November 16, 2009
- John Chuckman

During his trip to Asia, President Obama called for the government of Burma to release Aung San Suu Kyi, a noted dissident who has spent years under house arrest.

It made headlines, a fact which tells us more about the role of media as an outlet for government press releases than in communicating genuine news.

Obama’s was hardly a brave or innovative act when you consider that it is a universally-condemned military junta keeping Aung San Suu Kyi penned up.

14 November 2009
(إصابة متظاهر واعتقال ثمانية عشر شابا خلال مظاهرة ضد الجدار العنصري في دير الغصون)

The protesters were arrested as the demonstration was coming to an end, by soldiers who invaded the village and flanked them from the back.

Eighteen demonstrators were arrested today in the West Bank village of Deir alGhussoun, north of Tul Karem, after Israel's Separation Wall was breached by Palestinian, Israeli and international protesters. The protesters intended to march to village's lands that were left isolated behind the Wall, and managed to break open one of the barrier's gates.

Today, November 5th, a province-wide day of action is taking place as part of the “Campaign for a Poverty Free Ontario”. In Toronto, a rally and a march on the financial district are organized by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP – www.ocap.ca). This day of action aims to denounce the consequences of the ongoing crisis on the workers and the thousands of people condemned to survive in often unbearable conditions of poverty.

Palestinian village's Court Case is dismissed by Quebec Judge

Montreal, September 28th, 2009 (Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East) - In his decision of September 18th, Judge Louis-Paul Cullen of the Superior Court of Quebec dismissed the case of the Palestinian village of Bil'in which had filed a lawsuit against Green Mount International Inc. and Green Park International Inc., two companies registered in Quebec and involved in the construction of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The judge based his argument on the legal exception of forum non conveniens, arguing that Quebec courts lacked jurisdiction to adjudicate, arguing that the case must be decided in Israeli courts.

Montreal, 21 August 2009 – The Federal government has admitted that there is insufficient evidence in Adil Charkaoui’s file to uphold the security certificate against him. The startling admission was filed with the Federal Court on July 31st.

Malalai Joya, elected by the people of Farah, and banned from parliament for denouncing criminals of war (though her democratic mandate was to last till the current elections), spoke to an audience of 300 at Conway Hall in central London (July 2009). She has survived five assassination attempts, had her passport taken away by Karzaï, and must constantly take various precautions in Afghanistan. We invite you to hear what a woman fighting for human rights and justice has to say...

Montréal: à midi devant l’édifice Guy Favreau (200 René Lévesque Ouest)

Human Rights First writes :

Last week Raul Figueroa Sarti was sentenced to one year in prison for alleged copyright infringement. Figueroa is a well-known, human rights-focused journalist in Guatemala.

Figueroa was sentenced to prison for publishing a photo on the cover of a book, supposedly without the permission of the photographer. His prosecution appears baseless given that the photographer reportedly consented to use of the photo and was given credit for it on the book cover.

One generalization, that unfortunately holds true for “many” musicians and rock bands is, despite the fact they often have potentially huge audiences (the marketer’s dream), is that they often have little, if anything, intelligent and insightful to say about social and political issues. But more specifically, they will not likely assert the likelihood—that U.S. sponsored torture of Islamic prisoners has probably rendered “zero” results of quality or worthwhile intelligence (save perhaps what “Israeli” objectives might have wanted).

The following is an official message from a grassroots movement in Israel named New Profile, which is part of a larger coalition of Israeli groups opposed to the occupation and repression of Palestinians and to the militarization of Israeli culture. Currently, the Israeli government is using methods that are becoming more and more repressive, which is why we feel it is important to share this with you. Below their summary of the situation, you will find links to related articles and a call to action.

Excerpts :

We would like to reiterate that police harassment of New Profile and the interrogation of eleven of our members are not isolated events. They are part of a virulent drive of state McCarthyism, a stepped-up systematic persecution of left-wing activists and voices. This drive arguably obviates the remnants of Israel's claim to democracy and parodies its ludicrous boast to representing a single democratic beacon in the Middle East. // Among human rights organizations in Israel, Adalah for instance is still preparing a report on the recent, sharp escalation in combined state and university repression of student activists and [...] will soon be publicizing their comprehensive report on state violence against activists, left-wing groups and individuals, as well as their international supporters.

In May 2009 a new organisation in Canada’s Francophone Quebec, Union of Comunist Liberals (UCL), published a special edition of their ‘Ruptures’ journal on the internet. Here you can read an English translation of the (original French) editorial:

Tens of people throwing up in the weekly demonstration and continuation of night arresting

[ CMAQ - introductory note : Bil'in is gaining worldwide popular support for its non violent and legal resistance, including a lawsuit against companies, based in Quebec, who construct settlements illegally confiscating Bil'in's farmland.]

[English and Arabic. Direct source: Bil’in popular committee against the wall]

17- 7 – 09: Friday; Bil’in citizens went out after the Friday pray to participate in the weekly demonstration, were a group of international and Israeli are joining them. Demonstrators hold up the Palestinian flags and banners against the wall and the occupation, land confiscation, siege, killing people and children in addition to the night arresting.

Prior to the demonstration a press conference took place, where a representative of the village's popular committee, a member of the Palestinian Boycott National Committee and world renowned Canadian journalist and author Naomi Klein spoke of the local struggle, of the village's new court case in Canada against Canadian companies building the new neighborhoods on Bil'in land, on the boycott, and of the inability to detach art and politics.

Also: below is an article about Klein's views on the boycott.