[Onthebarricades] Anti-racism, migrant rights, and anti-discrimination protests, Dec-Jan 07/08

[Andy]

*  UK:  Protest disrupts Nazi David Irving's talk at Oxford
*  INDIA:  Dalit Christians protest discrimination
*  INDIA:  Dalits protest bonded labour, state inaction
*  INDIA:  Adivasi protesters rally, demanding affirmative action
*  CANADA:  Indo-Canadians blockade attempt to deport Sikh immigrant with a 
disability
*  NORTHERN MARIANAS:  Migrant labourers stage massive rally against attack 
on rights
*  US:  Hundreds protest after nooses found at campus
*  US:  Locals protest land grab and ecological destruction for border fence 
in Arizona
*  US:  Hmong migrants protest green card delays, "terror" label
*  US:  Immigrant rights activists rally against crackdown in Phoenix
*  PHILIPPINES:  Solidarity rally over deportation of trade unionists from 
Korea
*  CANADA:  Apology averts Islamic protest over genocidal remarks
*  US:  Protest march over police shooting
*  US:  Protest over senior staff change at Maritime Academy, Baltimore

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/27/2102983.htm?section=world

Protest postpones Holocaust denier's debate
Posted Tue Nov 27, 2007 7:20pm AEDT
Hundreds of protesters at Britain's Oxford University have disrupted a 
debate that included Holocaust denier David Irving.
About 500 protesters staged a sit-in, forcing officials to delay the debate 
and alter its format.
It is the first time Mr Irving has been allowed to speak at Oxford despite 
being invited on seven previous occasions.
The head of Oxford's Student Union, Martin McLuskey, says the university has 
given Mr Irving a chance to gain respectability.
"We have real concerns about adding legitimacy and credibility to the views 
of people who are really quite abhorrent," he said.
"This is putting them on a platform, a very prominent platform that's been 
shared in the past by people like Mother Theresa and the Dalai Lama, and 
saying we believe that the views that you're espousing here are something 
that's useful to hear."
- BBC

http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/02/stories/2007120256191200.htm

Dalit Christians to stage protest
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: The National Council of Dalit Christians on Saturday urged the 
members of the community to march to their district headquarters on December 
10 to mount pressure on the government to grant them Scheduled Caste status.
According to a statement here, Dalit Christians will observe December 10 as 
'Black Day' to protest the "delaying tactics" of the Union government.
"Even after the positive recommendations of the Justice Ranganath Misra 
Commission for conferment of SC status on all Dalits irrespective of 
religion and the deletion of Para 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) 
Order, 1950, and making reservation and SC status religion neutral, the 
government is silent and indifferent to the issue," the statement said.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200712061590.htm

Dalits stage protest in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, (PTI): Scheduled-castes from across the State on Thursday staged 
a demonstration here protesting against the alleged failure of the 
government in preventing bonded labour and implementation of SCs atrocities 
act.
The dalits owing allegiance to a Punjab-based NGO, Dalit Dasta Virodhi 
Andolan, staged a protest march in the city and later submitted a memorandum 
to Punjab Governor Gen (Retd), S F Rodrigues.
The NGO claimed there were around five lakh bonded labours in the agrarian 
sector. "Lot many atrocities are committed upon us," said Jai Singh, head of 
the NGO.
He criticised the government's failure in filling up of backlog vacancies 
for SCs in public sectors.
"Since long, we are working to get released various bonded labours from 
different places of Punjab. So far the number of such labours stood at 
around 9,000," said Swami Agnivesh, a social worker.

http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/02/stories/2007120251620300.htm

Protest against attack on Adivasis
Staff Reporter
-Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma

Protest: Activists of AllIndia Progressive Women's Association and the AISA 
holding a demonstration outside the Assam Bhawan in New Delhi on Saturday.
NEW DELHI: Activists of the All-India Students' Association, All-India 
Progressive Women's Association and several citizens' groups staged a 
demonstration near Assam Bhavan here on Saturday protesting against the 
brutal attack on Adivasi protesters in Guwahati recently during a rally 
demanding grant of Scheduled Tribe status for them.
The demonstration also protested against the public stripping and 
humiliation of a young tribal girl by the mob.
Addressing the demonstration, AISA national general secretary Ravi Rai 
pointed out that the tea tribes from other States had been forced by the 
British colonial powers to work as indentured labour on tea plantations and 
that there could be "no ground for denying them the Scheduled Tribes status". 
Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Sandeep Singh said the 
incident was a "matter of shame" for the Congress regime in Assam and at the 
Centre.
AIPWA general secretary Kumudini Pati said her organisation had declared a 
State-wide Protest Day on the issue in Jharkhand on Monday.
Later the protesters submitted a memorandum signed by several signatories to 
the Resident Commissioner of Assam demanding resignation of the State Chief 
Minister and a judicial enquiry into the events.
Bandhua Mukti Morcha leader Swami Agnivesh and Radhika Menon of the Forum 
for Democratic Initiatives also took part in the protest.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200712051223.htm

