FTT Vol. 9 Issue 9

"We are realists... we dream the impossible" - Che Fire This Time! HUMANITY DENIED: Page 4 WHO IS TO BLAME FOR THE REFUGEE CRISIS IN EUROPE IMPERIALIST PROPAGANDA: BILL C-51: LAND OF OPIUM: WHY YOU SHOULD BE U.S. MEDIA CELEBRITY CONCERNED ABOUT IT & WHY HOW U.S.,CANADA & NATO SPREAD LIES ABOUT CUBA YOU SHOULD FIGHT AGAINST IT DESTROYED AFGHANISTAN Page 8 Page 2 Page 10 Volume 9 Issue 9 2015 • In English / En Español • Free • $2 at Bookstores www.firethistime.net Bill C-51: Why You Should Be Concerned and Why You Should Fight Against It... By Thomas Davies their Aboriginal Title and Rights to protect against CSIS agents unlawfully gathering their lands from oil and gas development.” information on community groups opposed to the controversial Northern Gateway Bill C-51 continues to cast a long As pipeline clearing work moves closer and pipeline. As a leading lawyer in the case, shadow over political life in Canada. The closer to the camp, both the press release Mr. Patterson was no longer even able to Conservative government’s vaguely worded and many news articles have speculated provide full counsel to others participating new “Anti-Terrorism” law has blown the door that Bill C-51 could be used to legalize in the tribunal! wide open to the possibility of widespread the dismantling of the camp which the democratic and human rights abuses, and is Unist’ot’en have maintained since 2009, While unable to refer directly to his already fuelling speculation that it will soon and which is blocking seven pipelines that testimony in court, Mr. Paterson made clear be used to enable arrests of those critical of do not have Unist’ot’en consent to use their that Bill C-51 is connected to the BCCLA’s, government actions. Both the history of land. Under Bill C-51, actions interfering and many other major human rights and this country and the current actions of other with “the economic or financial stability legal organizations’, growing concerns imperialist governments make something of Canada” fall under the vague definition about the power and conduct of CSIS, very clear. As the Canadian government of “terrorism.” The Unist’ot’en camp could which under Bill C-51 are now granted the continues to drive forward with policies easily be interpreted as such. undefined powers of “disruption.” “The only of war, occupation and cutbacks – it is also thing they’re not allowed to do is violate laying the foundation to clamp down on The RCMP have issued their own press someone’s sexual integrity, to kill someone dissent and attack the rights of poor and release stating that the police force, “has no or to subvert justice. Short of that, they’re working people to resist. Bill C-51 is the intention of ‘taking down the camp’ set up.” being given the power to break the law and not-so-thin edge of this wedge, and we Whether this is true is another issue, but violate the constitution,” he emphasized. must use every opportunity to continue to what is obvious is that Bill C-51 has already build unity and momentum in the fight become a major concern to those engaged Under Bill C-51, CSIS and the RCMP are to repeal this unjust law. It has been done in peaceful protest, or simply asserting their given more power, and more power to act in before, and now is the time to do it again! simple and inherent right to decide what total secrecy. resource extraction projects occur on their Bill C-51, Coming Soon to a Protest Near lands. Despite the Chill You While progressive organizations are A recent August 27 news release on the More Power, More Secrecy, More Rights definitely aware of the new risks associated Union of BC Indian Chiefs website warns Violations with social justice organizing under Bill that, “The Indigenous Unist’ot’en Clan of the Josh Paterson, Executive Director of the C-51, they continue to organize either Wet’suwet’en Nation in northwestern BC BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA), directly against the bill or the many other are on high alert about a likely impending recently emerged from testifying at a ills of the Canadian government. In large scale RCMP mass arrest operation hearing of the Security Intelligence Review Vancouver, the Working Group to Stop on their territory. The RCMP have made a Committee under a gag order. He is Bill C-51 organized its 26th successful number of visits to the Unist’ot’en as well as prohibited from saying anything about either consecutive weekly picket action against other First Nations leadership regarding the his testimony, or anything else related to the Bill C-51 on Monday, August 31. While Unist’ot’en community’s active exercise of hearing. The BCCLA had lodged a complaint we sometimes encounter people who are 2 FIRE THIS TIME Volume 9 Issue 9 - September 2015 fearful of government repercussions from trials or compensation. It also gave the prime more than 150. All this was done in the name of signing a petition, it is much more often that minister near dictatorial powers, allowing him freedom