Banned: Canada Expels Peace Activist

by Mobilization Against the War 

After 7 weeks of campaigning to have all Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) charges against her dropped, US antiwar activist Alison Bodine received the Immigration & Refugee Board decision on her case Wed Oct 31st.

 

Currently Alison Bodine is Co-chair, executive committee member and spokesperson of Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO) in Vancouver, BC. 

The day started out very strong with more than 100 supporters rallying outside the Citizenship & Immigration Canada building downtown before the decision was released. Major news media, including radio, television stations and newspapers also attended to hear Alison speak at the press conference as she unveiled the more than 3,000 petition signatures demanding that all charges against her be dropped. 

 

Dozens of supporters as well as media representatives accompanied Alison upstairs to the hearing room. Once it was filled to capacity, supporters began to fill the overspill room to watch the announcement by video link.

After reviewing the case, the adjudicator from the Immigration & Refugee Board (IRB) announced that he would uphold the CBSA charge of 'misrepresentation' against Alison and issued an 'exclusion order' against her.

 

The 'exclusion order', the order that she must leave Canada, will take effect on Saturday November 17, 2007 and states that she cannot return for two years. This unjust ruling is clearly the CBSA’s next step in escalation of the attack on Alison and the campaign of attacks on the democratic and human rights of antiwar and social justice activists and all non-status people in Canada.

The political harassment and targeting of Alison Bodine began with intimidation and harassment by CBSA agents when she was searched at the US-Canada border on September 10th and has continued over 7 weeks of legal delays and processes up to this point. Now this attack on a representative of all antiwar and social justice organizers has been taken to the next level with the IRB decision.

 

The ruling attempts to keep Alison from traveling to Canada to work with antiwar organizers here in Canada, much like when two CODEPINK Women for Peace organizers were denied entry in to Canada several weeks ago. They were on their way to attend a meeting with the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War. The CBSA is partaking in the attempt by the governments of Canada and the US to keep antiwar organizers from both sides of the border from uniting and working together.

Supporters of Alison’s case rallied, chanted and cheered after hearing the news of the decision, vowing to organize against the unjust decision and not to take this setback as a defeat. The Alison Bodine Defence Committee (ABDC) will explore all possible legal avenues while continuing the political campaign against the attack on Alison and against attacks on all antiwar and social justice activists. The ABDC will hold a meeting Thursday November 1st and invites all those interested in the defence of human and democratic rights to join us!

 

 

 

 

CASE UPDATE #20 - ALISON BODINE DEFENCE COMMITTEE
Thursday November 1, 2007
 
http://alisonbodine.blogspot.com
defendalisonbodine@hotmail.com
778.891.1470 | 604.339.7103 | 778.882.5223

POLITICALLY TARGETED ANTIWAR ACTIVIST ALISON BODINE
ORDERED BANNED FROM CANADA FOR 2 YEARS!

ALISON BODINE DEFENCE COMMITTEE CONTINUES CAMPAIGN TO DEFEND ALISON AND ALL ANTIWAR AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
ACTIVISTS UNDER ATTACK!