[opirgyork] Rebels Starts Today + Other Upcoming Events!

[OPIRG York]

Hello Everyone!

Today begins our annual Rebels with a Cause Film Festival. Checkout the
amazing lineup starting tonight at 7pm! Also check out the other upcoming
events and calls for support this week and in the upcoming weeks!

If you want to get involved at OPIRG York, please get in touch:
opirgyork at gmail.com.
Look forward to seeing you all soon!

-OPIRG York

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*Upcoming Events:*

*1. STARTS TODAY: *Rebels With A Cause Film Festival 3rd Annual (Oct
22-25) Free
Admission to all screenings. Programs+schedules listed below.
*2. October 23-25:* Ruling on Mohammad Mahjoub's security certificate
coming "late this week"
*3. October 24:* York University Weekly Farmers' Market
*4. October 24:* Women's Emancipation and Marxism [Fightback-YorkU]
*5. October 26: *Running Down the Walls
*6. October 27:* Support Striking Prisoners in Ontario: Panel Discussion
and Letter Writing Night
*7. October 31: *War Criminals Not Welcome Here: Protest Dick Cheney in
Toronto
*8. October 31:* Scarrry-Oke
*9. October 31:* Stop Violence Against Indigenous People: Vigil for
Cheyenne Fox Murdered in Toronto.
*10. November 4-5:* Pack the Courtroom in Toronto on November 4 & 5 to Show
Solidarity with Hassan Diab!

**************************
*1. Rebels With A Cause Film Festival 3rd Annual (Oct 22-25) *
*Free Admission to all screenings. Programs+schedules listed below.*

*R**ED RIOT *
Co-presented with imagineNATIVE Film+Media Arts Festival
TUE OCT 22, 2013 7PM Nat Taylor Cinema, N102 Ross Building York University
RSVP on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/events/208460549331913>

*RED RIOT brings together the haunting and tender Indigenous tales that
traverse the line between alienation and acceptance. Beginning with an
apocalyptic vision and concluding with the founding of a utopian world, the
four shorts use fantastical and whimsical elements to deftly delve into
contemporary collective anxiety and desire. Solidarity and solace will be
found in the most unexpected places.*

Wakening | Danis Goulet
Pilgrims | Marie Clements
Mohawk Midnight Runners | Zoe Hopkins
Miss Chief: Justice of the Piece | Kent Monkman

=====
*WITNESS WITHIN*
Co-presented with Regent Park Film Festival
WED OCT 23, 2013 2:30PM Price Family Cinema, 102 Accolade East York
University
RSVP on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/events/248106878669764>

*WITNESS WITHIN foregrounds the perspectives of the witnesses whose lives
are cultivated in the margins. The films dispute the official discourses of
legality and construct alternative sites of protest and rituals of
commemoration through magic realism, parody, queer performativity,
animation and music video. Witnessing is defined as a transformative and
necessary act, where mourning is turned into alchemy.*

Little Miss Jihad | Stephanie Law
Citizen Kenney: a love letters in 3 parts | Bambitchell
Traces of Joy | Jeff Tran & Louis Yeum
Repercussions | Terril Calder
7 lifetimes | Chris Beaver

=====
*ART IN ACTION*
Co-presented with York United Black Students' Alliance and Filipino
Canadian Youth Alliance of Ontario at York
WED OCT 23, 2013 5:15PM Nat Taylor Cinema, N102 Ross Building York
University
RSVP on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/events/1404310893133003>

*ART IN ACTION explores the extent to which marginalized bodies are made
invisible in the collective consciousness. With three seemingly unrelated
stories about black dolls, Filipino rice cakes and breast cancer, these
shorts convergently embody one of the many radical ways to give space to
narratives from and by disenfranchised ethnic communities. *

Why do we Have Black Dolls? | Samantha Knowles
Suman Ladies | Althea Balmes
Beyond the Silence | Asha & Roda Siad

