[opirgyork] Emergency Rally Nov 27 + Mahjoub Court Support + Media Sale + YU Free Press + SAIA Divestment Campaign

[OPIRG York]

Hey OPIRG York members and community Allies!

Please take a look at the digest email below, and come out to some of the
upcoming events. If you want to get in touch with the OPIRG York volunteer
coordinator, Victoria Barnett, about ways to get involved, you can email
her at *victoria at opirgyork.ca*.

As always if you have questions, or are interested in anything, just get in
touch! Also good luck to all students who are working on their term papers
and exams- try to destress, and take things as they come. Feel free to stop
by the OPIRG York office anytime to relax and destress!

-OPIRG York

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*In this email:*

*(1) Nov 27: **EMERGENCY RALLY: Support Unist’ot’en! Confront the Banks!
RBC stop funding pipeline destruction!*
*(2) Nov 26 - 30: Mahjoub Turning the Tables (Court Support)*
*(3) ONGOING - Dec 14: **CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: YU Free Press Issue 5.2
"Extracting Africa"*
*(4) ONGOING - **SAIA York Divestment Campaign for BDS at York University
+ YUGSA Endorses BDS Campaign*
*(5) **Nov 27 & 28: **"Flip The Script" Radical media sale! (TOMORROW)*
*(6) Nov 30: **Human Trafficking: What's Going On? (Panel)*
*(7) Dec 2: **10 Years of the Grassy Narrows Blockade: A Sacred Fire at
Queen's Park*
*(8) Dec 4: Special Flight (Free Film Screening)*
*(9) Dec 7-14: **WEEK OF ACTION TO SAVE THE COMMUNITY START UP AND
MAINTENANCE BENEFIT!*
*(10) Dec 9: Sounds of Solidarity (Rally at Toronto Detention Centre)*

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*EMERGENCY RALLY: Support Unist’ot’en! Confront the Banks! RBC stop funding
pipeline destruction!*

On Nov 20th, the Unist’ot’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation evicted
surveyors from Apache Corporation from their territory. Now, they are
calling for an international day of action for communities across the lands
to support them.

Join us Nov. 27th at 11am in Toronto to show support for the Unist’ot’en
clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation in its struggle against pipelines in
Northern BC. We will be gathering at t
he Royal Bank of Canada’s headquarters to insist: RBC STOP FINANCING
PACIFIC TRAILS PIPELINES, LINE 9 OR ANY OTHER TAR SANDS PROJECT!

The Unist’ot’en clan of the Wet’suwet’en Nation are against all pipelines
slated to cross through their territories, which include the Enbridge’s
Northern Gateway, Kinder Morgan’s northern proposal, Pacific Trails,
Pembina, Spectra, and other pipeline projects. Enbridge pipeline would be
built side by side with the Pacific Trails Pipeline, thus raising concerns
that the Pacific Trails Pipeline will ‘blaze a trail’ for the Enbridge
project. At the same time, we oppose the RBC sponsored Enbride Line 9
project here in Ontario.

RBC finances the companies responsible for these projects, despite adopting
principles in 2010 stating they would not fund projects that did not have
Free, Prior and Informed Consent of the impacted communities. Clearly the
Unist’ot’en have said no to all pipelines, so we are demanding a cease and
desist of funding to Enbridge, EnCana and all companies supporting these
projects.

Supported by: Council of Canadian’s Toronto Chapter, Mining Injustice
Solidarity Network, No One Is Illegal – Toronto. Rising Tide Toronto,
Toronto Bolivia Solidarity

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Links:
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The Unist’ot’en community’s website, including news releases and videos
from latest events:
http://unistotencamp.wordpress.com/

A short video explaining the community’s struggle can be found at:
http://stoptheflows.tumblr.com/

Donate winter gear and supplies to the Unist’ot’en action camp:
http://forestaction.wikidot.com/caravan

