DEMAND JUSTICE FOR JUNIOR ALEXANDER MANON
May 10, 2010 by admin
Filed under Colonizer Watch, featured-content
More police brutality in Toronto. More Youth being targeted, terrorized and murdered by the hands of local police authority.
The police and the main stream media have not been co operative in bringing the truth to the forefront. he police said that he died of a cardiac arrest, witnesses say that he was beaten up by 7 cops and the hospital says that he was a perfectly heatlhy 18 year old who died of a broken neck.
we need justice!
please spread the word, call/send letters to the mayor of Toronto, sign the complaint form, join the facebook support group and demand Justice!
CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP AND GET ALL THE INFORMATION TO GET INVOLVED AND HELP!
*The Mayor’s office:
Mail: Toronto City Hall, 2nd Floor, 100 Queen St. West, Toronto ON M5H 2N2
Phone:416-397-CITY (2489)
Fax: 416-696-3687
mayor_miller@toronto.ca
* Ombudsman of Ontario:
Phone: 1-800-263-1830 – Complaints Line
Fax: 416-586-3485
TTY (Teletypewriter): 1-866-411-4211
E-mail: info@ombudsman.on.ca
Address:
Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario
Bell Trinity Square
483 Bay Street, 10th Floor, South Tower
Toronto, ON
M5G 2C9
* Dalton McGinty:
You can email him via this site – though perhaps someone has an actual email address -https://www.premier.gov.on.ca/feedback/feedback.asp?Lang=EN
Dalton McGuinty, Premier
Legislative Building
Queen’s Park
Toronto ON M7A 1A1
Fax: (416) 325-3745.
TTY/Teletypewriter: 1-800-387-5559
* Chief of Police:
Chief of Police 416-808-8000
Executive Officer 416-808-8015
FAX 416-808-8002
Sergeant 416-808-8007
* CITY COUNCILLOR’S OFFICE
Anthony Peruzza and his staff:
councillor_perruzza@toronto.ca,
mbeato@toronto.ca,
trakoce@toronto.ca,
mdedovi@toronto.ca
416-338-5335
416-338-7191
416-338-5320
416-338-5329
* MPP for Jane and Finch
Mario Sergio
http://www.mariosergio.com/
msergio.mpp@liberal.ola.org
(416) 325-4925
* MOST IMPORT…ANTLY. MAKE POLICE BRUTALITY A MAYORAL ISSUE!
Email the mayoral candidates:
rob@robfordformayor.ca
info@georgesmitherman.ca
info@mayorjoe.ca
* I am not sure if the death actually occurred on York University property, but the university has not issued any statements. Also, if it did occur on York property, there should be some kind of video surveillance.
York Security:
York University
4700 Keele Street, 228 William Small Centre
Toronto , Ontario , M3J 1P3
General Phone: 416.650.8000 or Ex. 58000
Urgent Phone: 416.736.5333 or Ex. 33333
Fax: 416.736.5377 or Ex. 55377
E-mail: scc@yorku.ca
No One Is Illegal – Toronto confronts Minister of Immigration Jason Kenney again and sends him running
December 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under Colonizer Watch
Immigration Minister confronted by NOII members at a press conference. Jason kenney has been known for his biased, racists procedures and actions. Watch The Video!!
ANNUAL HOLIDAY APPEAL FOR CLASS-WAR PRISONERS – FREE Mumia Abu-Jamal!!
November 29, 2009 by admin
Filed under Colonizer Watch
Their fight is our fight!
BY ROBERT BRYAN – A LEGAL UPDAT “MUMIA ABU-JAMAL”
This Legal Update is made on behalf of my client, Mumia Abu-Jamal, who
remains on Pennsylvania’s death row. Many people have inquired as to our
reaction and position concerning recent legal developments, and what will
happen now. This should answer many of those questions and alleviate some
of the confusion.
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Philadelphia
As widely reported in the media, the U.S. Court of Appeals issued its
long-awaited decision on March 27, 2008. (Abu-Jamal v. Horn, Nos. 01-9014,
02-9001, 2008 WL 793877 (3rd Cir. 2008).) Mumia and I had legal
conferences that day, and we have been in frequent contact since including
a death-row meeting earlier this week and a discussion this evening. We
view the opinion of the three-judge panel as a mixed bag with some good,
some very wrong, and a remarkable dissenting opinion by a judge on racism
that gives us great hope for eventual victory.
