LET
THEM STAY
Participate in a week of action from March 15-22 to stop the
deportation of Kimberly Rivera and her family
On
March 26, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney
threaten to deport US Iraq war resister Kimberly Rivera and her family, against
the will of Parliament. The week of March 16, Canadians will rally from coast
to coast against the deportation.
Canada
resisted the illegal Iraq war, a majority of Canadians support US Iraq war resisters,
and Parliament passed a motion to stop deporting them and to let them stay. But
Harper and Kenney have been defying democracy and deporting war resisters to punishment.
They have already deported three US Iraq war resisters, including Robin Long—who
was punished with 15 months jail separated from his infant son, followed by a
lifelong felony conviction. Now Harper and Kenney threaten to deport war resister
Kimberly Rivera and her family—husband Mario, 6 year old son Christian, 4
year old daughter Rebecca, and newborn Canadian daughter Katie--on March 26. The
week of March 16, while George Bush visits Canada on the 6th anniversary of his
illegal war, Canadians from coast to coast will be calling on Harper and Kenney
to stop the deportation of Iraq war resister Kimberly Rivera and family. It is
urgent that the majority of Canadians who support US Iraq war resisters act now.
Please
check the listings below for events you can participate in.
National Events
See also Local
events to find things planned for your city. Monday,
March 16: Letter-to-the-Editor Day
Send a letter to your local
newspaper to support U.S. Iraq war resisters. Some points you can include:
-
Canada refused to fight in Iraq and a majority of Canadians support US Iraq war
resisters
- on June 3rd Parliament passed a motion to stop deporting war resisters
and to let them stay
- Prime Minister Harper and Immigration Minister Kenney
need to respect Parliament
- Canada should welcome war resisters, rather than
welcoming war criminal George Bush
Tuesday,
March 17: National
Phone-In Day
While
George Bush is in Calgary (
www.peoplevbush.ca.),
phone or email the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. Tell him that you
want him to respect Canadian democracy and the Canadian Parliament by implementing
the motion to stop deportation proceedings against U.S. Iraq war resisters and
allow them to stay.
Contact
info:
Minister
of Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney
Call 613.954.1064 (Ministry
office)
613.992.2235 (Parliamentary Office)
Or email him at:
minister@cic.gc.ca
or Kennej@parl.gc.ca
Please cc the opposition party critics if you email Jason Kenney:
Liberal
party immigration critic Maurizio Bevilacqua: BevilM@parl.gc.ca
NDP immigration critic Olivia Chow: chowo@parl.gc.ca
Bloc Québécois immigration critic Thierry St-Cyr: StCyrT@parl.gc.ca
The Right Hon. Stephen
Harper
Phone: (613) 992-4211
E-mail: mailto:pm@pm.gc.ca
Wednesday,
March 18: Leafletting Day
Choose a busy corner
in your city and hand out leaflets in support of war resisters to help spread
the word and involve more people. You can download
a leaflet here.
Friday,
March 20: Visit or call your local MP
Call
or visit your local Member of Parliament's office and tell them you support war
resisters. If your MP is a Conservative, tell them you want the government to
implement the Parliamentary motion to stop the deportations of war resisters and
let them stay in Canada.
If your MP is a member of one of the opposition
parties, ask them to reaffirm their support for the motion and speak out publicly
at this critical time against the deportations.
Events by City To
add events, please email resisters@sympatico.ca
Sarnia
Friday,
March 13
11am
- 1pm
Please join us for a protest outside of Pat Davidson's office (NE
corner of Wellington and Finch, Sarnia) this Friday morning.
We will meet
at Coffee Lodge at 10:30am before crossing the intersection to Davidson's.
Please
join us if you can.
Toronto
Sunday, March 15
On the 6th anniversary of the
Iraq war: three documentaries about U.S. soldiers resisting wars from Vietnam
to Iraq, and seeking refuge in Canada.
*
Paralells (10 min) two generations of war resisters
* Conscience
of a Nation: Winter Soldier (30 min) 30 veterans in 30 minutes, eyewitness
accounts of war
* Deserter (24 min) The journey of a resister couple
fleeing the US to Canada Followed
by a discussion featuring war resisters. Sunday
March 15th, 2pm
Innis College, University of Toronto
2 Sussex Ave. (at St.
George, south of Bloor)
Suggested donation $7 to 20
Wednesday,
March 18
Vigil for US Iraq war resister Matt Lowell
8:30
- 9:00 a.m.
180 Queen St. West (just west of University, Osgoode subway)
U.S. Iraq war resister Matt Lowell's case will be before the Federal Court
for a judicial review of the negative decision in his application to stay
in Canada on Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds. Join war resisters
and supporters for a vigil outside the court house in support of Matt.
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