BC First Nation members evict pipeline surveyors and setup road block:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/bc-first-nation-members-evict-pipeline-surveyors-set-up-road-block/article5547325/

Fractured Land video and project:
http://www.fracturedland.com/


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Mahjoub: Turning the Tables
https://www.facebook.com/events/548613898489453/

26 - 30 November 2012
from 9:30 to 5:30pm (lunch break 12 to 2pm)
180 Queen St., room 6D, Toronto

Mr. Mahjoub will be in court to expose the myriad abuses – racial
profiling, use of torture-obtained information, destroyed evidence, breach
of solicitor-client privilege, stealing defence documents, more – that have
marked his 12-year case. His lawyers will ask the court to stop proceedings
against him and through out the security certificate.

In November, our focus will be on holding government officials accountable
for all the crimes committed against Mr. Mahjoub, as one of many Canadian
victims of the "war on terror". We demand an end to Islamophobic and racist
immigration and security laws in the war of terror against people of colour
and Muslims.

-- If you are in Toronto, please sign up for a shift of court solidarity
the week of 26 to 30th November: http://doodle.com/wyf2q6mmyuwtpkq8

-- Put some time aside on November 26 to respond to a call for action that
will come out that day!
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*CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: YU Free Press Issue 5.2 "Extracting Africa"*
For their upcoming issue, the YU Free Press is seeking submissions on the
topics of the exploitation of the African continent, its people and
resources.

*Topics can include:*
- Natural resource extraction
- Conflict
- (Neo)Colonialism
- Environmental Degradation
- Foreign Debt
- Human Rights Abuses
- Animal Rights Abuses
- Trade
- International Relations
- Cultural Extraction
- Humanitarianism
- Foreign Aid
- Development
& anything you can think of!

To diversify our news, features, comments and arts & culture sections, we
are happy to accept any and all mediums including art, photography, news
reports, commentary, film or book reviews, poetry, etc.

Suggested word counts:
News: 500 to 750 words
Features: max. 2000 words
Comments: max. 1200 words
Arts and Culture: max. 1500 words

For more information on the collective, and to view our past work, please
visit:
http://issuu.com/yufreepress

*Deadline for submissions is December 14th, 2012*
*Email all submissions and inquiries to info at yufreepress.org*

Share this with your friends, family, co-workers, and comrades!
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*SAIA York Divestment Campaign for BDS at York University*

Message from the Students Against Israeli Apartheid @ York: SAIA is
collecting 5,000 signatures for our petition demanding that the York
Federation of Students (YFS) endorse the Palestinian-led Boycott,
Divestment and Sanctions campaign against Israeli Apartheid. WE are
demanding that York University cuts its ties with the Israeli Apartheid
regime.

*More info:*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSvspbe9qP4&feature=share
https://www.facebook.com/SAIA.York

If you are a York Undergraduate student (must be an undergraduate student
because it is a YFS petition), and have not yet signed the petition, please
get in touch with SAIA at saiayork at riseup.net!
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*York University Graduate Students’ Association Endorses BDS Campaign*

In a momentous vote that adds to the growing list of student unions in
Canada, York University’s Graduate Students’ Association (YUGSA) voted
overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution to endorse the global campaign for
Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israeli apartheid.

The resolution was drafted in response to the 2005 Palestinian civil
society call for BDS as a means to pressure the state of Israel to comply
with international law and end its occupation of the West Bank and Gaza; to
allow Palestinian refugees their internationally guaranteed right to return
to their homes and villages; and to grant equal rights to Palestinian
citizens of Israel.

“With 29 votes in favor and 7 opposed, the Graduate Students’ Association’s
Council passed the resolution to endorse the BDS campaign, specifically
urging the University to withdraw its investments from Hewlett Packard,
Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin and other companies
profiting from Israeli human rights violations, war crimes and oppression,”
said Wangui Kimari, VP Campaigns of the YUGSA executive. YUGSA represents
over 6,100 graduate students at York University, Canada's third largest
University.