A new jury trial has been ordered by the federal court on the question of
whether Mumia should be sentenced to life or death, due to the trial
judge’s unconstitutional and misleading instructions to the jury. It is a
positive step in any capital case when a court finds that the death
penalty was wrongfully imposed. Mumia is pleased with this part of the
ruling because it could help others on death rows across the U.S. The
prosecution now has various options including seeking reconsideration by
the federal court and petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to have the death
sentence remain intact.
It was a great disappointment that the federal court rejected our quest
for a reversal of the conviction and a new trial on the question of guilt
and innocence. To say that Mumia and I are unhappy with this would be an
understatement, for the decision flies in the face of the United States
Constitution and case precedent. The facts are that the prosecutor did
engage in racism during jury selection, and made a false and misleading
argument to the jury which turned the concept of reasonable doubt and
presumption of innocence on its head. The trial judge was biased and
bigoted, even stating in reference to my client that he was “going to
help’em fry the n—-r.”� Unfortunately the court used against Mumia the
failings of the lawyers who represented him in state post-conviction and
federal habeas corpus proceedings. Their mistakes should not serve as an
excuse to rationalize away the fundamental constitutional violations that
occurred in this case.
The silver lining of this ruling is that Judge Thomas L. Ambro wrote a
41-page dissent on the racism-in-jury-selection issue. This brilliant
opinion began:
Excluding even a single person from a jury because of race violates the
Equal Protection Clause of our Constitution. See Batson v. Kentucky, 476
U.S. 79, 84-86, 99 n. 22, 106 S.Ct. 1712, 90 L.Ed.2d 69 (1986). This
simple justice principle was reaffirmed by our Supreme Court this past
week. Snyder v. Louisiana, No. 06-10119, 2008 WL 723750, at *4 (Mar.
19, 2008).
Justice Ambro concluded that everyone
is entitled to a fair and impartial trial by a jury of his or her peers.
As Batson reminds us, “[t]he core guarantee of equal protection,
ensuring citizens that their State will not discriminate on account of
race, would be meaningless were we to approve the exclusion of jurors on
the basis of … race.”� Id. at 97-98. I fear today that we weaken the
effect of Batson by imposing a contemporaneous objection requirement
where none was previously present in our Court’s jurisprudence and by
raising the low bar for a prima facie case of discrimination in jury
selection to a height unattainable if enough time has passed such that
original jury records are not available. In so holding, we do a
disservice to Batson. I respectfully dissent.
Shortly before the decision, we brought the Snyder decision to the
attention of the federal court in a Notice of Supplemental Authority. I
wrote on March 23, 2008:
In Snyder v. Louisiana, ___ U.S. ___, 2008 WL 723750 (Mar. 19, 2008),
the judgment of the Louisiana Supreme Court was reversed with the United
States Supreme Court holding that the trial court should have disallowed
a peremptory challenge based upon race because it violated Batson v.
Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79 (1986). Justice Alito, in writing for the
majority, reaffirmed that evidence of discriminatory intent should be
taken from a broad array of factors. Citing Miller-El v. Dretke, 545
U.S. 231, 239 (2005), he pointed out that “in considering a Batson
objection, or in reviewing a ruling claimed to be Batson error, all of
the circumstances that bear upon the issue of racial animosity must be
consulted …” Snyder underscores the point made by Appellee and
Cross-Appellant, Mr. Abu-Jamal, urged in oral argument on May 17, 2007,
and in briefing, that the existence of a prima facie Batson claim
depends upon, inter alia, the connection between race and the pattern of
strikes, the nature of the case, comments made during jury selection,
and the time and place of the trial. Brief of Appellee and
Cross-Appellant, Mumia Abu-Jamal, July 26, 2006, at 17-46; Fourth-Step
Reply Brief of Appellee and Cross-Appellant, Mumia Abu-Jamal, Oct. 23,
2006, at 11-58.
The high court also reiterated that “the Constitution forbids striking
even a single prospective juror for a discriminatory purpose.” Snyder v.