and honour.” we continue to meet people who are angry to govern by a type of decree called an order that the government is trying to demolish in council, which was not subject to normal During World War II, the Canadian their civil rights and feel compelled to put parliamentary oversight.” government immediately declared the War their name on a petition regardless of the Measures Act, and also created the Defense growing implied threat against dissenting He continues: of Canada Regulations (DOCR). Chris voices. Frazer, Associate Professor of History at St. “Over the next four years, roughly 80,000 were Francis Xavier University wrote about how The movement against Bill C-51 continues arrested, paroled, and forced to register with the DOCR were applied: across Canada as well. The Canadian the government on suspicion of enemy activity, Journalists for Free Expression and the many denounced by “The DOCR were intended to suppress obstacles Canadian Civil Liberties their neighbours for to mobilizing Canadians in support of the Union are continuing trivial acts such as war. They were applied to individuals and their Charter Challenge making unpatriotic organizations who supported fascist Germany of Bill C-51, and have statements or keeping and Italy, as well as to so-called enemy aliens: raised 137% of their a shotgun on their citizens and immigrants of German, Italian, fundraising goal from farms against the and Japanese descent. The regulations were grassroots donations. regulations. also used to suppress those who opposed the war A 4th National Day of without actually sympathizing with the enemy, Action Against Bill C-51 By war’s end, more or who might otherwise subvert the war effort. has also been called for than 8,000 had This included communists and left-wing ethnic September 12. been interned in organizations, Technocracy Incorporated, the remote prison Jehovah’s Witnesses, and individuals, including On August 28, the work camps union leaders, sailors, and well-known public Federal New Democratic where more than figures like the mayor of Montreal, Camillien Party announced “51 one hundred Houde, who opposed conscription.” Days to Repeal Bill C-51” actually died.” promising that if elected Racist imprisonments and internments were they would repeal Bill C-51. “Both ethnic widespread once again. As we reported in Meanwhile, the Liberal and labour Fire This Time Volume 9, Issue 6, during Party and the Conservative WWII, “Between 30,000 to 35,000 ‘enemy Party continue to try and nationals’ and avoid the issue entirely. In an obviously deliberate move, the Department of Justice has decided not to release any information related to its mandatory examination of Bill C-51 to see whether the new law violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms...until after the Federal Election. It claims that meeting its required legal deadline, which is before the election, would somehow “interfere” with the Department’s operations. History of Rights Violations in Canada It is important to constantly reiterate that this scenario is nothing new for the Canadian government. Its participation in wars abroad has always been accompanied by attacks on democratic and human rights at newspapers were shut-down and suspect home. A useful article on the subject is titled, book publishers closed. Aboriginal reserve lands Canadian citizens were “War Measures Act Eroded Civil Liberties”, were seized and turned into military training interned, including people of German and written by Mark Humphries, the Dunkley areas. Strikes were first restricted and then Japanese background. 20,000 Japanese Chair in War and the Canadian Experience banned. The government even tried to deport Canadians were removed from the West at Wilfrid Laurier University. British-born labour leaders in 1919 as enemy Coast of Canada in 1942 alone.” aliens, a category that had now grown to include Humphries reveals that almost immediately all those who might harbour ‘alien’ values, The War Measures Act was once again upon entering World War I, the Canadian whatever those were. called by the Canadian government in government imposed the War Measures Act: 1970 in response to growing independence Tragically, the act also gave the government movement in Quebec. When members of “Censorship was imposed on the press and the power to deploy soldiers to quell civil the Front de Liberation de Quebec (FLQ) telegraph system while the free transportation disobedience, and on Easter Monday 1918, kidnapped a British diplomat named James of people and goods ceased. The act allowed Canadian soldiers opened fire with machine Cross and Quebec Minister of Labour, Canadians to be searched, arrested and detained guns on anti-conscription protesters in Quebec and their property seized without warrants, City, killing at least five people and wounding continued on page 28 FIRE THIS TIME Volume 9 Issue 9 - September 2015 3 WHO IS TO BLAME FOR REFUGEE CRISIS IN story.

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