This resolution passed in the midst of the latest Israeli bombing campaign
in Gaza, which had reportedly taken the lives of 16 Palestinians, including
3 children at the time of the vote. “It is important for organizations to
not pretend to be neutral while profiting from human rights violations. And
we, as students, need to take a stand against apartheid wherever it exists,
from Canada to Palestine,” said Mona Ayyoub a Students Against Israeli
Apartheid York (SAIA York) member.  SAIA York plans to continue to educate
the York University community about the BDS campaign and is working on a
petition to encourage York University’s undergraduate students’ union, the
largest students’ union in Canada, to endorse the BDS motion later this
school year.

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*For more information contact:*
Hammam Farah, Students Against Israeli Apartheid York, 416-669-8144
saiayork at riseup.net
Wangui Kimari, VP Campaigns, YUGSA, 647-460-5821
campaigns at yugsa.ca

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*"Flip The Script" Radical media sale! *
Nov. 21-22 and 27-28

*LOCATIONS:*
Nov 27- Central Square
Nov 28- Central Square

Books, Posters, Magazines, T-shirts, Music and more..
Come Browse a large selection of books from independent publishers that
focus on social and environmental justice.  Check out posters that decorate
AND educate from Crimethinc, Beehive Collective, Just Seeds and others.
Find gifts for the rabble-rousers in your life, or for those that
desperately need a wake-up call, or for yourself!

in conjunction with Opirg York!

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*Human Trafficking: What's Going On?*

Friday November 30th @ 7pm
Ryerson University
Ted Rogers School of Management, 55 Dundas St W., 7th floor

Please join us for an exciting public panel considering the international
and Canadian trends in “human trafficking”.

The panelists ask: Why has human trafficking become a legal and policy priority
in Canada, and with what effects?  How have international dialogues shaped
Canadian public policy?  Why does migration for the
purposes of engaging in sexual labour capture the public imagination,
while other
forms of labour-related migration disappear from discussions of criminal
exploitation?

*Melissa Ditmore* (Sex Workers Project - New York City)
*Annalee Lepp* (Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women and the
University of Victoria)
*Nandita Sharma* (University of Hawai’i - Manoa)
*Harsha Walia* (Anticolonial migrant justice activist and author –
Vancouver)

This is a FREE event, held in a wheelchair accessible space.

*Facebook:* http://www.facebook.com/events/297512677020410/


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*No Clearcuts! No Mercury! Mark The 10 Year Anniversary of
the Grassy Narrows Asubpeeschoseewagong Anishinabek Blockade!*

On December 2, 2002, two young Anishnaabwekwe
from Grassy Narrows Asubpeeschoseewagong went out to the woods in the snow
to start what is now the longest running indigenous logging blockade in the
recent memory of Turtle Island. Please join us to mark a decade of struggle
and achievement, and remember the work still to be done.

*10 Years of the Grassy Narrows Blockade: A Sacred Fire at Queen's Park*
Sunday, December 2nd, 2pm-6pm
Queen's Park Front Lawn
Sacred Fire, Snacks Served, Children's Games, and Community Gathering

In the decade since the blockade began, the community continues to maintain
a moratorium on clearcutting in their traditional territories. For ten
years now, despite the ongoing threat of logging, grandmothers, mothers,
trappers and youth have held off some of the world's largest paper
corporations. The community has also taken the Ontario government to task
for inaction on the ongoing effects of mercury poisoning on their families
and ecosystems.

Many of you, your families, your organizations, your communities, have
supported their efforts in the last decade. The Sacred Fire at Queen's Park
Lawn on December 2nd, 2012, is a great way to show your ongoing support and
to mark an important anniversary in the fight to protect Indigenous rights
and the water, air, land, and creatures that we all depend on.