Louisiana, 2008 WL 723750 at *4 (quoting United States v. Vasquez-Lopez,
22 F.3d 900, 902 (C.A.9 1994)). This too was pointed out in oral argument
and briefing. Brief of Appellee and Cross-Appellant, Mumia Abu-Jamal,
supra, at 41-42. Finally, the case recognized that an “inference of
discriminatory intent” is supported when the prosecution’s proffered
reasons for striking African Americans do not apply even-handedly to
non-African Americans. Snyder v. Louisiana, 2008 WL 723750 at *8. Again,
this point was presented in oral argument and our briefing. See, e.g.,
Brief of Appellee and Cross-Appellant, Mumia Abu-Jamal, supra, at 32-36.
The “Mumia Exception”
The latest denial of a new trial to Mumia has been referred to as part of
the “Mumia Exception.” David Lindorff, a noted investigative journalist
and author of Killing Time: An Investigation into the Death Row Case of
Mumia Abu-Jamal, wrote in the Philadelphia Inquirer on April 2, 2008, that
the “courts have altered the rules just to keep Abu-Jamal on course for
death.”� What Professor Linn Washington earlier dubbed the “Mumia
Exception” could not have been more on target.
Reaction of the District Attorney of Philadelphia
The District Attorney appeared livid that the federal court had ordered a
new penalty-phase jury trial. At a press conference on March 27, 2008, the
day of the decision, she vowed that her office will continue pursuing the
execution of my client. Sadly, the prosecution could not resist distorting
the truth as it has from the outset over a quarter of a century ago. The
DA falsely said that the court “finally decided in its wisdom … that Mr.
Jamal was guilty.”� That is not what the U.S. Court of Appeals found and
is nonsense; there was no retrial or verdict. That is not what appellate
courts do. Rather, the federal decision dealt with issues of law and
procedure. The prosecution’s suggestion that my client was found
“guilty”� of anything on appeal is absurd and patently false.
Where we go from here
The dissent of Justice Ambro is a light in the darkness, a roadmap as to
where we go from here. On April 9, 2008, the U.S. Court of Appeals granted
my 45-day Motion for Extension of Time To File Petition for Rehearing and
Rehearing En Banc. The rehearing petition, now due on May 27, 2008, will
be seeking review of the case by all the judges in the Third Circuit. The
basis will be that “the panel decision conflicts with a decision of the
United States Supreme Court or of the court to which the petition is
addressed and consideration of the full court is therefore necessary to
secure uniformity of the court’s decisions,”� and, “the proceeding
involves one or more questions of exceptional importance�.” (Fed. R. App.
P. 35(b)(1).) If unsuccessful, we will proceed to the Supreme Court.
Conclusion
The issues in this case concern the right to a fair trial, the ongoing
struggle against the death penalty, and the political repression of a
courageous author and journalist. Based upon three decades of successfully
litigating murder cases involving the death penalty, I am convinced that
we can win an acquittal upon a new jury trial. My goal is his acquittal
upon retrial. I intend to see Mumia go home to his family. I will not rest
until that occurs.
Mumia is still on death row and in great danger. His life is hanging in
the balance. We must remember that racism, fraud, politics, and unfairness
are threads that have run through this case since the beginning. As
reflected by the comments at its recent press conference, the prosecution
has learned little from its shameful behavior in this case. The misconduct
continues, and the prosecutorial wrongs of the past are thus visited on
the present.
Finally, we are grateful for all those who do so much to bring the
injustice in this case to public attention, whether it be through
demonstrations, writing to newspapers, meetings, or circulating
information on the Internet. This is all important. We are of one voice
in this campaign for justice: Free Mumia!
Yours very truly,
Robert R. Bryan
Law Offices of Robert R. Bryan
2088 Union Street, Suite 4
San Francisco, California 94123-4117
Lead counsel for Mumia Abu-Jamal
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863-9977
GETTIN SCHOOLED – (COMMUNITY INITIATIVE FOCUS)
November 19, 2009 by admin
Filed under Colonizer Watch
2. To become empowered through education, inspiration, and positivity; to change the world
- To raise awareness of the issue of Dalit oppression and create avenues for the empowerment of young Dalits through education.
