CANADIAN POLITICS:

PAN-CANADIAN DAY OF ACTION FOR U.S. WAR RESISTERS:


The following callout for a day of action on September 13 comes from the War Resisters Support Campaign. See their website for more information.


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Pan-Canadian Day of Action for U.S. Iraq War Resisters - TIME TO ORGANIZE AND ACT :
I encourage all interested parties to read this communique and help out in any way you can. Thanks!


Pan-Canadian Day of Action for U.S. Iraq War Resisters
Saturday, September 13th
THE MAJORITY SUPPORT WAR RESISTERS
Since the historic vote in support of U.S. Iraq War Resisters on June 3rd in the House of Commons, the Harper government has chosen to ignore the will of Parliament and the majority of Canadians. Members of Parliament voted 137 to 110 in support of a motion to allow Iraq war resisters to stay.


An extensive Angus Reid national poll conducted after the June 3rd vote showed that over 64% of Canadians want our government to let Iraq war resisters stay. In every province and territory, a majority of Canadians want Harper’s minority government to let them stay.


Moreover, two separate Federal Court of Appeal rulings, for war resisters Joshua Key and Corey Glass, challenged decisions made at the Immigration and Refugee Board level. These historic legal victories only reinforce our arguments that resisters should be allowed to stay.


HARPER IGNORES MAJORITY; JAILS AND DEPORTS ROBIN LONG
In spite of this, war resister Robin Long from Nelson, B.C. was arrested by Canadian authorities in July. Robin was imprisoned in Canada, and physically assaulted while in a Canadian prison. The Canadian Border Services Agency, under Minister Stockwell Day, deported Robin to prison in the United States.


In her Federal Court decision that sent Robin Long back to the United States, Judge McTavish claimed that Robin Long would not face “irreparable harm.” However, Robin currently sits in an American prison, facing a court martial and a potential sentence of 3 years in military prison plus a felony conviction that will last his whole life.


The Harper government ignored the will of Canadians and Parliament by sending Robin back to the U.S. to imprisonment and punishment for opposing and speaking out against the Iraq war.


In response to this blatant disregard for the elected Parliament and the will of Canada’s majority, the War Resisters Support Campaign is calling for a Pan-Canadian and international day of action in support of Iraq war resisters in Canada.
TIME TO ORGANIZE AND ACT
Parliament begins a new session on September 15th. A federal election is also on the horizon. It’s time for our Campaign to show the grass roots support across Canada for Iraq war resisters and renew our call for Harper to implement the June 3rd motion and stop the deportations now.


Across Canada, actions will be taking place in small towns and cities to show the breadth of support for Iraq war resisters.


On Saturday, September 13th, we need supporters to:
- organize a local picket at the office of your M.P., especially if they are Conservative;
- demonstrate outside a federal government building;
- encourage supporters to call their M.P. and write letters to the editor of the local paper;
- show the media and politicians that there is a grassroots majority movement across Canada that wants to let war resisters stay here!


If your community can organize an action, please send us your plans and local call-outs to the War Resisters Support Campaign so we can coordinate and communicate through our website (http://www.resisters.ca/) and list-serves.


E-mail us at: resisters@sympatico.ca
Check http://www.resisters.ca/ for updates on the day of action, or to add your name to our list-serve.
Produced by the War Resisters Support Campaign
Phone: 416-598-1222
E-mail: resisters@sympatico.ca
Web: http://www.resisters.ca/