Indo-Canadians protest as paralysed Sikh faces deportation
Toronto (PTI): A paralysed Sikh man seeking refugee status in Canada is 
facing deportation after the immigration office rejected his plea to stay in 
the country on compassionate grounds, prompting the Indo-Canadian community 
to come out in his support and stage protests.
Laibar Singh, who entered the country in 2003 on a false passport, suffered 
a brain aneurysm last year, leaving him bed-ridden and unable to feed 
himself. He appealed to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada to let him 
stay on humanitarian grounds, saying returning to India would be akin to a 
death sentence as he would not receive proper treatment.
He may be deported to India on December 10 if his appeal against the 
decision is rejected by Federal Court of Appeal.
The Canadian Labour Congress, British Columbia Coalition of People with 
Disabilities, the British Columbia Hospital Employees Union, the Multifaith 
Action Committee, and the gurdwaras have decided to oppose the government's 
action.
They staged a rally in Singh's support at the local immigration office in 
Surrey on Sunday and plans another protest demonstration at Vancouver 
International Airport when Singh would be deported on December 10, which 
also happens to be the World Human Rights Day.
When 48-year-old Singh was about to be deported in July this year, he was 
taken out of hospital by his supporters and given sanctuary at a gurdwara in 
Abbotsford in British Columbia. The police didn't enter the shrine keeping 
in view the religious feelings of the Sikhs.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2007/12/10/bc-singhdeportaion.html

Deportation order for Vancouver refugee claimant delayed
Last Updated: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 | 1:10 PM ET
CBC News
Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: S M L XL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR 
FEEDBACK
Paralyzed refugee claimant Laibar Singh can stay in Canada for the time 
being after more than 1,000 people protested his scheduled deportation at 
Vancouver International Airport's departures terminal Monday morning, 
blocking traffic and causing delays.
Laibar Singh came to Canada in 2003 on a forged passport and suffered a 
massive stroke last year that left him a quadriplegic.
(CBC)
The removal order for Singh has been delayed for "safety and security 
reasons," Derek Mellon, a spokesman for the Canadian Border Services Agency 
(CBSA) told CBC News from Ottawa Monday afternoon.
"As to when to enforce the removal order of Mr. Singh, I cannot discuss the 
details," Mellon said.
Protesters, some holding placards reading "Deportation is death to Singh," 
blocked the lane to the Vancouver airport departures terminal in support of 
Singh, who had been scheduled to be deported to India on Monday.
Protesters surrounded a taxi with Singh in it at 11 a.m. PT.
More than 1,000 protesters at Vancouver International Airport's departure 
terminal attempted to block the deportation of Laibar Singh on Monday.
(CBC)
At around 3 p.m., the taxi pulled away slowly to the cheers of the crowd, 
following the CBSA's decision to delay removing Singh from Canada. The plane 
he was supposed to be on, Cathy Pacific Flight CX839, left at around 2:30 
p.m.
No One Is Illegal, a group that advocates on behalf of refugees, which 
helped Singh get to the airport, said it will take care of Singh while he's 
in Vancouver.
Singh granted 60-day stay in August
The federal government granted Singh a 60-day stay of his deportation order 
on Aug. 19, the day before he was expected to be deported. His deportation 
was later scheduled for 10:30 a.m. PT Monday at Vancouver airport.
Singh came to Canada in 2003 on a forged passport. He suffered a massive 
stroke three years later that left him a quadriplegic and unable to care for 
himself.
He has since argued that he will die if he is deported to India because he 
won't be able to get proper medical treatment.
Singh initially sought refugee status in 2003 on the grounds that he would 
be persecuted by police in Punjab, where officials have accused him of links 
to separatist militants, but his refugee claim was denied that year.
Appeals turned down
His appeals to stay in Canada were turned down by immigration officials, who 
ruled Singh couldn't remain because he doesn't have adequate community ties.
Harsha Walia, of No One Is Illegal, said that finding is outrageous, based 
on the support the community has already shown for him.
Walia said 40,000 people have signed a petition urging Ottawa to allow Singh 
to stay in the country on humanitarian grounds.
This is the third time Singh has avoided deportation.
He was first scheduled to be deported on July 8, 2007, but sought sanctuary 
at the Kalgidhar Darbar Sahib Society temple in Abbotsford instead.
The Canada Border Services Agency then arrested Singh on Aug. 13 at an 
Abbotsford, B.C., hospital, after he left the Sikh temple to seek medical 
attention.

http://www.straight.com/article-124546/community-rallies-against-deportation-of-laibar-singh