Did you know?
- Today’s generation of young people is the largest in history. Nearly half of the world’s population (almost 3 billion people) is under the age of 25.
- Over 500 million youth live on less than $2 per day. Some 238 million, or 22.5 per cent of the world’s youth live in extreme poverty, on less than $1 dollar per day.
- About 85 per cent of the world’s youth live in developing countries. Asia alone is home to 70 per cent of the developing world’s young people.
- 101 million children of primary school age all over the world are currently out of school.
- ‘Dalit’ is a self-designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as ‘untouchables’ or low caste.
- The caste system is a South Asian social structure, creating divisions between social classes from birth, which has no genetic basis. While the caste system formally abolished under the Indian Constitution, Dalits still face prejudice and discrimination.
G20 summit to move to Toronto from cottage country
November 18, 2009 by admin
Filed under Colonizer Watch
With this news, We at PeepTheRevolution were not too schocked. They say in the following article that it is solely for security reasons, But I believe it is bigger than that. Dont forget, Toronto=Meeting Place.
Take the article in for yourself and discuss your opinion.
There are reports the Group of 20 economic summit, set for next June, will not be held in Ontario’s picturesque cottage country after all, because the logistics and security planning are proving too challenging.
According to The Globe and Mail, the Harper government now plans to move the G-20 summit from the town of Huntsville 90 minutes south to Toronto.
The related, but separate, G8 gathering will remain in the community of Huntsville.
The newspaper says the demands of lodging and security for the scores of people expected to attend the G20 conference have threatened to overwhelm the rural district.
Each G20 leader will be coming with a huge delegation of advisers and the summit will also draw observers from the European Union, African states and the United Nations. Thousands of journalists and news crews are also expected to attend.
Not only did accomodations prove to be a challenge, the security and logistical requirements would have overwhelmed the town of 18,000.
So a senior Ontario government official tells The Globe it is his understanding that the G20 will now be held in Toronto or a neighbouring suburb.
A spokesman for federal Industry Minister Tony Clement, however, said no decision has been made to move the G20 meeting from Muskoka. Darren Cunningham, director of communications for Clement, told The Globe the federal government is still examining the feasibility of hosting the event in Muskoka.
Canada had always planned to host the G8 meeting in Huntsville. But its plans were disrupted in late September when world leaders decided the G20 — which includes bigger developing countries such as China and India, not just the wealthiest eight industrialized nations — would supplant the G8 as the key international economic council.
The G8 will now focus mostly on international security and non-economic issues.
The G8 meeting alone is expecting 5,000 journalists, several thousand protesters, and tens of thousands of political and security aides.
The government of Canada has committed more than $50 million to prepare the region for the summit, including funding to overhaul roads and the local airport, and to construct a G8 Centre in Huntsville, which will eventually be used by the town as a state-of-the-art recreation centre.
In Toronto, take it to the streets on December 2, 2009 at 11am
November 18, 2009 by admin
Filed under Colonizer Watch
A statement on the detained Tamil Refugees and the Canadian Refugee system
Stop Detentions! Stop Deportations! Status for All!
– a statement on the detained Tamil Refugees and the Canadian Refugee system –
by No One Is Illegal-Toronto and Tamil Youth Organization
Seventy six people from military occupied north and east Sri Lanka
arrived off the coast of BC in a ship on Friday, 16 October, claiming
refugee status. All but one of the men, ethnically Tamil, are still
imprisoned. Days after their arrival, Kenney cut Canada’s refugee
acceptance targets by 60%, limiting acceptance to no more than 9,000 -
12,000 people a year. In 2008, the quota was 22,000-29,000 a year.
Without any consultation, the Immigration Minister has undemocratically and fundamentally changed Canada’s refugee system. The Immigration Minister has tried to belittle these migrants and their journey as justification for further changes.
These are not the first people to arrive by boat, seeking refuge. Yet
like many before them they find themselves barred from entering
Canada, locked in detention, and awaiting possible deportation.
In 1999, three ships arrived in Canada with 600 people from the Fujian
province in China. They were detained for nearly a year and in the end
only 15 were granted status. The rest were deported. On their return
they were forced in to labor camps.
