[mobglob-discuss] Fwd: [ocap] Taxi Driver Defense Fund & Immigrants in Sanctuary and on Trial

[Graeme Bacque]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	[ocap] Taxi Driver Defense Fund & Immigrants in Sanctuary and 
on Trial
Date: 	Wed, 11 Jan 2006 15:12:52 -0500 (EST)
From: 	OCAP <ocap at tao.ca>
To: 	ocap at masses.tao.ca


Three items in this email:

1.  Toronto Taxi Driver Defense Fund
2.  Abdelkader Belaouni takes Sanctuary Inside a Montreal Church
3.  Verdict Day in Trial of Non-Status Algerians in Ottawa

******************************************

Toronto Taxi Driver Defense Fund

Appeal for funds to assist Taxi Drivers fighting racism, and police abuse
in the courts.

The Toronto Coalition of Concerned Taxi Drivers is appealing for funds to
help a taxi driver who faces trial for alleged assault police. If found
guilty he faces not only jail time and a criminal record but also risks
loosing his taxi license and, therefore, his livelihood. Abbas, an Iranian
Taxi Driver who drives 12 hours a day and makes less than minimum wage,
encountered police brutality while simply doing his job. Abbas, like most
immigrant drivers, faces severe harassment by police on the job. This
fall, Abbas was only trying to work when police stopped him solely because
he dared to ask a Toronto cop a question. It is sadly evident today that
Toronto cops find being a working class immigrant who asks questions
grounds for criminal persecution and at the end of the day Abbas was
charged with assaulting a police officer.

Abbas is not eligible for legal aid and can not cover the costs of
defending himself (and must take this injustice to the courts,) The
Toronto Coalition of Concerned Taxi Drivers is appealing to organizations
and individuals to ensure he is able to fight this injustice. Abbas's
legal costs exceed $1500, which is more than a whole month's wages earned
by taxi drivers, so we are asking for financial support in this fight. It
is common knowledge, that Toronto police will lay bogus charges if they
feel that victims of their harassment are unable to defend themselves in
court.

To support Abbas and the work that is done through the Toronto Taxi Driver
Defense Fund to ensure crucial legal and financial support for taxi
drivers who face bogus charges, and a loss of their livelihood, cheques
can be made to:

Taxi Driver Defense Fund
-please put Taxi Driver Defense Fund in the memo.

The Taxi Driver Defense Fund and Coalition of Concerned Taxi Drivers is
made up of independent taxi drivers, On-Time Taxi, Eagles Taxi, Taxi Post,
Taxi Talk, with the support of OCAP.

For more information or to contact the Toronto Coalition of Concerned Taxi
Drivers contact 416-925-6939 or taxidrivers.coalition at gmail.com

For more information on taxi driver issues visit:  www.taxipost.ca


******************************************


Abdelkader Belaouni takes Sanctuary Inside a Montreal Church

::: A CALL FOR SUPPORT, SOLIDARITY AND ACTION:::

::: ABDELKADER BELAOUNI TAKES SANCTUARY INSIDE A MONTREAL CHURCH :::

4 January 2006

Abdelkader Belaouni who is an active member of Solidarity Across Borders &
the Action Committee of Non-Status Algerians, and was one of over 100
people who marched to Ottawa this summer to demand the regularization of
all non-status persons in Canada  has taken sanctuary at St. Gabriel's
church in Montreal. Abdelkader's deportation date was set for January 5th,
but he has decided to continue to fight against this injustice, and has
sought sanctuary in order to avoid deportation.

Your support is urgently needed to ensure that Abdelkader remains safely
in sanctuary until his status in Canada is regularized!

While Abdelkader and his supporters are actively campaigning for him to
stay in Canada, we are urgently calling for a PHONE/FAX/EMAIL campaign, to
demand that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration STAY ABDELKADER
BELAOUNI'S DEPORTATION AND IMMEDIATELY GRANT HIM STATUS IN CANADA.

It is essential  as Abdelkader¹s deportation date passes  that we
demonstrate our support and demand justice.

Listen to an interview with Kader (January 7th - in French/en Francais) at
http://solidarityacrossborders.org/sites/solidarityacrossborders.org/files/Abdelkader.mp3

TAKE ACTION

Please call and/or fax a letter to the following politicians to demand
that they stop Abdelkader's deportation and grant him permanent resident
status in Canada. Please 'cc' sansfrontieres at resist.ca to let us know you
have written or called.

Calls are particularly important during this period because of the urgency.

Joe Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Tel: (613) 992-6361
and (416) 781-5583, Fax: (613) 992-9791 and (416) 781-5586,
volpej at parl.gc.ca AND Minister at cic.gc.ca

Anne McLellan, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (also
in charge of the Canadian Border Services Agency), Tel: (613) 992-4524,
Fax: (613) 943-0044, McLellan.A at parl.gc.ca

René D'Aoust, Director Investigations and Removals, CIC Montreal, Tel:
(514) 496-1237, Fax: (514) 496-2222

Liza Frulla, MP (Liberal), Jeanne-Le Ber, Tel: (514) 496-4885, Fax:
(514)496-4888

Paul Martin, Prime Minister of Canada, Tel: (514) 363-0954, Fax: (514)
367-5533, pm at pm.gc.ca

See sample letter, below.