Straight Talk
Community rallies against deportation of Laibar Singh
Straight Talk By Carlito Pablo
Publish Date: December 13, 2007
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version
Many in the South Asian community are dismayed by the Conservative 
government's insistence on immediately deporting paralyzed refugee claimant 
Laibar Singh.
"Why is it not taking any interest in the community's demand?" Radio India 
host Harpreet Singh asked.
He spoke with the Straight two days after a December 10 protest at Vancouver 
International Airport stopped the Canada Border Services Agency from 
enforcing a deportation order on Singh.
Harpreet Singh stressed that the community doesn't condone illegal 
immigration. Laibar Singh came to Canada on a forged passport in 2003. The 
Immigration and Refugee Board rejected his claim that he would be tortured 
if he returned to India. He later suffered a stroke in 2006 that left him 
paralyzed.
"We are just demanding that in this time when his health is not good, he 
should not be sent back," Harpreet Singh said. "Another two, three, six 
months till the time he gets back and the day he's fine, send him back. We 
are just asking on compassionate grounds that this man who is not in a good 
condition should be allowed to stay here till the time he recuperates."
On December 11, NDP MP Bill Siksay faxed a letter to Public Safety Minister 
Stockwell Day asking him to reconsider immediate deportation.
Siksay told the Straight that Citizenship and Immigration Minister Diane 
Finley has plenty of discretion to let Singh remain here on humanitarian and 
compassionate grounds.
Siksay explained that any evaluation of humanitarian and compassionate 
grounds focuses on what could happen to a person outside of Canada. But he 
also said that in some cases, such a review takes into consideration the 
community ties a person has built while in Canada.
"The appeal can be made to the minister for all kinds of different reasons," 
Siksay said. "The minister does have some personal ability to make that kind 
of declaration."
He noted that Laibar Singh's case is significant because of the strong 
support from the community, including the Sikh temple in Abbotsford that had 
previously provided him sanctuary. "People don't take that lightly," Siksay 
said. "They know it's a form of civil disobedience in a way. You're saying 
you disagree with the decisions of the government. I try to be very 
supportive of a community that takes that step."

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hvzXpUgMv-1PwfEVr7wnbQekq2GA

Thousands protest US labour reforms in Northern Marianas
Dec 8, 2007
SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands (AFP) - Thousands of migrant workers have 
rallied in pouring rain in the Northern Marianas to protest a new US labour 
law that denies them the right to change employers.
The law will also force them to leave the US-administered territory in the 
western Pacific Ocean and go home for six months every three years.
Most of the protesters at Friday's rally were lowly paid workers from the 
Philippines although they included several professionals.
"I'm an alien," a Canadian doctor who gave his name only as Dr Gotasky said 
Saturday when asked why he had joined the rally.
"I am a doctor from Canada. This law sends a strong message that we're not 
wanted here."
While the protestors objected to the new labour law they also demanded the 
US Congress support an immigration bill granting non-immigrant status to 
people legally employed in the island chain for at least five years.
If this change of status is approved it would allow the migrants to freely 
travel, work and study anywhere in the United States.
The two bills are before the US Congress which is seeking to place Northern 
Marianas immigration policy under federal rather than local laws.
"We've had rallies before but never a march of this magnitude," said Wendy 
Doromal, a Florida-based teacher and human rights activist who flew to the 
island for the rally.
"This rally can make a difference in several ways. People will understand 
that this isn't about us (migrant workers) versus them (locals). Everyone 
has to work together."
Federal labour ombudsman Jim Benedetto, who also joined the three-mile 
march, said the situation in the islands was being closely monitored in 
Washington where officials would be aware of the size of the protest.
"I would say there are about 5,000 to 6,000 people here," he said.
There are more than 20,000 migrant workers in the Northern Marianas, most of 
them from the Philippines and China. The remote islands, with a population 
of about 80,000, are heavily reliant on the garment and tourism industries.

http://www.mlive.com/news/saginawnews/index.ssf?/base/news-25/11970949463390.xml&coll=9