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*CARVING COMING*
Co-presented with the Centre for Women and Trans People at York
WED OCT 23, 2013 7:30PM Nat Taylor Cinema, N102 Ross Building York
University
RSVP on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/events/623827774305038>

*CARVING COMING begins with two charming experimental shorts about first
queer love and sexy genderfucking that defy normative, homogenizing
societal pressure. The third piece turns to the questions of social norms
and self-identities within the stud community.*
*
*
Misadventures of Pussy Boy - First Love | Alec Butler
Boi oh Boi | Thirza Cuthand
Miss UnderSTUD | Adam L. McMath

=====
*FAG SELECTS *
Co-curated by Allyson Mitchell and Deirdre Logue, Feminist Art Gallery
THU OCT 24, 2013 2:30PM 135 Vanier College
RSVP on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/events/652748481422922>

*FAG Feminist Art Gallery (Toronto) is an art and political pot-luck,
free-schooling, backyard screening, axe grinding, directed reading, protest
sign making, craft den, incantation, herbal tea and gluten-free muffin top
artist talks series insisted upon by artists/lovers Deirdre Logue and
Allyson Mitchell. Logue is currently the Development Director at Vtape and
Mitchell is an Associate Professor in the School of Gender, Sexuality and
Women’s Studies at York University. Both have prolific international art
practices.*
*FAG SELECTS: MORE THAN JUST QUEER borrows its title from its original
screening in ‘More Than Just Queer: Luminaries Past and Present’ which took
place this past March at the SFMOMA.*

This Is Not A Test | Marisa Hoicka
Woodcarver | Ehren BEARwitness Thoman and A Tribe Called Red
Target | Rehab Nazzal
Beyond the Usual Limits: Part 1 | Deirdre Logue
Lesser Apes | Emily Vey Duke and Cooper Battersby
Covered | John Greyson
Bending Over Backwards | Heather Keung
Afghanimation | Allyson Mitchell

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*DEAD DUCKS *
Co-presented with CUPE3903
FRI OCT 25, 2013 5:30PM Price Family Cinema, 102 Accolade East York
University
RSVP on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/events/521871954564779>

*DEAD DUCKS connects the struggles against institutional land exploitation
in Guelph and Northern Ontario. One short offers a critical gaze into the
bureaucratic maze that prevents the protection of a local water source. The
next compassionately tells the story of an Indigenous woman returning and
reclaiming her ancestral land.*
*
*

Dolime Dilemma | Kristin Neville
Biimadasahwin | Alex Felipe

**************************
*2. Ruling on Mohammad Mahjoub's security certificate coming "late this
week" *

The Federal Court will render its final decision on Mohammad Mahjoub's case
this week. The decision could come as early as Wednesday.

The court will announce whether or not it is upholding the "security
certificate" that has kept Mr. Mahjoub in immigration detention on the
basis of secret suspicions for more than 13 years. Mr. Mahjoub has been
waiting for this ruling since December when the hearings on his case
wrapped up. However, the actual reasons for the decision will be withheld
for another five days on "national security" grounds, while the government
and 'special advocates' decide what to keep secret from Mr. Mahjoub and the
public.

If the certificate is held reasonable, Mr. Mahjoub will walk free. If
Justice Blanchard bows to political pressure and upholds the reasonability
of the security certificate, Mr. Mahjoub would be forced to appeal the
decision all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada.

IN TORONTO:
** Rally in support of (and with!) Mr. Mahjoub on the day of the decision
at the Federal Court, 180 Queen Street. We won't know the exact time or day
in advance, but will announce it as soon as we know by text, email,
website, and facebook and will need all of you to help us get the word out.
Please check frequently starting on Wednesday and prepare to send it on!
www.fb.com/SupportMahjoub | #MahjoubMustbeFree | www.supportmahjoub.org &
if you want to join our text-alert, send your cell number to
justiceformahjoub at gmail.com!