*Email us at **earthjusticeaction at gmail.com* <earthjusticeaction at gmail.com>
*with any questions, and visit Freegrassy.org for more info and updates.*


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*No One Is Illegal - Toronto & Cinema Politica present:**
*
*SPECIAL FLIGHT (VOL SPECIAL)*

https://www.facebook.com/events/579246628771585/
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*Free Film Screening*
*6:45pm, December 4, 2012*
*Bloor Hot Docs Cinema*
*506 Bloor West (near Bathurst subway station) *

SPECIAL FLIGHT
Fernand Melgar / CH / 2011 / 100 ' / French / S.T. English

Each year, thousands of men and women in Switzerland are imprisoned without
trial or sentence. Simply because they stay in the country illegally, they
may be deprived of liberty for up to eighteen months before being deported.

After The Fortress (awarded with the Golden Leopard at the Locarno
International Film Festival), which dealt with the reception conditions for
asylum seekers in Switzerland, Fernand Melgar takes a look at the other end
of the chain, i.e. at the situation towards the end of the migrants'
journey. The filmmaker immersed himself for 9 months in the administrative
detention centre Frambois in Geneva, one of the 28 deportation centres for
the paperless in Switzerland.

Watch the trailer:
http://www.cinemapolitica.org/screening/bloor/vol-sp%C3%A9cial


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*WEEK OF ACTION TO SAVE THE COMMUNITY START UP AND MAINTENANCE BENEFIT!*
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*December 7th - 14th: Take Action in Your Community to Stop the Cut!*

An Appeal for United Action from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
(OCAP)

The CSUMB is a vital benefit that gets people housing and keeps them
housed and the Provincial Government plans to destroy it in less than
two month's time.  OCAP and many others have been organizing against
this devastating cutback.  Town hall meetings have been held in a wide
range of communities.  People have taken to the streets to protest and
hold clinics to help get people access to the CSUMB.  Occupations and
take-overs have started to happen at MPP and Minister's offices.
Community organizations and trade unions, including and especially the
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE Ontario), have given support
and put resources into this fight.  First Nations People have joined
in the movement to save the CSUMB.

The movement is growing and the momentum is building; let's keep up
the fight!  The Government has felt a lot of pressure on this issue
and they are about to feel a great deal more.

On November 22, the Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty (S-CAP) and the
North Shore Tribal Council will march through the streets of that
city.  The next day, November 23rd, an anti violence against women's
demonstration will take place in Toronto to denounce the way this
cutback will prevent women from leaving situations of domestic abuse
and put families at risk.

On December 7, Poverty Makes Us Sick (PMUS) will be rallying at the
Kitchener office of Social Services Minister, John Milloy, and people
from other cities will be traveling down to join them. Milloy has an
'open house' planned that day and we will be making it more open than
he expected.

We want the demonstration at Milloy's office to launch a week of
actions across the Province at MPP's office. We are calling on all
Provincial allies to plan and organize actions in your communities
between December 7th - 14th.

What can you do in your community?
-Organize a rally or protest on the door step of 'your' MPP's office
-Occupy your MPP's office and show them such a despicable attack as
the cutting of the CSUMB will mean it will not be business as usual
-Set up an emergency shelter in that MPP's office or other provincial
government office
-Hold a clinic and deliver the applications on-mass
-Anything creative you can think up!

If you don't have an organization in place yet, but still want to help
this campaign, call us (collect if you need to) and discuss with us
how you and your neighbours could take action, even if it is something
as basic as delivering a letter of protest to the MPP.

This fight is not lost.  This benefit can and must be saved and we are
calling on people affected, and all those who support them, to
challenge the Liberals in the way they deserve to be.  To force the
Government to back off and save the CSUMB every local action that can
be taken must be taken.  The momentum and the fightback against this
cut must escalate towards the January cut-off. And even if they
proceed with this cut, the fight will not end there. People will still
face homelessness or situations where their housing is at risk and
they will be organized to go the Liberal Government and its MPPs to
demand what they need to survive.  On January 25 and 26, the Liberals
will select a new leader to replace Dalton McGuinty and we'll start
there.  We'll go to that convention with many of the people this
cutback has affected and call for answers from those competing for
McGuinty's spot.

