2) British MP George Galloway will challenge ban at Canada-US border
 
TORONTO, March 21 /CNW/ - Organizers of the four-city speaking tour of British MP George Galloway condemn the decision by Immigration and Citizenship Minister Jason Kenney to block Galloway from entering Canada. Kenney has banned Galloway because of his opposition to the war in Afghanistan and has labeled him a threat to "national security".
 
"This is a full frontal attack on free speech in Canada, and one that all supporters of civil liberties must challenge," says James Clark of the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War, one of the groups organizing Galloway's
tour. "Kenney's ban is an unprecedented move to censor someone whose views are critical of our own government's foreign policy. We will not accept this ban, and we plan on challenging it."
 
Organizers will continue organizing the four events in Canada where Galloway is expected to speak: March 30 in Toronto , March 31 in Mississauga, April 1 in Montreal and April 2 in Ottawa. Organizers are encouraging the public to continue buying tickets to show their support for free speech.
 
"One way or another, we will bring George Galloway to Canada," says Laith Marouf, National Branches Coordinator of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights. "We have already been overwhelmed by messages of support, and we're
currently planning a delegation of MPs, lawyers and activists to escort Mr. Galloway from the US across the Canadian border. We will challenge this ban directly."
 
Organizers will host an emergency planning meeting on Sunday, March 22 at 3pm at the Ryerson Student Centre at Ryerson University in Toronto to prepare a pan-Canadian campaign to defend free speech and to reverse the ban. A media conference will be held on Monday, March 23 in Toronto (details to be announced) to launch the campaign.
 
 
3)  British Columbia Civil Liberties Association decries shameful banning
March 20, 2009
 
Civil Liberties Association Decries Shameful Banning of British MP on 'National Security Grounds'
 
The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association is calling on the Canadian Immigration Minister to immediately overturn the outrageous decision by the Canadian Border Services Agency to ban British MP George Galloway from
Canada for his anti-war views. Today the British media reported that Mr. Galloway has been deemed inadmissible to Canada on national security grounds under Canada's Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Government spokespersons have apparently declined to cite what precise 'threat to national security' is posed by Mr. Galloway who is about to start a North American speaking tour and is due to speak at a public forum entitled Resisting War from Gaza to Kandahar, hosted by the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War.
 
 
BCCLA Policy Director, Micheal Vonn: 'This is shameful conduct from our government. We could not agree more with Mr. Galloway that this is a dismal reflection on Canada. It strikes at the core of the essence of our democratic rights. If the government or some border agent is allowed to determine what speech Canadians get to hear, one of our most precious freedoms will be shredded. This decision is clearly ideologically motivated and has nothing whatsoever to do with national security. It is yet another in the seemingly endless list of abuses and violation of our fundamental freedoms that the rhetoric of national security has spawned.'
 
In 2008, the BCCLA spoke out against the possibility of Canadian Border Services preventing an American anti-gay group from entering Canada in order to protest.
 
Micheal Vonn: 'It doesn't matter what end of the political spectrum the expression comes from and it doesn't matter if it is the most profound wisdom or the most piebald idiocy, Canadian Border Services Agency should not be in the business of screening what viewpoints are presented to Canadians in Canada. Full stop.'