Date: Wednesday, Thursday or Friday this week
Time: Anytime-- if you want to have the date/time location, you can send
your cell number to justiceformahjoub at gmail.com and we will text you the
time and location!
Location: 180 Queen St. W, Federal Court House, Toronto, ON

EVERYWHERE:
** MAHJOUB NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT: Please send messages and photos of support
and solidarity for Mr. Mahjoub to justiceformahjoub at gmail.com. We will be
posting them at www.supportmahjoub.org.
** If you are not in Toronto, please plan a small action that you can
organize quickly and email justiceformahjoub at gmail.com to keep us in the
loop and receive updates.
** We only have a few days to spread the word! Please forward this email
widely. If you are on Facebook, please like
www.facebook.com/SupportMahjouband share this story.

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

*3. York University Farmers Market*

Date: Thursday October 24th 2013
Time: 12:00 - 4:00 pm
Location: TEL Building 1st Floor
Come on out to the first day of our Weekly Farmers' Market happening at
York University!

Thursday October 24th 2013 (and every Thursday after that, except during
holidays and reading weeks)

VENDORS LIST:
Albion Hills
Black Creek Community Farm
Crown Valley Bakery
Happy Go Lucky Foods
Healing Spirit Nutrition
Highmark Farms
Kaya's Tea
Las Nubes Coffee
Healing Spirit Nutrition
My Little Dumplings
Vegan Delights !

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*4. Women's Emancipation and Marxism [Fightback-YorkU]*

Canada presents as a society in which “sexism is a phenomenon of the past –
there are more women in work than ever before and they are increasingly
sexually liberated”. This false narrative has even been used as a
justification for Canadian imperialist efforts in the Middle-East, where
Canada is falsely presented as a progressive force for women’s rights
internationally.

But it is also clear to most people that this is not true at all – in
Canada the pay gap between men and women remains at 28%, and women are
still expected to carry out the majority of domestic activities such as
cleaning and looking after children.

What are the origins of women's oppression? And how do we fight it? These
are vital questions to ask in a society where working class women are twice
as oppressed - both as workers and as women.

Jessica Cassell, Founding Member of the Ryerson Socialist Fightback Club
and Co-Chair of the Toronto Young New Democrats will present the topic
before a free and open discussion.

Location: Student Centre Room: 307 (YorkU)
Time: 6-8pm
Organized by the Socialist Fightback Club

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1393612144209330/

Questions/comments?
Jahan: 647-448-0980
Christine: 647-638-6470
Farshad: 647-204-5312

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*
*5. Running Down the Walls*

Date: Saturday, October 26th
Time: 1-4pm
Location: Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, 51 Stuart St. Hamilton, ON

Running Down The Walls (RDTW) is an annual 5km run/roll that connects
prisoners and outside supporters in an effort to raise money for political
prisoners held captive in North America.

This international event is held every year in support of prisoners, and
against the prison system that confines them. This year’s event is in
support of North American political prisoners and (im)migrant prisoners
across Ontario. The October 26th event will centre the voices (im)migrants
with experiences of incarceration in Canada.

You can participate in the following ways:

- Collect sponsorships to raise money in support of political prisoners and
(im)migrant prisoners. Visit rdtw-north.com for the fund-raising forms.

- Sponsor a prisoner who is participating in Running Down the Walls. Visit
rdtw-north.com for the list of prisoners participating in the event in.

- Join us on October 26th from 1-4 pm for free food, activities, speeches
and performances. During the event we will run/walk/bike/and roll 5
kilometers in support of our imprisoned allies.