In 1939, 900 Jewish passengers fleeing Europe on board the MS St.
Louis tried to seek refuge in Canada and were not allowed to disembark. Most were deported to Europe where they died under Nazi blitzkrieg. More than one-third of them were murdered in the Nazi gas chambers and internment camps.
In 1914, 354 people left from British occupied India on board the
Komagata Maru. Moored off the coast of BC with next to no supplies for
four months, essentially in captivity, the ship was forced to return.
Many died en route and more when they arrived in India by British
Police.
In every one of these cases, racist xenophobia exploded across Canada.
In 1914, the headlines read, ‘Hindus hold meeting and preach sedition
and treason’; in 1939, the Director of Immigration said, ‘none is too
many’; in 1999, a Victoria newspaper headline read, ‘Go home’; and in
2009, CIC Minister Kenney insists that they are coming in through the ‘back door’ in a ‘generous’ system.
But if this is the back door, where is the front door? According to
the Canadian Council for Refugees, the United Nations set a goal of
560,000 resettled refugees for 2008/9 – of these Canada will only
accept about 11,000. This is nearly half of Canada’s annual acceptance
rate of 21,400 in the 1980s. Contrast this with Syria, Lebanon and
Jordan who between them accepted 885,000 Iraqi refugees in 2007,
according to UNHCR spokesman Peter Kessler.
Overseas claims can only be made at UNHCR offices, usually in camps,
which Sri Lanka has refused to be established in Tamil Eelam. Over
300,000 internally displaced Tamils have been held by the Sri Lankan
Army for the past two months in barbed-wire fenced internment camps,
where they are subject to massive overcrowding, shortage of food and
medical facilities, abductions, including the abduction of children,
rape, torture, disease, and when the monsoons set in, flooding.
The Times newspaper in England, one of the only journalist sources
that gained entry to the camps, has reported that 1400 civilians are
dying in the camps every single week. People in camps have few ways to
apply for refuge in Canada as there are no nearby UNHCR offices and
access to the Canadian consulate is restricted. Under present Canadian refugee policies, claimants are unlikely to gain status from outside Canada. Migrants have little choice but to arrive at the border with fake
documents and ask for refuge. Exactly the process followed by the
people that arrived last month.
Canada has called the War in Sri Lanka that led to the detention of
over a quarter million people in camps, a “domestic” matter and
demanded “non interference” from the UN. This, while, even Hillary
Clinton has demanded that the Sri Lankan army be charged with War
Crimes for using rape as a weapon against the civilian population.
Not only is the Canadian refugee process incredibly ungenerous, it is,
at least partially, complicit in the war crimes of the Sri Lankan
government. The Canadian government gave CAD $3million in untied aid
to Sri Lanka during the bombings on Vanni that left untold dead. This
complicity gives even more reason why the government must assume some responsibility for the 76 refugees. The same can be said of Canada’s role in displacement in Afghanistan, Haiti, Mexico, Columbia, Palestine and almost every other country in our globalized world where Canadian mining companies control 60% of the global market and the Canadian military actively takes part in occupations.
Instead of describing refugees as being part of the immigrant
community, and Canada, many are reinforcing racist stereotypes
dividing communities. The Immigration Minister is proposing a closing
off of borders. A new refugee system is under discussion that would
severely limit the capacity of people to claim status in Canada.
Though details are unclear, the cutting of refugee quotas by 60%,
indicate that changes will be even more exclusionary and non
democratic. Jason Kenney has gone on record saying that the system
will be re-vamped by Christmas, most likely through the establishment
of stratified acceptance process for people applying from countries
that Canada has trade relations with.
People displaced by Canada and its interests are specially part of
Canada’s communal responsibility. We cannot let these refugees be used
as scapegoats by Kenney. The recent changes in the Immigration system
have emerged without public consultation and must be challenged. This
is not only a Tamil issue or a refugee issues. It’s an issue of injustice. Lets all join together to fight it.
Release the 76 detainees! Status for All!
Endorsed by: Canadian Tamil Congress
In Toronto, take to the streets on December 2, 2009 at 11am. Meet at
the corner of King and University. Email nooneisillegal@riseup.net to
hear about further organizing around this.