Busloads protest nooses on CMU campus
Saturday, December 8, 2007
AMY PAYNE
THE SAGINAW NEWS
MOUNT PLEASANT -- The message that more than 200 protesters delivered Friday 
wasn't easy to hear, Isabella County's top law enforcer says.
But Prosecutor Larry J. Burdick also cautioned against a ''rush to 
judgment'' against the student who hung four nooses in a Central Michigan 
University classroom in mid-November.
''The message I take from this rally is that symbols can hurt. Symbols do 
matter. And we should all acknowledge the symbolism of a hangman's noose,'' 
Burdick said in a statement released hours after Friday's protest ended.
Around midday, more than 50 students, faculty and members of civil rights 
groups marched a mile from CMU's Warriner Hall to the County Courthouse at 
200 N. Main, chanting ''No justice -- no peace!''
The crowd cheered as two charter buses and several cars and vans unloaded 
another 150 supporters from Grand Rapids, Detroit, Benton Harbor, Kalamazoo 
and elsewhere around Michigan.
The protesters said the noose is a clear symbol of hatred and a reminder 
that the lynching of blacks was a shameful part of America's history, and 
they expressed frustration at the pace of Burdick's probe.
The student who made the nooses from flexible plastic tubing has told 
authorities it was a prank with no racial implications, and Burdick said he 
needs more time to determine if a crime was committed.
Kierre Majors, president of the campus group Students Against 
Discrimination, said she was outraged at the Nov. 12 discovery of the 
nooses. The Detroit native helped organize Friday's rally.
''We don't pay our tuition to have someone take equipment out of the 
classroom and hang a noose,'' said the 21-year-old elementary education 
student. ''If I don't feel 100 percent safe on campus, how are my tuition 
dollars being spent?''
Staff members watched from Burdick's third-floor office window as the crowd 
chanted ''We want justice!'' shook their fingers at the building and urged 
Burdick: ''Larry don't be lazy; don't be a loser; do your job!''
Many carried signs, among them: ''What a NOOSEance,'' ''Do the right thing, 
Mr. Burdick,'' and ''We are all strange fruit hanging from the same tree,'' 
alluding to the Billie Holiday song condemning lynchings.
''We have some people here studying law, but a bad example is being set 
here,'' said Robert S. Womack, a Grand Rapids talk show host on WJNZ-AM, 
1140.
A student found the hangman's nooses in Room 228 of the Engineering and 
Technology Building. Burdick has said that his office still is investigating 
whether the suspect should face prosecution under Michigan's ethnic 
intimidation law. FBI officials also are working on the case.
''(Burdick) sees a clear crime and says it's a joke?'' Womack said. ''If it 
was a swastika and he called it a joke, there would be a lot more people out 
here.
''Any adult male knows what he's doing when he hangs a noose.''
CMU officials have said the dean of students and the university's 
affirmative action office are looking into the case for possible 
disciplinary action against the student.
The Detroit-based National Council for Community Empowerment and other 
groups that have met with CMU are generally pleased with how the university 
is handling the incident but still want to see the student in court, said R. 
Chester Gulley, assistant recording secretary of the Dallas-based National 
Missionary Baptist Convention of America.
''I don't hate the young man who hung the noose,'' said Gulley, who also 
serves as pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church in Benton Harbor.
''But we cannot allow it to go unprosecuted.'' v
Amy Payne is a staff writer for The Saginaw News. You may reach her at 
776-9687.

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/border/71365.php

Government takes testimony on Texas border fence as hundreds protest
The Associated Press
McALLEN, Texas - Gloria Garza doesn't know whether submitting her comments 
to the government about a plan to construct 70 miles of fence along the 
U.S.-Mexico border will help stop it. But she said it's the best thing she 
can think of to do.
Garza was among hundreds of people who protested the fence Tuesday at a 
rally that coincided with a federally sponsored open house to gather public 
comment on a draft study of the fence plans for the Rio Grande Valley.
"I'm here to protest against this wall because it's going to destroy homes," 
said Garza, 25, a McAllen resident. "There's a better solution."
After attending the rally, Garza said she planned to wait in line to put her 
opinion about the fence on the federal record.
Tuesday's open house was the first of three meant to gather public input on 
the draft Environmental Impact Statement assessing the potential effects of 
proposed fencing that would span 21 different sections of the Valley and 
total about 70 miles.
At the event, four stations were set up with poster-sized maps and bullet 
points, with officials from agencies like the U.S. Border Patrol on hand to 
answer questions.
In another area, people could submit handwritten or typewritten comments or 
get their comments transcribed.
"We're here to listen, that's what it's all about," said Barry Morrissey, a 
spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is an agency of the 
Department of Homeland Security.
Morrissey noted that the open house was to take comment on the impact 
statement. Still, he said all comments were welcomed and expected many to be 
on whether a fence should be constructed at all.
While much of the rally was about opposition to the fence as a whole, some 
people had worries about possible impacts in specific areas.
Carmen Perez Garcia, 60, of McAllen, said she's worried about wildlife.
"We're going to destroy precious habitat," she said. "I think our 
environment would be horribly damaged."
Other open houses were set for Wednesday in Brownsville and Thursday in Rio 
Grande City, Morrissey said.
Pat Ahumada, mayor of Brownsville, said city leaders were scheduled to meet 
with Homeland Security officials at noon Wednesday to discuss the border 
fence. Ahumada plans to submit an alternative plan for a "virtual fence" 
that he says would be more effective.
A protest against the border fence is planned for later in the day.
Early during Tuesday's open house, several of the ralliers interrupted, 
yelling over a short presentation being given about the impact statement and 
opportunity to comment.
"I'm making my comment," yelled Ruben Solis, who held a "No Border Wall" 
sign, when told he could make his remarks another way.
A few of the others who were there to give their opinions on the fence 
clapped. Others shouted back.
"I live here and I want a wall," said Alton Moore. "I believe we should be a 
nation of laws. I think he (Solis) should follow normal channels."
After several minutes, the protesters left.
Greg Gephart, deputy program manager for tactical infrastructure for Customs 
and Border Protection, said a final impact statement will be released in 
February.
"Will it (fence placement) change? It may, it may not," Gephart said. "These 
are not final locations."
McAllen Chamber of Commerce President Steve Ahlenius said he didn't think 
the federal government was taking the open houses seriously.
"From our perspective they're just going through the motions," Ahlenius 
said.
Morrissey said that by holding three open houses instead of just one, the 
government was going beyond its responsibility to gather public comment.
Ahlenius said the idea was for the protesters to show up for the rally and 
then stay to testify to "lay a foundation" that residents oppose the fence 
in case residents or city officials decide to sue the government later.
The government will take public comment until Dec. 31, Morrissey said.
The heavily populated Rio Grande Valley has been the center of opposition to 
the planned fence, a combination of steel fence and "virtual fencing" 
designed to stop illegal immigration and smuggling. But landowners and 
government officials complain the fence will cut them off from the Rio 
Grande, a historically significant waterway to Texas and the only source of 
fresh water in the region for livestock and crops. They also say it will do 
little to stop illegal immigration and smuggling and essentially cede miles 
of riverfront land to Mexico.
Federal officials, however, say that without immigration reform legislation, 
the fence is the only acceptable way to secure the border.
Some senators are questioning a decision by Homeland Security Secretary 
Michael Chertoff to conduct an environmental impact statement for Texas, but 
skip one for Arizona, where the fence will traverse the San Pedro Riparian 
Conservation Area.
In October, Chertoff invoked power given to him by Congress to waive 19 
environmental laws after a court blocked construction of the 2-mile fence in 
the Arizona conservation area.
About a month earlier, the Homeland Security Department announced it was 
preparing an Environmental Impact Statement, or EIS, to study possible 
effects of fence construction along 70 miles of the Texas-Mexico border in 
the Rio Grande Valley. An EIS requires public hearings and is a more 
thorough study.
Environmental assessments have been ordered for fencing planned on other 
parts of the Texas-Mexico border.
The Homeland Security Department did an environmental assessment for 
Arizona, a study that does not require as much public input and is not as 
in-depth.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7738302

