Protesters Trick-or-Treat Across Canada as CSIS, Page 4
CSID is currently mounting a campaign in Guelph to stop the use of the Wellington Detention Centre as a holding tank for immigrants and refugees. The centre is a former prison called "a concrete block with no windows surrounded by barbed wires" by newly elected Liberal MPP Liz Sandals. Food and discourse with the community surrounding the link between Secret Trials and the proposed Immigrant Detention Centre were followed by a visit to local Liberal MP Brenda Chamberlain's office by a mass delegation to hand deliver a letter addressing the federal government's racist security and immigration policy.
At Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, students staged a house of horrors, featuring a variety of injustices, including the Orwellian secret trials. In Peterborough, community members gathered for letter writing and faxing directed at an area MP. King Square, at the centre of St. John, New Brunswick, featured a vigil in which five individuals each took a placard with the name of a secret trial detainee, written in large, 4-inch block letters. Each person stood with their backs to the crowd with a black gag in their mouths. Others attending the vigil wore black armbands, passed out flyers, and sang out, "Who Will Speak if We Don't?" One speaker called out the name and situation of each of the detainees, which was followed by the crowd declaring in unison, "We are with you."
In Halifax, 25 people picketed the CSIS office, Maritime Centre, for one hour. Five hundred copies of "Halifax Voice," exposing and condemning the secret trials and the use of security certificates, were distributed. One woman from the Annapolis Valley wrote and printed her own leaflet making a poignant case on the unfair treatment of Adil Charkaoui in Montreal. A third-year law student from Dalhousie who came to join the picket said he was familiar with the process as set down under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and anti-terrorism legislation, and declared it a total violation of due process.
The highly visible action was held during the height of rush hour in downtown Halifax and generated considerable public interest. Some passersby joined the picket and many people in cars also took leaflets. Tony Seed of the People's Front/Halifax, and editor and publisher of shunpiking magazine, along with Dr. Ismail Zaid, president of the Canada Palestine Association, addressed the rally. Both linked the security certificate to a broader attack on the entire Canadian people designed to cause splits, promote racist hysteria and create a precedent to justify the methods of a police state.
Though the secret trial detainees are in Central Canada, Seed gave examples of how the CSIS, RCMP and FBI have been targeting mosques and Muslim immigrants (especially students and young people) in Atlantic Canada, particularly New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Seed gave examples of the dirty role the CSIS and the RCMP had played with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans in 1999 before and after the Marshall Decision in fomenting discord, violence and vigilantism amongst Mi'kmaq First Nations and Acadian fishermen in Burnt Church. In May, 1999 the secret service actually wrote "assessment reports" for the RCMP predicting "violence", even though the Marshall Decision was not released until September. In October, the RCMP sat back when the processors organized attacks and destruction of the gear and livelihood of the Mi'kmaq fishers, without arresting a soul.
The organizers are planning an in-depth forum on Secret Trials, Security Certificates and CSIS at Dalhousie University.
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If you would like to help out (and there's lots of work we need to do, from writing letters to government officials, lobbying, public education, prisoner and detainee family support, to creating legislation outlawing the use of secret evidence), contact the Campaign to Stop Secret Trials in Canada, c/o PO Box 73620, 509 St. Clair Ave. West, Toronto, ON M6C 1C0.
In a direct contrast to the CSIS propaganda that they are not terrorizing the Muslim community, we saw first-hand how fear permeates the community. Indeed, commitments from numerous targetted individuals and groups to help fill our buses were dropped at the last minute, understandably, due to fears of retaliatory action by CSIS and the RCMP. Others we met in Ottawa thanked us for doing the action, and apologized that fear prevented them from attending.
We took quite a bath on our bus and some other expenses, as an all-volunteer group, so if you would like to help us make up our shortfall and contribute to our ongoing costs, donations can be made to "Homes not Bombs" and mailed to PO Box 73620, 509 St. Clair Ave. West, Toronto, ON M6C 1C0.
