Support action for Mapuche hunger strikers Sept 9

The Mapuche Solidarity Collective – Unceded Coast Salish Territory:
 
In a declaration of solidarity with 33 detained Mapuche hunger strikers
whose current medical status is of grave concern, the Mapuche Solidarity
Collective – Unceded Coast Salish Territory has joined the International
Campaign in Support of Mapuche Political Prisoners  and, we are inviting
community activist from the Vancouver and surrounding areas of the Lower
Mainland and all those concerned with the rights of indigenous people, to
attend a demonstration in front of the Chilean Consulate (located at 1185
West Georgia St., Suite 1610 – Vancouver, BC) to formally declare our
opposition to the Chilean government's continued application of Pinochet-era
anti-terrorism legislation against Mapuche democratic protest. 

The event, which will involve the presentation of a letter to the Chilean Consul in
Vancouver, will take place on Thursday, September the 9th at 1:00pm.
 

Read more here: http://rabble.ca/whatsup/protest-solidarity-mapuche-people

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International Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani Day, July 24/2010

24 July 2010 - International Sakine Mohammadi Ashtiani Day

Citizens of the World against Stoning 

( In Vancouver @5 Pm. Sat. Art Gallery Robson St.) 

View complete text of this message and names of signatories

Join us to show support for 43 year old Sakine Mohamadi Ashtiani who may be executed in Iran at any time for ‘having an illicit relationship.’

We call on people everywhere to intensify their protests by marking Saturday 24 July as the International Sakine Mohamadi Ashtiani Day. On the Saturday, we ask you to come out on to the streets and in city centres across the globe at 2pm local time bringing photos of Sakine and messages in her defence and against stoning and execution. Other measures that can be taken include highlighting her case wherever possible, signing petitions (http://stopstonningnow.com/sakine/sakin284.php?nr=50326944&lang=en), http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_stoning/?cl=651962225&v=6766 and (http://freesakineh.org/), joining rallies, and keeping pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On 24 July 2010 at 2pm join us and make the world stand still in its rage against medieval-ism and barbarity and in its support of humanity. Sakine, her children and the many others awaiting death by stoning and execution deserve nothing less.

Friends of Women In The Middle East
(FWME)
http://www.equal-rights-now.com/english_site/index.html
Zahra A.

View complete text of this message and names of signatories

Protest the Israeli Massacre of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla!

A Sea of Black:

Protest the Israeli Massacre of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla!

When: Tomorrow, Tuesday June 1st at 6:00 pm

Where: Vancouver Public Library (Hamilton Side)

There will be a demonstration at*** 6 pm tomorrow at the Vancouver Public Library*** to denounce the Israeli military massacre of activists on a Gaza aid convoy. **To show solidarity with the brave activists who were killed fighting for the rights of Palestinians we ask that everyone please wear black (and a kuffiyeh if you have one.) **

It is important to note that we are not only protesting against Israel's most recent actions against the flotilla but against Israeli Policy at large. The attack on the flotilla is but one of the flagrant violations of international law and one of the many attacks Israel has made on innocent civilians. Therefore, we are protesting Israeli policy at large as it attempts to continue its brutal and illegal blockade on the Palestinians and continues to ignore international law.

At least 19 international activists were killed by Israel, with dozens injured. The death toll may rise. In an act of piracy and a blatant violation of international law, the Israeli government has committed a cold-blooded massacre on the high seas against a group of courageous individuals whose only crime was to extend a hand of solidarity to the besieged and blockaded people in Gaza.

The Gaza aid flotilla is made up of seven ships carrying 700 people and bringing medical, construction and school supplies to besieged Palestinians in Gaza. It was attacked in international waters by 14 Israeli ships. Heavily armed Israeli commandos dropped onto the ships from helicopters and opened fire on the activists.

Gaza has been blockaded by Israel since 2007 with full backing by the Canadian government. The blockade is a brutal form of collective punishment aimed at strangling the Palestinian people.Since coming to office, the Harper Government has continued with enormous support for Israel allowing the continued siege of Gaza, the occupation and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and Israel's non-stop war against all of the Palestinian people.

***Please come out and condemn this outrageous massacre and call for an immediate end of the siege of Gaza. Please wear black and your kuffiyeh if you can***

The following press release was sent out this morning from Gaza based Palestinian Civil Society Organizations and International Activists:

We Gaza based Palestinian Civil Society Organizations and International activists call on the international community and civil society to pressure their governments and Israel to cease the abductions and killings in Israel’s attacks against the Gaza Freedom Flotilla sailing for Gaza, and begin a global response to hold Israel accountable for the murder of foreign civilians at sea and illegal piracy of civilian vessels carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza.
We salute the courage of all those who have organized this aid intervention and demand a safe passage through to Gaza for the 750 people of conscience from 40 different countries including 35 international politicians intent on breaking the Israeli-Egyptian blockade. We offer our sincerest condolences to family and friends who have lost loved ones in the attack.
By sailing directly to Gaza, outside of Israeli waters, with cargo banned illegally by Israel, such as the 10,000 tonnes of badly needed concrete, toys, workbooks, chocolate, pasta and substantial medical supplies, the flotilla is exercising international law and upholding article 33 of the Geneva Convention which clearly states that collective punishment is a crime against humanity.
The hardships of Israel's closure of Gaza have been well documented by all human rights groups operating, most recently by Amnesty International in their Annual Human Rights Report concluding that the siege has "deepened the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Mass unemployment, extreme poverty, food insecurity and food price rises caused by shortages left four out of five Gazans dependent on humanitarian aid. The scope of the blockade and  statements made by Israeli officials about its purpose showed that it was being imposed as a form of collective punishment of Gazans, a flagrant violation of international law." The United Nations continuously states that only a fraction of the required aid is entering the Strip due to what it calls ‘the medieval siege’, with John Ging the Director of UNRWA in Gaza specifically expressing the need for the Flotilla to enter Gaza. The European Union’s new foreign affairs minister Catherine Ashton has just reiterated its call for, “an immediate, sustained and unconditional opening of crossings for the flow of humanitarian aid, commercial goods and persons to and from Gaza.”
The people of Gaza are not dependent people, but self sufficient people doing what they can to retain some dignity in life in the wake of this colossal man-made devastation that deprives so many of a basic start in life or minimal aspirations for the future.
We, from Gaza, call on you to demonstrate and support the courageous men and women who went on the Flotilla, many now murdered on a humanitarian aid mission. We insist on severance of diplomatic ties with Israel, trials for war crimes and the International protection of the civilians of Gaza. We call on you to join the growing international boycott, divestment and sanction campaign of a country proving again to be so violent and yet so unchallenged. Join the growing critical mass around the world with a commitment to the day when Palestinians are entitled to the same rights as any other people, when the siege is lifted, the occupation is over and the 6 million Palestinian refugees are finally granted justice.
In solidarity,
Sphr Ubc

StopWar Demo‏, Feb 15, VAG 6pm!

February 15th, 2010
DO YOU BELIEVE IN TORTURE, WAR AND OCCUPATION?
THEFT OF INDIGENOUS LAND?
THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT DOES!

Come out and be part of an anti-war and anti-militarization moving spectacle. This event is a festive and creative demand for the Canadian government to respect and uphold human-rights, international law, the right to self-determination and civil rights. This event will also feature Gold Medal Award ceremonies for human rights violations, war mongering, and police brutality.

Meeting Point: Vancouver Art Gallery, Georgia side
When: Monday February 15th, 2010
Gathering at 6:00pm and leaving at 6:30pm

The 2010 Winter Olympic Games reveal the same consistent, predictable and historical pattern of militarization and anti-democratic acts as they have everywhere that they are hosted. StopWar is especially concerned with the militarization of Vancouver and Whistler during the Games, with its accompanying restrictions on the democracy and safety of our community. Enormous resources, including one billion dollars of spending, considerable military personnel and equipment, and countless thousands of police and private security personnel are being deployed. The Games are accompanied by the largest domestic military and security operation in Canadian military history. Featured among the identified “threats” to the Games are domestic protest.

The Olympic Truce movement has similarly revealed the hypocritical and rhetorical commitment of the Canadian government to peace that is contradicted by action. Despite Canada being in its 9th year of waging war on the people of Afghanistan, the Canadian Olympic Truce is calling on the world community “to cease hostilities during the Games and promote the ideals of peace through sport”, however, Canada has no plans to cease causing death and destruction in Afghan society. In an ironic twist of history, we remember that the 1980 Olympic Games hosted by the Soviet Union were boycotted by over 60 countries, including Canada, in protest of the Soviet occupation and war in Afghanistan that had begun a year earlier in 1979.

Bring your costumes, signs, banners and musical instruments!

Join us in calling attention to the Canadian government's disregard of human rights, international law, the right to self-determination and civil rights. We call on the Canadian government to end the occupation, war crimes, and human rights violations from Afghanistan to BC, to sign the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and to abide by International law. To bring aid not militarization to Haiti. To bring equity not militarization within Canadian communities.

Sponsored by: Stopwar.ca
For more information contact: Stopwar@resist.ca
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The 19th Annual Feb 14th Womens Memorial March

The 19th Annual Feb 14th Womens Memorial March takes place on Sunday, February 14 2010 and begins at 12pm.

At noon, we gather at the Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Street (corner Hastings, Vancouver) where family members speak in remembrance. At 1 pm, the march takes to the streets and proceeds through the Downtown Eastside, with stops to commemorate where women were last seen or found; speeches by community activists at the police station; a healing circle at Oppenheimer Park around 3 pm; and finally a community feast at the Japanese Language Hall.

In January 1991 a woman was murdered on Powell Street in Vancouver. Her name is not spoken today out of respect for the wishes of her family. This woman’s murder in particular was the catalyst that moved women into action. Out of this sense of hopelessness and anger came an annual march on Valentine’s Day to express compassion, community, and caring for all women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Coast Salish Territories.

Nineteen years later, the march continues to honour the lives of missing and murdered women. Increasing deaths of many vulnerable women from the DTES still leaves family, friends, loved ones, and community members with an overwhelming sense of grief and loss. Over 3000 women are known to have gone missing or been murdered in Canada since the 1970s. Last year, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women issued this statement: “Hundreds of cases involving aboriginal women who have gone missing or been murdered in the past two decades have neither been fully investigated nor attracted priority attention.”

Please respect the memorial march and the leadership of those organizing it. This event is organized and led by women in the DTES because women, especially Indigenous women, face physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual violence on a daily basis. This is a memorial not a protest; it is a deeply emotional time for family members and women affected especially in Vancouver’s DTES. We ask that you please do not bring your banners, flags, or leaflets as the Women’s Memorial March carries five banners only to honour the women.

The February 14th Women’s Memorial March is an opportunity to come together to grieve the loss of our beloved sisters, remember the women who are still missing, and to dedicate ourselves to justice. Please join us (all genders welcome) and we thank you for your support of the Women’s Memorial March.

Women's Memorial March