Calif. Hmong protest green card delays due to Patriot Act
The Associated Press
Article Launched: 12/16/2007 01:24:19 PM PST

STOCKTON, Calif.-About 1,800 Laotian immigrants, including more than hundred 
Hmong veterans who fought for the United States against the Vietnamese, 
protested what they consider the unfair application of certain provisions of 
the Patriot Act to Hmong refugees.

State and local officials from the Central Valley heard how Hmong residents 
resettled from Laos and Thailand have had difficulty obtaining green cards, 
driver's licenses and passports because they or their relatives aided the 
U.S., said Srida Moua of Hmong National Development, a Hmong advocacy group 
based in Washington, D.C.

Under the Patriot Act, Hmong aren't specifically listed as terrorists, but 
refugees may be denied entry to the U.S. if they are found to have provided 
material support to terrorists, defined under the act as having engaged in 
unlawful activity against their country, Moua said.

"Terrorism's defined as an unlawful activity committed under the laws of the 
place where it's committed," Moua explained. "In the case of the Hmong, 
those who took up arms to fight alongside U.S. soldiers fall under this 
definition.

Two bills are currently pending in Congress that would remove the material 
support from applying to Hmong seeking asylum or permanent residency.

"We, the Hmong people, are not terrorists and should not be labeled 
terrorists," said Noah Lor, the first Hmong city councilman from Merced.

>From 1961 to 1975, the CIA recruited thousands of Hmong soldiers to
Advertisement

fight against the Vietnamese and Lao communists. Rocky Vang, 54, who 
organized a Sacramento-area contingent for Saturday's gathering that 
included four busloads and more than 100 private cars, said he was one of 
them from 1969 until Laos fell in 1975.

"I've been worried about this a lot," said Vang. "We have a problem with the 
DMV holding the licenses of our kids until Homeland Security completes their 
investigation."

Zang Fang of the Southeast Asian Resource Action Center said that many of 
the 16,000 recently resettled Hmong refugees are facing long delays into 
getting their green cards approved.

"Over 4,000 applications are on hold because of material support," Fang 
said.

http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=7518861

Immigrant-rights activists protest changes to police policies

Associated Press - December 19, 2007 6:24 PM ET

PHOENIX (AP) - Phoenix police say about 85 to 100 people marched from an 
east Phoenix furniture store to city hall today.

Officers and detectives from Phoenix P.D. accompanied the walkers.

Police report there were no significant incidents reported and the Phoenix 
Police Department did not make any arrests related to the walk or the 
arrival at City Council Chambers.

Organizer Salvador Reza says the march is a message to Mayor Phil Gordon 
after the mayor appointed a committee to look into changing city police 
policy barring officers from asking people they contact about their 
immigration status.

Reza wants the Council to put a stop to any change. He says if officers are 
given authority to question people about their legal status it will lead to 
racial profiling.