So, please call us right away and let us know how you and your
community can act to save the Community Start Up and Maintenance
Benefit and challenge those who want to destroy it.

Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
www.ocap.ca
416-925-6939 / ocap at tao.ca

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*Sounds of Solidarity Rally at Toronto Immigration Holding Centre
FREE THE THREE! FREEDOM FOR MIGRANTS! END DETENTIONS!
*
https://www.facebook.com/events/131094017044205

On December 9th, join us from across Southern Ontarion for a family
friendly demonstration outside the Toronto immigration detention centre in
solidarity with security certificate detainees Mohammad Mahjoub, Mohamed
Harkat and Mahmoud Jaballah and all those locked up in immigration
detention.

RSVP FOR BUSES: http://bit.ly/BusesDec9

We will be a noisy, musical presence to express our support for those
locked up inside. We will have live performances, drummers and hot
chocolate! Please bring whistles, pots, pans and other noise makers, dress
warm and bring a flashlight. Speakers and performers to be announced
shortly.

December 10th marks the 10th year anniversary of Mohamed Harkat’s arrest
under a security certificate. Mahjoub will be in court in Toronto for a
detention review, once again calling on the judge to free him from over
twelve years of arbitrary, indefinite detention. And it is International
Human Rights Day.

*Sounds of Solidarity Rally
Toronto Immigration Holding Centre
December 9, 2012 at 4pm.
Meet at 2:30pm at Fed Court House, 180 Queen West for buses
*
Actions in Other Cities:

*Ottawa:* Visual presentation/rally on Parliament Hill on Dec. 10th at 10am.
*Montreal:* Rally at Laval Immigration Prevention Centre on Dec. 10th at
10am. Colourful car convoy leaves Rosemont metro at 9am.
*Vancouver:* Action on December 10th, evening (details tbc: check
NOII-Vancouver website or fb).
*Calgary:* Info-Picket at 615 MacLeod Trail Southeast on Dec. 9th. from 1pm
to 2pm.
*Saskatoon:* Action at 12pm on December 9th.

Other cities to be announced. Please see http://bit.ly/dec102012 for full
list.

For over a decade now, Mohammad Mahjoub, Mohamed Harkat and Mahmoud
Jaballah have lived in arbitrary and inhumane detention as a result of
security certificates. Mahjoub was imprisoned for 8 years (including 2.5
years in solitary) and over 4.5 years under continuing house arrest and
conditions; Harkat was imprisoned for 3.5 years (including 1 year in
solitary) and 6.5 years under house arrest and conditions; Jaballah was
imprisoned for over six years prison (including 1.5 years in solitary) and
5.5 years under continuing house and conditions… yet, none of them has ever
been charged.

Mahjoub, Harkat and Jaballah are three of the thousands of migrants in
Canada who spend more time in worse jails simply because they don’t have
full immigration status. With the full implementation of Bill C-31 in
December, and with Bill C-43 looming in Parliament, increasing numbers of
migrants will find themselves behind bars. Since the Harper government came
in to power in 2006, over 72,000 people have been locked up in immigration
detention. This includes families and children as well as those jailed in
maximum security prisons without access to service or programs.

On December 9th and 10th, insist Free the Three! Freedom for Migrants! End
Detentions!

Attend an action near you or organize a workshop, info-picket or action in
your community. Email justiceformahjoub at gmail.com: we can provide flyers,
media release, and other support.

Please also take a moment to sign the statement against security
certificates atwww.harkatstatement.com/

In solidarity,

Justice for Mahjoub Network
The Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee
Justice for Jaballah
No One Is Illegal – Toronto
People’s Commission Network
Anarchist Black Cross – Toronto

www.supportmahjoub.org | www.justiceforharkat.com |
www.justiceforjaballah.org
www.nooneisillegal.org | www.peoplescommission.org |
www.torontoabc.wordpress.com
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