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Project Threadbare Protest And March

 
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Maurice
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Joined: 08 Jul 2006
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PostPosted: Sat Jul 08, 2006 9:51 am    Post subject: Project Threadbare Protest And March Reply with quote

Project Threadbare Protest And March


By Maurice Ali, Journalist










Toronto, Ontario - I found out about this protest on Friday, October 31, 2003; and rushed things to get there prepared. I arrived on time and found about twenty people giving out flyers. Also on hand were the police.....almost laughable due to the size of the protest.....but, useful if the group were attacked by others. I found it easy to communicate with these people and an interview was quickly made. I did not stay there for the march as that is probably more symbolic than anything, and I don't expect a reply from politicians on a Saturday afternoon.






The group is called "Project Threadbare" and the reason for this event was to protest the treatment of Pakistani men being held or deported to Pakistan by use of the new anti-terrorism laws. Without trying to give you my synopsis of their message, I can give it to you directly from the leaflet freely given out at the protest:



"Demand Justice For Immigrants And Refugees.



We must see the connections between our histories of colonialism, forced migration and exclusion as tools used in defending a white settler state, built on the genocide of indigenous people, racist immigration policy and slavery.



The current immigration and refugee 'protection' act which was passed in June 2002, has stripped immigrants and refugees of all their civil liberties. Immigration officials are free to terrorize hundreds of families through arbitrary imprisonment and deportation. In solidarity all our communities must fight racist targeting and demand our rights to refuge, freedom of movement and self determination!



Under the draconian laws of the Immigration and Refugee "Protection" Act, 21 innocent men have been detained without any evidence. Linking the word "terrorist" to their name has made them refugees, as they are no longer able to safely return to Pakistan without fear of persecution. Without being charged with a single crime, these men have suffered for months in jail. Recently two of them have been deported while the others face imminent deportation. Demand an end to their deportations!


Your help is needed, OUR VOICES NEED TO BE HEARD! Contact your local media, write letters to the editor, call in to radio shows, and pressure the Liberal Govt. Demand an end to the deportations of these innocent men and changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act so this attack on civil liberties cannot continue!



Website: http://threadbare.tyo.ca"







So there you have it; their reason for being there. Not too many reporters were at the protest, but I was and I interviewed a young woman who helped organize the event. She was passionate in her words and discussed the way the men were rounded up in the middle of the night and that some of those deported were already charged upon their arrival into Pakistan; where they meet an uncertain future. Officials for the Liberal government were not available for comment. I have to pause here and say that I was rather surprised at the number of what appeared to be Canadian supporters representing this group, I could be wrong, but the accents and mannerisms of the young lady I interviewed were very much Canadian. Perhaps real immigrants and refugees are afraid to speak out at such an event.....just an observation.





Audio available here:


https://fortressoffreedom.com/Threadbare5.wav



When I first presented the pictures and audio recordings on our website, I knew we were the first to break the story. Some radio stations and newspapers ran the story the next day as some caught up with them when they reached the Liberal offices in downtown Toronto. However, we at Fortress Of Freedom.com were there first and gave the most accurate description of the protest. We cover the small, but important events of the ordinary people that continually get overlooked by the mainstream press; that is our purpose and reason for being. People of the "Project Threadbare"; your voice has been heard.
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