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/1219earlymarch-ON.html?&wired

Immigrant advocates protest Gordon move
100 march to City Hall

Daniel González
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 19, 2007 05:00 PM
About 100 immigrant-rights advocates marched from a Phoenix furniture store 
to City Hall on Wednesday to protest Mayor Phil Gordon's efforts to have 
Phoenix police take a more aggressive approach toward arresting undocumented 
immigrants.

The march took place on the day of the last City Council meeting of the 
year. Marchers spoke out against Gordon's decision to change a 20-year-old 
policy that restricts officers from asking people about their immigration 
status during routine encounters.

"I implore you to maintain the policy so the immigrant community can 
maintain trust of the police," said Rev. Liana Rowe of Interfaith Worker 
Justice of Arizona, one of 25 people who spoke to the council opposing the 
policy change. advertisement

Facing growing political pressure from anti-illegal-immigration groups 
threatening a recall, Gordon last month asked a panel to come up with a new 
policy by year's end that would give police more authority to enforce 
immigration laws.

Gordon asked the panel to come up with a policy that also includes 
protections against ethnic profiling and discrimination.

The decision marked a reversal from Gordon's earlier support for the policy, 
known as Operations Order 1.4.

The reversal has put the mayor at odds with Phoenix Police Chief Jack 
Harris, who says arresting illegal immigrants would divert resources away 
from fighting violent crime.

It has put Gordon more in line with rank-and-file officers who through the 
police union are pushing for more leeway to call Immigration and Customs 
Enforcement when they encounter undocumented immigrants, and with Maricopa 
County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio has been using ICE-trained deputies to 
crack down on undocumented immigrants for months.

Immigration-rights advocates and many Latino community leaders fear that 
using local police to enforce immigration laws will lead to widespread 
ethnic profiling and civil-rights violations. They also are concerned that 
immigrants, many of whom already are wary of police, will become more 
reluctant to report crimes out of fear that they will be arrested and 
deported.

"We want the mayor to listen to his police chief and not change Operations 
Order 1.4," said Salvador Reza, who organized the march.

As Phoenix police officers kept watch and managed traffic, the marchers made 
their way about six miles from Pruitt's Home Furnishings on Thomas Road near 
35th Street to downtown.

The furniture store has become a flashpoint in the national debate over 
illegal immigration, with weekly protests by advocates of day laborers and 
members of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps and other 
anti-illegal-immigration groups.

Some pro-immigration marchers carried signs with slogans that read, "No 
human being is illegal." Along the way, they were met with small groups of 
anti-illegal-immigration protesters, which led to some verbal 
confrontations, but no arrests by police.

"If you are illegal, go home," yelled Bobby Wright, 30, of Buckeye, as the 
marchers passed. "Get legal or go home. You are all terrorists."

About 30 anti-illegal-immigration advocates also were waiting for the 
marchers outside the City Council chambers.

Rich Martin, 65, of Phoenix, said the killing of Phoenix police Officer Nick 
Erfle by an undocumented immigrant in September showed the need for police 
to have more authority to enforce immigration laws.

"We need to protect our police and make sure they don't have to die at the 
hands of illegals," Martin said.

Reza told undocumented immigrants to stay away out of fear they could be 
arrested and deported.

Reza accused Arpaio of trying to intimate marchers by sending deputies to 
patrol areas along the route. A sheriff's van with a billboard on the side 
that said "stop illegal immigration" trailed protesters most of the way.

Arpaio denied that he was trying to intimate protesters. Sheriff's deputies 
arrested nine people, seven of whom turned out to be undocumented 
immigrants, said spokesman Paul Chagolla.

The arrests were made during traffic stops near Pruitt's, Chagolla said.

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/news/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=107537

OFWs protest crackdown on migrants' union in South Korea

By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 12:40pm (Mla time) 12/18/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and organizations 
working for their welfare staged a rally outside the South Korean embassy on 
Makati Avenue Tuesday to protest a crackdown in that country on the 
Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants Trade Union (MTU).

The protest coincided with the commemoration of International Migrants Day

"We, representatives of various labor unions and migrants rights 
organizations who came together under the Philippine Solidarity for Migrants 
Trade Union in Korea (PS-MTUK).manifest our protest and indignation to the 
South Korean government for its blatant violation of the labor and human 
rights of migrant worker-leaders of the MTU," according to a letter the 
protesters sought to deliver to the South Korean Ministry of Justice through 
the here.

Ellene Sana, executive director of the Center for Migrant Advocacy and among 
the protesters, said MTU president Kaji Man, vice president Raju (both 
Nepalis), and general secretary Masum (a Bangladeshi) were arrested and 
detained on November 27, and summarily deported on December 13.

"This is in total disregard of their human rights and due process under the 
Korean legal and justice system," she said.

Sana said the MTU looks after the welfare of both documented and 
undocumented migrant workers in South Korea. She said it seeks to promote 
decent jobs and uphold migrant workers' dignity regardless of one's 
immigration status.