2013 Funding Recipients:

ABCF Long Terms Political Prisoner Stipend Fund (Warchest)

The ABCF Warchest is a program designed to send monthly stipends to
political prisoners who have been receiving insufficient financial support
during their imprisonment. Prisoners receiving stipends can spend these
funds in any way they deem beneficial.

www.abcf.net/abcf.asp?page=warchest

Books to Bars ESL & Alternative Language Program

The Books to Bars ESL & Alternative Language Program is an initiative that
will provide material support to imprisoned migrants across Southern
Ontario.

www.bookstobars.com

***For more information visit rdtw-north.com ***

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*6. Supporting Striking Prisoners in Ontario: Panel Discussion and Letter
Writing Night*
Sunday, October 27th 2013
6pm - 9pm
Beit Zatoun, 612 Markham Avenue, Toronto.

Friends!

The Toronto ABC, No One Is Illegal - Toronto and the End Immigration
Detention Network are organizing a panel of speakers and letter writing
night to support striking prisoners in Ontario.

Migrant prisoners held in the Lindsay, Ontario Provincial detention centre,
many of whom have been on strike over the conditions of the jail since
September
17th have been resisting their conditions and have been punished for their
resistance by being put in solitary confinement. Please read more about
them here:

http://endimmigrationdetention.wordpress.com/

A number of Federal prisoners are currently striking because their already
low earnings have been cut by 30%. Read more about them here:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/federal-inmates-go-on-strike-to-protest-pay-cuts-1.1875491

Toronto ABC is restarting our monthly letter writing nights this month! It
is an important time to support prisoners in Ontario. Working with NOII -
Toronto, we invite you to join us for some food, conversation with a panel
of speakers who will update us on the situation of these two groups of
striking prisoners, and letter writing to these local political prisoners.
We will also take this opportunity to discuss further strategies for
supporting these prisoners in meeting their demands.

Speakers include:
Members of No One Is Illegal - Toronto
LaToya Lettman - family member of one of the striking migrant workers
More to be announced

Come to Beit Zatoun from 6pm to 9pm on Sunday, October 27th and join us for
an inspiring and productive evening!

Vegan dinner provided.
Kids of all ages welcome.

Solidarity,
NOII Toronto & Toronto ABC

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

*7. War Criminals Not Welcome Here: Protest Dick Cheney in Toronto
*
Date: October 31st
Time: 11am

Former US vice president Dick Cheney is coming to Toronto. He is scheduled
to give the keynote address to the International Economic Forum of the
Americas on Halloween at 12 noon at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
The Canadian Peace Alliance and the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War are
organizing a rally at 11 am on the same day to to let him know that we
don't want war criminals in our city.

Cheney is best known as the war criminal who pushed for the war on Iraq and
advocated and authorized the torture of detainees at Guantanamo bay Cuba.

“I was a big supporter of waterboarding, I signed off on it”
Dick Cheney in 2010

According to Canadian and International law, anyone who supports torture is
guilty of a criminal offence. In fact, Cheney has already been convicted of
war crimes by a tribunal investigating the torture of detainees in
Guantanamo bay.

The government of Canada, which has no qualms about denying entry to
anti-war activists and is still trying to deport war resisters that refused
to follow Cheney's illegal and immoral orders, should ban this war criminal
from entering Canada.

Join us and give this war criminal the welcome he deserves.

Organized by the Canadian Peace Alliance, Toronto Coalition to Stop the
War. Endorsed by the War Resisters Support Campaign

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

*8. Annual Scarrry-oke  *

Date: October 31, 2013
Time: 6PM-10PM
Location: Student Centre Room 313

Free admission, and food and drinks will be provided. It is a halloween
themed event, so its recommended that costumes are worn. It will be tons of
fun, so invite everyone to come out! Brought to you by the Filipino
Canadian Youth Alliance – Ontario (UKPC/FCYA-ON)--- an organization which
strives for social transformation and social justice under the call for
genuine settlement and integration for Filipinos in Canada.

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

*9. Stop violence against Indigenous People: Vigil for Cheyenne Fox
Murdered in Toronto*
Thursday October 31st
7:00 pm
30 college st, Toronto

A candle light vigil will happen in honor of my daughter Cheyenne Fox. (T.O
police head quarters-30 College st Downtown T.O). Bring candles and your
friends and family.