:::BACKGROUND:::

Abdelkader Belaouni is a blind man from Algeria who has been living in
Montreal for close to three years. After exhausting all recourses to
remain legally in Canada, and facing deportation on January 5th, 2005,
Abdelkader sought sanctuary at Saint Gabriel's church in his own
neighbourhood of Point St-Charles, in Montreal. For him, deportation will
mean losing the dignity, autonomy and security for which he has worked so
hard to achieve since settling in Montreal nearly three years ago.

Recognizing the importance of supporting Abdelkader in his fight against
the injustice of Citizenship and Immigration Canada¹s decision to reject
his applications to remain legally in Canada, Saint Gabriel's church in
Montreal offered sanctuary to Abdelkader. Father MacDonald, of Saint
Gabriel¹s church, has stated: "[It is] compassionate justice that we are
looking for, as opposed to any kind of legalistic justice."

Over the past few years, Abdelkader has worked hard to put down roots in
Montreal. His adaptation to life in Montreal is particularly remarkable
given that he has been displaced on two previous occasions: first in
Algeria where he endured and escaped the civil war and, second, in the
post-9/11/2001 climate of the U.S.A., where he experienced the racist
backlash against Arabs and Muslims. Moreover, his involvement in Quebec
and Canadian society is demonstrated by the 32 letters of support he has
received thus far, including organizations and individuals who have come
to know and respect him. Groups such as Committee to Aid Refugees,
Montreal City Mission, Association Multi-ethnique pour l'intégration des
personnes handicapées (where he volunteered for over a year),The Brail and
Nazareth Institute, and Legal Aid of Pointe St-Charles and Little Burgundy
have called for the deportation to be halted and Abdelkader to remain in
Canada.

Mr. Belaouni would be deported first to the U.S.A., where there is a high
risk of detention pending deportation back to Algeria. As an Arab, as a
Muslim, and as a blind man with diabetes-related health problems, he would
be particularly vulnerable in detention.

Mr. Belaouni was victim of an unjust decision by CIC that rejected his
application on Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds on October 24, 2005.
This decision discriminated against Mr. Belaouni on the basis that he
wasn't employed  which neglected to take into account both the systemic
discrimination against handicapped persons in general and the lack of
access to employment opportunities as a result of the precariousness
associated with not having legal status. The decision ignores the varied
contributions that Abdelkader has made in his community.

:: SAMPLE LETTER ::

Feel free to use the following letter as a model. Please also feel free to
personalize the text as much as possible.

(Name)
(Address)
(Place, date)

Re : Abdelkader Belaouni

Dear (fill in name),

I am shocked and angry to learn that Canada plans to deport Mr. Abdelkader
Belaouni on January 5th. Mr. Belaouni is a man who has overcome great
barriers - including a visual impairment - to create a secure and
dignified life for himself in Montreal, after being displaced twice. I
find it alarming that rather than exercise its 'compassion' and recognize
Mr. Belaouni's achievements, CIC has instead based its refusal to grant
Mr. Belaouni status on the grounds that Mr. Belaouni has been unable to
find work. This decision fails to take into account the fact of his total
visual impairment, and is thus discriminatory. Not only does this decision
discriminate against Mr. Belaouni because of his disability, but it also
ignores the significant contributions and strong connections Mr. Belaouni
has made in his community of Point St-Charles, and more broadly in
Montreal.

Mr. Belaouni enjoys the support of over 30 organizations in Montreal, as
well as the support of countless individuals such as myself. For example,
Steve Watson from the Canadian Auto Worker's union writes:

"I know that Abdelkader has tried hard to make an independent life for
himself in Canada. He is active in his neighbourhood, Point St-Charles,
and in groups working to make a better life for people in poverty and
insecurity.

"Abdelkader has tried very hard to support himself. He told me how he sold
the magazine l'Itineraire in the Montreal Metro. He has taken a mobility
course for the blind at the Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille.

"He should not be penalized for discriminatory policies and employment
practices which are beyond his control. Because he is not a citizen
Abdelkader was denied entry to some programmes meant to enhance
opportunities for the blind.

"Nevertheless, Abdelkader has volunteered with the Multi-Ethnic
Association for the Integration of the Handicapped of Quebec (AMEIPH).
There he has been a front-desk receptionist since January, 2005. I have
since learned that he has only missed three days: once when his mother
went into a coma, once when his mother died, and once after he learned of
his deportation order.

"We need more people like Abdelkader in Canada."

I couldn't agree more.

The fact that the deportation of Mr. Belaouni will likely mean his
detention in the US, pending his eventual deportation to Algeria,
exemplifies a gross injustice.He will be particularly vulnerable in
detention due to his diabetes and visual impairment, and this in addition
to the discrimination that he will face as an Arab and Muslim.

Why would Canada deport a man to detention, deportation and insecurity -
someone who contributes to the fabric of our community while living a
dignified and autonomous life in Canada?