"MTU initiatives.[are] an inspiration not only to the more than 400,000 
migrant workers in Korea.but also to all the millions of toiling migrant 
workers around the world," said the letter.

After the tightening of immigration rules in Japan, Filipinos who 
traditionally went to Japan went to South Korea instead.

Philippine government estimates put at 70,000 the number of Filipinos who 
work and live in South Korea, broken down into 5,600 permanent residents, 
50,600 temporary workers, and about 14,000 irregular workers.

According to the letter, the MTU was formed in 2005 but the Korean Ministry 
of Labor denied its application for official accreditation as a trade union. 
Even then, the Seoul Appellate Court upheld MTU's right to form a trade 
union for migrant workers regardless of their immigration status.

"We hailed the decision of the Appellate Court," said the letter signed by 
at least 10 OFW organizations, including Akbayan Citizens' Action Party, 
Alliance of Progressive Labor, Alliance of Progressive Labor Hong Kong, 
Kasapi Hellas (the Union of Filipino Migrant Workers in Greece), Partido ng 
Manggagawa-National Workers' Party, and even the moderate Trade Union 
Congress of the Philippines.

The most recent crackdown and arrests are not the first attempts at 
suppressing the MTU's union activities, the letter said.

Immediately following his election as first MTU president in 2005, 
Bangladeshi migrant worker Anwar Hussain was also arrested and detained. He 
was released only early this year for health reasons.

He voluntarily returned to his home country this July only to face continued 
harassment from his own government for his alleged "anti-Korean and 
anti-government activities."

Calling for an end to the crackdown, the migrant workers' group said attacks 
on MTU are meant to "prevent the forging of a strong alliance and solidarity 
between migrant workers and local Korean workers affiliated with the 
15-million-strong Korean Confederation of Trade Unions."

These policies and actions "bring shame" to the South Korean government and 
its commitment to peace, democracy, and human rights, the Philippine group 
said.

South Korea is a democratic country that is seen as counterfoil to its 
communist neighbor North Korea.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=7c580a19-a704-474e-b812-30585a72e46b&k=95611

Western Standard's apology averts Islamic protest
CanWest News Service
Published: Saturday, December 22, 2007

CALGARY -- A protest planned for Friday afternoon in Calgary to condemn 
alleged violent and racist postings has been cancelled after an apology from 
the Western Standard magazine.

Two human rights complaints against the online magazine also were dropped 
after the Western Standard's owner apologized, said the Islamic Supreme 
Council of Canada.

"In the spirit of Eid al-Adha and Christmas, Imam Syed Soharwardy has 
decided to withdraw his complaint from the Alberta Human Rights and 
Citizenship Commission and the Canadian Human Rights Commission in Ottawa," 
the group stated in a press release.

Soharwardy said he had invited Matthew Johnston, owner of the Western 
Standard, to visit Al Madinah Calgary Islamic Centre and talk to the Muslim 
community on any Friday.

The comments appeared on the Shotgun Blog of the Western Standard website.

The entry, dated Dec. 5 and written by a user calling himself 'Templar,' 
said, "there is no such thing as innocent Muslims."

Templar went on to write, "They must all be killed. All of them."

"This is absolutely pure hate-mongering," said Soharwardy earlier this week. 
"It's an abuse of freedom of speech. It's against Canadian (hate) laws."

The original Dec. 2 posting that sparked the user comments was written by 
former Western Standard publisher Ezra Levant. He was discussing complaints 
by the Canadian Islamic Congress against Maclean's magazine.

It was the anonymous response to Levant's posting that angered Muslim 
leaders.

Levant, who no longer owns the website or the Western Standard name, said he 
doesn't personally agree with the comments, but argued they should be 
protected as free speech.

The Western Standard website initially said the comments were protected by 
the principle of freedom of speech, but added changes were in the works for 
the blog.

Calgary Herald

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jqle9Ha7YXVzLv_fxoB7p-Cx0p4AD8U005T00

Sharpton Leads Protest in Shooting Case

Jan 5, 2008

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) - The Rev. Al Sharpton led a rally Saturday to protest 
the conviction of a black man in the fatal shooting of a white teenager on 
Long Island, saying the prosecution of the case was unjust.

The civil rights activist was joined by John White, who was found guilty of 
manslaughter last month but is free on bail pending sentencing. Several 
hundred people gathered outside the courthouse where the case was tried.

The teenager, Daniel Cicciaro Jr., had shown up at White's home on Aug. 9, 
2006, with a group of angry friends. Sharpton has described Cicciaro and his 
friends as a "mob" that had threatened White.

White has said he was trying to protect his home and family when he grabbed 
a gun and went to face the teens outside the house in the predominantly 
white community of Miller Place.

The conflict began with a bogus MySpace posting claiming White's 19-year-old 
son, Aaron, wanted to rape a female friend of one of the white teens.

John White claimed the gun fired accidentally when Cicciaro lunged for it, 
killing the 17-year-old. Prosecutors argued that White was rash to confront 
the teens, rather than locking the door and calling police.