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

*10. Pack the Courtroom in Toronto on November 4 & 5 to Show Solidarity
with Hassan Diab!*

What:   Appeal of Dr. Hassan Diab's extradition decision
When:  Monday-Tuesday, November 4-5, 2013, starting at 10:00 AM
Where: Courtroom #2, 361 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario

Map: http://goo.gl/maps/Q8zTp
TTC: St Patrick station on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line

You can stay for the day or come and go whenever you wish.

If you can come only one day, please prioritize Monday. However, we would
love to see a show of support both days.

Please come out to show solidarity with Dr. Hassan Diab! Join us at the
Court of Appeal for Ontario, on Monday November 4 at 10:00 AM, for a
crucial hearing regarding Canada's unjust extradition law. Take a stand
against extradition based on secret intelligence and a single handwriting
analysis report that has been discredited and condemned in Court.

Amnesty International, the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association
(BCCLA), and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) have filed
interventions with the Court expressing their deep concerns about Hassan’s
case.

Let's pack the courtroom and show our concern about the erosion of the
rights of Canadians under the extradition law.

Please help us circulate this announcement widely!

For information about transportation from Ottawa to Toronto , contact:
Ria Heynen
r-j.heynen at bell.net
Phone: (613) 828-8468

For general information, contact:
Don Pratt
diabsupport at gmail.com
Phone: (650) 576-5616


Background

“My life has been turned upside down because of unfounded allegations and
suspicions.
I am innocent of the accusations against me.
I have never engaged in terrorism. I am not an anti-Semite.
I have always been opposed to bigotry and violence.”

Dr. Hassan Diab, Ottawa , Canada

Dr. Hassan Diab is a Canadian academic of Lebanese descent who is facing
extradition to France for questioning regarding an attack near a Paris
synagogue in 1980. Hassan has never been charged with any crime, yet since
2008 he has either been imprisoned or living under very strict bail
conditions that include paying $2,000 per month for a GPS device he is
required to wear at all times.

The case against Hassan is anchored in secret intelligence from unknown
sources. The intelligence cannot be tested or challenged in a court of law
and carries the real risk of being derived from torture.

In 2011, a Canadian judge decided to commit Dr. Diab to extradition based
solely on a handwriting analysis report that alleges that Hassan’s
handwriting matches five words on a Paris hotel registration card from
1980. Five internationally renowned experts testified that the report is
based on fundamentally flawed methodology and is totally absurd,
unscientific, and biased. The experts pointed out that the evidence
actually points away from Hassan. The extradition judge himself described
the handwriting analysis report as “very problematic”, “very confusing”,
“convoluted”, and with “conclusions that are suspect”. Yet the judge ruled
that he is required under Ontario’s interpretation of Canada’s extradition
law to commit Dr. Diab for extradition.

In the extradition proceedings, Hassan was prevented from introducing
evidence that shows that his palm prints do not match those of the suspect.
Hassan has repeatedly affirmed that he is willing to answer questions from
French authorities in Canada. He has also offered to take a lie detector
test, but there has been no response to both offers.

Hassan’s case points to glaring problems with Canada’s extradition law. In
extradition cases, the Charter rights of the person sought are severely
compromised. Canadian standards of evidence do not apply. The standard for
extradition is so low that Canada hands people over to other countries
based on evidence that is not acceptable in Canadian courts. Canada has
extradition treaties with countries that allow secret intelligence,
including intelligence that may have been the product of torture, to be
used as evidence at trial.


Articles
“Human rights groups sound alarm over Diab extradition evidence”, Ottawa
Citizen, July 3, 2013
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/8612960/story.html
“The Extradition Case of Dr. Hassan Diab”, Canadian Dimension, October 15,
2013
http://canadiandimension.com/articles/5586/


-- 

-OPIRG York
--
www.opirgyork.ca
416-736-5724
opirg at yorku.ca



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