I urge you to exercise your power to stop the deportation of Mr. Belaouni,
and to provide him with status here in Canada.

Sincerely,

Name
Address

--------------------------------------
This appeal is issued by the Committee to Support Abdelkader Belaouni
sansfrontieres at resist.ca
(514) 859-9023
www.solidarityacrossborders.org

To see photos of Abdelkader marching to Ottawa with Solidarity Across
Borders this past summer, visit:
http://gallery.cmaq.net/nooiimarch_05/DSCN0013_1
http://gallery.cmaq.net/nooiimarch_05/DSCN0026_1



******************************************

Verdict Day in Trial of Non-Status Algerians in Ottawa

Thirty-three months since the electric guns and the beatings, a year and a
half since the beginning of trial...it's been a long wait, but it is now
almost...

:::===:::===:::===:::===:::
VERDICT DAY
Elgin Street Court, OTTAWA
Monday, January 30, 2006
9 AM SHARP -- Courtroom 9
:::===:::===:::===:::===:::

-- A verdict will be rendered in the case of non-status Algerians and
supporters brutally arrested in the Immigration Minister's waiting room

-- Please show your support for the defendants; help us fill the court.

On May 29th 2003, 10 non-status Algerians and 2 supporters were brutally
arrested in then-Immigration Minister Denis Coderre's Ottawa office. They
were charged with "mischief over $5,000"; their trial began in Ottawa in
June 2004.

Judge Ann Alder will announce her verdict on Monday, January 30, 2006.

If you live in the Ottawa-Gatineau area, your presence in court that
morning would be greatly appreciated by all the defendants.   A full
courtroom reminds the judge that a large community supports the
defendants, and believes that the only crimes perpetrated in the Minister
Coderre's office on May 29, 2003 were the racist and brutal actions of the
Ottawa Police and RCMP during the arrest.

The Elgin Street Court House is located at 161 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario.
Join us in Courtroom 9.

Thank you!

In solidarity and struggle,

-- The May 29th Trial Support Team
(514) 813-1968


:::===:::===:::
BACKGROUND
 :::===:::===:::

THE STRUGGLE

The Action Committee for Non-Status Algerians has been organizing against
the deportation of non-status Algerians for over three years.  Their
struggle intensified in April 2002, when then-Immigration Minister Denis
Coderre lifted the moratorium on deportations to Algeria, leaving over1000
non-status Algerians facing removal to a country still torn by civil
conflict and brutal violence.

In October 2002, their dynamic struggle won a partial victory. After
months of public meetings, petitions, demonstrations, meetings with
immigration bureaucrats -- and after the Bourouisa family sought sanctuary
in a Montreal Church -- Immigration Canada and Immigration Quebec
announced the implementation of a special Joint Procedure for the
regularization of some non-status Algerians.  However, numerous
individuals are excluded from that regularization procedure, and so the
Action Committee has continued to fight for justice.

On Thursday, May 29th 2003, 10 non-status Algerians and 2 supporters  from
the No One Is Illegal Campaign of Montreal entered the waiting room of
Coderre's Ottawa office.  They were delivering a letter demanding a
face-to-face meeting with the Minister and a just solution for individuals
facing deportation to Algeria because they are excluded from the
regularization process put  into place by Canada and Quebec Immigration.
Since Coderre had repeatedly refused to meet or dialogue with members of
the Action Committee, those delivering the letter decided to remain in the
waiting room until he committed to the meeting.


THE CRIME

The police response to the action was brutal. At approximately 10:30 PM,
members of the Ottawa Police Services tactical squad, in coordination with
the RCMP, charged the people occupying the waiting room.  After forcing
them to the ground, the police beat and Tasered many of the men on their
necks, backs, torsos and genitals.  One man was bashed in the head with
the butt of a Taser gun, leaving a large and bloody gash on his forehead.
Another man's tooth was broken when he was punched in the face by a police
officer. Several men received Taser burns on the backs of their neck,
backs and arms. These wounds have resulted in permanent scarring.  The 12
individuals were arrested, charged with mischief over $5,000, and released
from jail the next day.


THE TRIAL

Almost one year to the day after the police attacked the unarmed
protesters peacefully waiting in the immigration minister's waiting room,
the people they brutalized went to trial in Ottawa court. For three weeks
in June 2004, Judge Ann Alder presided as Crown David El Hadad called
witnesses from different policing and "security" institutions, some of
whom testified with chilling detachment and lack of concern to the
violence perpetrated against the non-status men during the arrest. (One
Ottawa Police Services officer refered to punching a man in the head as
"using the closed handed technique.")  The trial continued for a further
three weeks in February and March 2005.

The trial resumed for closing arguments on November 17, 2005.
Thirty-three months after the brutal takedown, and over a year and a half
after the trial began, the judge will announce her verdict on January 30,
2006, at the Elgin Street Courthouse.


                **
  Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
 10 Britain St. Toronto, ON  M5A 1R6
416-925-6939  ocap at tao.ca www.ocap.ca
                **

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