The teens, who were unarmed, were not prosecuted.

White, 54, faces a potential prison term of five to 15 years. He has said he 
will appeal.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-maritime0102,0,3538141.story?coll=bal-howard-alsosee

Students, parents protest removal of Maritime administrators

Stephanie Hurt, 14, a ninth grader at P.S. 431, the Maritime Industries 
Academy, holds a sign protesting what parents and students say was the 
forced resignation of their principal, Dr. Marco Clark. (Sun photo by Kim 
Hairston / January 2, 2008)

By Sara Neufeld | Sun reporter
8:51 PM EST, January 2, 2008

This was supposed to be an exciting week at Maritime Industries Academy, 
with students preparing for a Jan. 9 visit from the secretary of the U.S. 
Navy.

Instead, the little Baltimore high school -- located in a strip mall in the 
700 block of W. North Avenue -- is in turmoil, railing over the sudden 
departure of the principal and the assistant principal.

Dozens of parents and students marched about 10 blocks to school system 
headquarters Wednesday morning in support of Principal Marco T. Clark, who 
has resigned, and Assistant Principal Kevin Brooks, who was placed on paid 
administrative leave.

System officials declined to give a reason for what happened because the 
matter is a personnel issue. But several sources with knowledge of the 
system's investigation said that Clark faces an allegation that a student's 
grades were falsified for the student to graduate, while Brooks has been 
cleared of wrongdoing.

Efforts to reach Clark and Brooks were unsuccessful. But system spokeswoman 
Edie House confirmed Wednesday night that Brooks will be reinstated 
Thursday, acting as managing assistant principal. He will oversee the daily 
operations of the school, pending school board approval.

The 300-student school formed in 2004 as a result of the breakup of Walbrook 
High, where Clark had been assistant principal under former mayoral 
candidate Andrey Bundley. Bundley was removed as Walbrook's principal that 
year and transferred to a central office job amid accusations that he 
allowed students to graduate or move to the next grade without meeting 
requirements.

The parents and students protesting Wednesday, the first day back from the 
winter break, were angry that the system had not explained what happened to 
Clark and Brooks. Both left abruptly two days before the break started. On 
the last day before vacation, Dec. 21, the protesters said, the school was 
in chaos as central office administrators and school police arrived in large 
numbers. Many teachers didn't show up to work; others were crying.

"It was crazy," said 17-year-old Kenjah Henry, a junior at the school who 
participated in the protest. Of Clark, she said: "For a lot of us, he's like 
a father figure. We all know he would never resign. He would never just 
leave us. We're like his children."

The parents and students also said the school is typically far more orderly 
than several of the city's other neighborhood high schools. There is no 
school police officer regularly assigned there. The school last year 
reported a 99 percent graduation rate, according to literature it 
distributed.

But until recently, the school did little to emphasize its maritime theme. 
Now, getting the school to live up to its mission has become a pet project 
of U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, the Baltimore Democrat who is chairman of the 
House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.

"The school is four blocks from my house," the congressman said. "When I 
found out about it, I said, 'This is perfect.' This is a school located in 
one of the largest port cities in the country. We've got so many assets here 
and so many jobs that a lot of these kids don't have a clue about. ... Many 
of these kids had never been to the port but yet they were in a maritime 
high school."

Since beginning work on behalf of the school this summer, Cummings said, "it 
has been one of my top priorities."

The school now has weekly speakers from the maritime sector. Next week, the 
speaker is scheduled to be U.S. Navy Secretary Donald C. Winter, though 
officials were contemplating Wednesday whether to postpone the visit.

Adm. Thad W. Allen, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, is scheduled to 
speak next month.

Other changes that Cummings cited: The school has implemented a junior ROTC 
program. Seniors will be placed in maritime-related internships. A maritime 
curriculum is being developed.

A few months ago, Cummings convened a board of local maritime leaders to 
help govern the school, including former Rep. Helen D. Bentley. He also 
arranged for the school to be taken out of the jurisdiction of an 
administrator overseeing neighborhood high schools and placed under the ad 
ministrator overseeing charter and innovation schools.

Maritime is not yet a charter, a public school that operates independently, 
but the new governing board is weighing whether to apply to convert into 
one. Now designated as an "innovation" high school, Maritime is no longer 
required to admit students who aren't interested in maritime careers, 
Cummings said.

"It was in name only a maritime school," said one of the board members, 
George "Bud" Nixon Jr., chairman of Baltimore's private-sector port 
coalition. "We've been working with Dr. Clark and the whole staff trying to 
improve the school and make it more representative of the Port of Baltimore. 
Needless to say, I was shocked when I got the news about what's going on and 
still don't have it straight in my mind why it is."

Nixon said he was "more than a little impressed" with both Clark and Brooks. 
But even with Clark's departure, he said, "we're not going to give up our 
efforts on the school... One or two people will not make or break what we're 
trying to do."