In some instances, we are able to provide charitable receipts. Please contact us at tasc@web.ca if you would like more info. on this aspect of helping out.
SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL WHO TOOK PART IN AND PROVIDED MUCH OF THE LOGISTICAL SUPPORT. This includes everyone from the organizers of the public events in Guelph, Waterloo, Hamilton and Toronto to the wonderful folks at First United Church in Ottawa, who put us up, the congregation at the Northwest Unitarian Fellowship in Toronto, Laura Shevchenko, for food organization and jail support, Mark Ertel for being on call when we needed him most, and everyone who committed two days of their lives to ensuring that this injustice is stopped in Canada. Special thanks as well to the cross-Canada organizers who, in some instances on fairly short notice, pulled together a lot of work on vigils and community education efforts.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
Wednesday, November 5, 10 am: On Day 38 of his hunger strike, Hassan Almrei appears in court (361 University Ave., Toronto) for a continuation of a hearing to get him a written guarantee of heat in his cold, concrete solitary confinement cell, along with shoes and a jacket. Please fill the court with support for Hassan.
Wednesday, November 12, 12 noon: Vigil to Bring a Canadian Home. For two years, Ahmad Abou El-Maati has been held, first in a Syrian prison where he was tortured, and now in Egypt, where, despite being ordered released by the Supreme Court on three occasions, he remains behind bars. The Canadian government has done nothing to get him home, and so we will picket the office of Forieign Affairs Minister BIll Graham (365 Bloor East, just west of Sherbourne subway).
Thursday, November 20-Friday, November 21. Bail hearing begins for Secret Trial Detainee Mahmoud Jaballah, father of six, Federal Court, 361 University. Call (416) 6510-5800 to confirm details.
Monday, November 24. Begins a week-long bail hearing for Hassan Almrei. Federal Court, 361 University. Call (416) 6510-5800 to confirm details.
December 10: Santa Speaks out Against Secret Trials at CSIS Toronto, Details to be Announced
Stay in touch: www.homesnotbombs.ca
Below are some of the songs sung at CSIS on Halloween:
To the tune of "Frere Jacques":
CSIS agents, CSIS agents,
Where are you? Where are you?
Hiding from the public, hiding from the public,
Shame on you, shame on you.
Secret trials, secret trials
Are unjust, are unjust,
If you hide the evidence, if you hide the evidence,
You've lost our trust, you've lost our trust.
To "Daisy, Daisy":
CSIS, CSIS, give us your answer, do:
Are you crazy, arresting folks out of the blue?
Unjustified accusation
Brings shame upon our nation,
So let them go, or else we'll know
That nothing you say is true.
To "Take Me Out to the Ballgame":
Five men held in detention,
Five men held without bail:
Of evidence there is a total lack,
Charge them and try them or let them come back,
Oh, it's root, root, root out injustice,
Don't let democracy fail:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 lives on hold,
Let them out of jail.
What a friend We Have in CSIS
(Courtesy of the Ottawa Grannies:)
What a friend we have in CSIS, Guardian of our human rights.
What a privilege to know you, Making sure we sleep at night.
Oh, what peace subversives forfeit, Oh what needless pain they bear.
They insist on being different -- CSIS, Keep them in your care!
Have we trials and public hearings? Why on earth would we want them?
We should never need such crutches; CSIS will their guilt condemn.
Can we befriend a friend so faithful who will all our worries share?
CSIS knows our every weakness; terrorists don't have a prayer!
Are we terrorized and fearful, cumbered with a load of care?
Precious CSIS, still our refuge, will our paranoia share.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Must be something that you did!
We must always trust in CSIS, we must do as we are bid.
Blessed CSIS, thou hast promised: thou wilt make us safe and free..
Round up all the many suspects, put them under lock and key.
Soon we'll have a safer nation, soon we'll sing and dance once more...
Sorry CSIS, got to go now....someone's knocking at the door.....
