Independent Media Centre
Ottawa
Hundreds rally in solidarity
with Palestinian refugees
Ottawa
IMC, 29.11.2004
22:38
Monday. Activists rallied at the Supreme Court
building in
Ottawa
, denouncing the government of
Canada
’s racist policies on the deportation of refugee claimants.
Protestors march through the streets of downtown
Ottawa
, Monday.
Monday,
November 29.
Today at the Supreme Court building in
Ottawa
,
activists and concerned citizens from numerous organizations rallied and
chanted, denouncing the government of
Canada
’s
racist policies on the treatment of refugees and deportation. Many of
those in the crowd were Palestinian students, newly landed immigrants, and
refugees themselves. Many others in the were protesters and activists from
Montreal and Toronto, here in Ottawa to participate in the larger
demonstrations planned for President Bush’s arrival on Tuesday.
Among the speakers was Abdel Takriti. “As we are standing here today the
very notion of refuge is under threat,” he said, speaking about the
situation facing Ahmad Nafaa – a Palestinian man now being detained by
immigration officials after being arrested in
Montreal
last week. Nafaa was forced underground after his claim for refugee status
was denied. Nafaa is facing deportation to the
U.S.
on November 30 and would most likely be held in a
US
federal penitentiary before being sent back to a refugee camp in the
West
Bank
.
Sophie Harkat called on the crowd to pressure the government into ending
its use of an immigration 'security certificate' which allows immigration
officials, in tangent with Canada's RCMP federal police, to arrest people
without charges, detain them indefinitely, and hold trials only in secret.
Sofie Harkat is the wife of Mohammad Harkat, who has been detained for
almost two years without an fair, open trial. Neither he, his family nor
their lawyer know what the charges or evidence are against him.
After the opening speeches concluded, the crowd rallied behind a huge
banner clearly spelling out the purpose of the protest. “Les
Camp De Refuges Ne Sont Pas Un Foyer” refugee camps are no one’s home.
Police
blocked traffic as the protesters marched through the streets of downtown
Ottawa
to the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration. Throughout the march
pedestrians and citizens looked on as the group chanted slogans in English
and French. “no borders, no nations, stop deportations” and
“solidarite, avec, avec, avec les refugées.”
The group also seized the opportunity to begin the vocal attack on
President Bush himself chanting, “ Bush out of
Baghdad
,
Bush out of
Ottawa
”.
Once at the offices of the Ministry, the crowd rallied and listened to
more speeches attacking the policies of the
US
,
Israeli and Canadian governments on a number of issues. Some of the
strongest themes expressed by the speakers and crowd were the negative
effects on many Palestinians caused by the policies of
Israel
and the
US
as well as
Canada
’s
complicity with them.
“These Palestinian refugees have left Palestine or fled the Palestinian
refugee camps due to the policies of the US government and the Israeli
government … they have fled the consequences of continued US support to
illegal and deadly military occupation… and that Canada is also
complicit in," said one speaker.
Protesters demanded an end to the deportation of refugees in
Canada
seeking landed immigrant status. “
Canada
can make a moratorium on deporting Palestinian refugees and I think that
is what should happen,“ said Ahmad Mustafa, a Palestinian refugee who
has been living in
Montreal
for three years. “
Canada
has a Moratorium on other countries like the
Congo
and
Iraq
,"
he said.
The protesters also called on the Canadian government to reform the
justice system so that immigrants can appeal their refugee claims, if
they've been denied. Currently in
Canada
,
once a request has been denied there is no appeal process available,
forcing many back to squalid conditions in refugee camps in their
countries of origin.
The protest today was seen by many as an opening event for the larger
protests on the November 30. The event was organized by the group,
Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights. |
