Judiciary Committee softened the immigration reform
bill Monday by voting to create a path for some of the nation's
estimated 12 million illegal immigrants to become citizens without
first leaving the country.
Under the version voted on by the committee, additional foreign
workers would be allowed to enter the United States temporarily under
a program that also could lead to citizenship.
Additionally, the committee adopted an amendment by Sen Richard
Durbin, D- Ill., that would protect charitable organizations and
churches from criminal charges for providing aid to illegal
immigrants.
-----
(((((16)))))
STUDENT WALKOUTS SPREAD
In Los Angeles on Mar. 27--the Monday on which California
celebrates Cesar Chavez day, but which is not a school holiday--
as many as 36,000 students from 25 Los Angeles County schools
walked out of class to protest anti-immigrant measures being
debated in the Senate and demand legalization for immigrants.
Officials at Huntington Park High School locked the gates after
classes started to prevent walkouts, but students climbed over a
chain-link fence and joined the march. More than 1,000 students
encircled the Los Angeles City Hall, and a group of six met with
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in his office. Villaraigosa then
stepped outside and addressed the crowd of students, telling him
he supported their goals but urging them to return to class.
About 300 students and other protesters took over several lanes
of a freeway in downtown Los Angeles. The demonstrators walked
about a mile before they were escorted off, the Highway Patrol
said. [AP 3/27/06, 3/28/06; Dallas Morning News 3/28/06; NYT
3/28/06]
The Mar. 27 student walkouts quickly spread to San Diego,
Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange and Ventura counties. In San
Diego County, two dozen protesters were arrested in Escondido
after refusing orders from police to disperse. In Riverside,
seven people were arrested across town after scuffles with riot
police, authorities said. [LAT 3/28/06] Other student protests
were reported in Fresno, Oakland and Watsonville, California. [AP
3/28/06]
An estimated 400 students walked out of high schools in Phoenix,
Arizona, on Mar. 27 and marched to the Capitol to support
immigrant rights. [AP 3/28/06] As many as 4,000 students walked
out of high schools in the Dallas, Texas area on Mar. 27 to
demonstrate at a park and at Dallas City Hall. [DMN 3/28/06]
Hundreds of students walked out of class on Mar. 27 and 28 in
Houston, San Diego, Denver, Las Vegas, Detroit and in northern
Virginia. [DMN 3/28/06; AP 3/29/06; Washington Post 3/29/06;
Rocky Mountain News (Denver) 3/29/06]
Students from a dozen North Texas school districts walked out of
class on Mar. 28, and several hundred students stormed the lobby
of Dallas City Hall and disrupted a council meeting. Dallas
School District Superintendent Michael Hinojosa warned students
that further protests could lead to in-school suspensions, parent
conferences or even truancy arrests. [DMN 3/28/06]
On Mar. 28, thousands of high school and some middle school
students walked out of class in Phoenix and its suburbs. By
midday, Phoenix police estimated 2,000 students had gathered at
the Capitol. [Arizona Republic 3/29/06] Nearly 800 high school
students staged demonstrations in Tucson, Arizona on Mar. 29.
About 500 students at Sunnyside High in Tucson began a three-mile
march about a half-hour before dismissal time. The principal and
staff helped organize the action. [Arizona Daily Star (Tucson)
3/30/06] At least 1,150 students from 18 Tucson area schools--
including elementary and middle schools--walked out of class on
Mar. 30 and marched through the streets. [Arizona Daily Star
(Tucson) 3/31/06]
Some 6,000 students walked out again on Mar. 28 in the Los
Angeles School District. [El Barlovento 3/28/06] The walkouts
slowed in Los Angeles on Mar. 29, but continued elsewhere in
California. In Kern County, California, about 3,000 students
walked out. About 1,800 students took to the streets in and
around Bakersfield. In nearby Arvin, 1,000 high school students
marched to the town's city hall. At Oceanside High in San Diego
County, California, some students defied a school lockdown and
tried to leave for a protest. Police arrived and sprayed mace at
students to keep them from climbing a fence. A number of students
were detained. The Oceanside Unified School District decided to
close middle and high schools for the rest of the week. [LAT
3/30/06]
In Yakima, Washington, 660 students at Davis high school and
dozens of others at Eisenhower high school walked out on Mar. 27.
On Mar. 29, Davis administrators at decided to punish the 660
students who walked out by suspending them. Eisenhower students
were not punished. [Email message from Yakima resident Maria
Cuevas 3/30/06] On Mar. 30, police arrested 26 students who
walked out of classes in the Houston Independent School District
for curfew violations. Another 33 students from Dowling Middle
School and 34 from Madison High School got truancy citations the
same day. [Houston Chronicle 3/31/06]
About 700 high school students walked out on Mar. 29 in El Paso,
Texas, and marched for several miles. On Mar. 30, more than 2,000
El Paso area students skipped out of class and marched through
the streets all day. [El Paso Times 3/30/06, 3/31/06] Students
also walked out of class in Austin, and again in Dallas. [AP
3/30/06]
Demonstrations among high schoolers and middle schoolers spread
on Mar. 30 in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Ignoring threats of
disciplinary action from school administrators, 1,500 students
walked out of class or skipped school in Northern Virginia and
about 300 students did the same in Kensington, Maryland, to march
for immigrant rights. [Washington Post 3/31/06]
In Los Angeles on Mar. 31, more than 100 students rallied again
at City Hall. [La Jornada (Mexico) 4/1/06] Some 2,000 students
demonstrated in San Diego and another 1,000 did so in
Bakersfield. In Las Vegas, Nevada, some 4,000 students walked out
of classes at 22 schools and met in the center of the city. More
than 1,000 walked out again in Tucson and marched through the
city, and the walkouts also continued in Maryland and Virginia.
[LJ 4/1/06]
(Immigration News Briefs is a weekly supplement to Weekly News
Update on the Americas, published by Nicaragua Solidarity
Network, 339 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012; tel 212-674-9499;
fax 212-674-9139; wnu at igc.org. INB is also distributed free via
email; contact nicajg at panix.com for info.)
-----
(((((17)))))
Selected Indymedia Coverage (San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Cruz,
Houston) compiled by members of the Organic Collective (San Diego):
http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2006/03/114719.shtml
http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2006/03/114666.shtml
http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2006/03/114647.shtml
http://la.indymedia.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=1083&category_id=3
http://la.indymedia.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=1079&category_id=3
http://la.indymedia.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=1078&category_id=3
http://la.indymedia.org/archives/archive_by_id.php?id=1077&category_id=3
http://indybay.org/news/2006/03/1811302.php
http://www.indybay.org/news/2006/03/1811814.php
http://houston.indymedia.org/news/2006/03/48323.php
http://houston.indymedia.org/news/2006/03/48295.php
-----
No One Is Illegal/Personne n'est illégal-MONTREAL
tel: 514-859-9023 -- noii-montreal at resist.ca
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