REMEMBER 1984 and related EVENTS from SAN
November 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Colonizer Watch
NEVER FORGET 1984 – RELATED EVENTS AND MORE FROM SIKH ACTIVIST NETWORK
New Twitter: www.twitter.com/sikhactivist
Website: www.sikhactivist.net
======================================
UPDATES
======================================
1.Remember 1984 Vigil – York University- Nov 25
2.Free Drop in Basketball- Malton Community Centre- Nov 29
3.Akhand Jaap – Nov 21st
4.One Panth – Today!
5.Vote Sikh Youth- BC!- Today
======================================
1.REMEMBER 1984
======================================
This November marks 25 years since the Massacres against the Sikh Community in Delhi 1984. Thousands of lives were lost in the atrocities that were committed. There has still been no justice, and the perpetrators of these violent acts still walk free.
Join us in reflecting on the 1984 Delhi Massacres.
The evening will consist of performances and presentations to engage and educate participants on the attacks against the Sikh Community in Delhi and Across India.
All are welcome to this event;
WHEN: Wednesday November 25th, 6pm- 9pm
WHERE: York University, Vari Hall B
For more information please email:
york@sikhactivist.net
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8846060198#/event.php?eid=198995516762&ref=mf
======================================
2.FREE DROP IN BASKETBALL – Malton Community Centre
======================================
Have nothing to do Sunday afternoons? Join us in FREE basketball drop in games!
Play some ball, show off your skills, and grow with your community!
This space is open for any youth that wants to play basketball in a positive environment!
WHEN: Every Sunday 1:00pm-3:30pm
Starting November 29th until December 27th.
WHERE: Malton Community Centre, 3540 Morning Star Drive, Mississauga
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=204815763326
======================================
3.AKHAND JAAP
======================================
The Toronto Sikh Youth invite you to come out to remember the 1984 pogroms by joining sadhsangat at Akhand Jaap 2009.
The Akhand Jaap will be taking place at Old Rexdale Gurughar on November 21, 2009.
ANYONE and EVERYONE is welcome to do Kirtan di Seva. Please Contact the Organizers if you are interested!
For more info check out the Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198995516762&ref=nf
======================================
4.ONE PANTH- Today!
======================================
Remember the 1984 attacks tomorrow at One Panth!
Where: Chandni Convention Centre, 5 Gateway Drive, Brampton
When: 2pm-6pm
For more info please visit:
www.onepanth.com
======================================
5. VOTE SIKH YOUTH SLATE TODAY
======================================
If your in BC be sure to go vote today!
For more info please visit http://www.newfuture.ca/
Call to Action: Calling all justice seekers – Join the Day of Action to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Disaster!
November 10, 2009 by admin
Filed under Colonizer Watch
- Direct Action! Organize a die-in in your town or campus; hold a protest or rally at a Dow facility near you.
- Educational Action! Hold a candle-lit vigil or film screening on your campus.
- Individual Action! Don’t have a group to organize with? Well, take action that day by Dumping your Dow, wearing a Bhopal campaign shirt, calling Dow, and more!
Youth advocate probing complaints at super-jail
November 10, 2009 by admin
Filed under Colonizer Watch
Youth advocate probing complaints at super-jail
Troubled teens promised cutting-edge treatment at Ontario’s new $93-million super-jail for youth have instead been deprived of food, denied programming and subject to questionable body cavity searches, according to a review by a senior provincial official.
Irwin Elman, Ontario’s advocate for children and youth, is investigating cases of excessive force used by some staff at Roy McMurtry Youth Centre in Brampton, which currently holds 102 male and female youths — 90 of whom are still awaiting trial. Police are looking into at least one of these incidents, he said.
What’s more, despite the centre’s much-publicized commitment to “state-of-the-art” programming — a proven tool in preventing young people from becoming repeat offenders — it simply doesn’t exist, he said.
“If it’s because of lack of staff or lack of good planning, I don’t know,” Elman said. “But whatever … it’s not there.” From the outside, with its gleaming exterior and manicured yards set on nearly 80 acres of land, the government-funded centre seems to embody the model of positive change its foundation was built on.
Inside, though, it’s a much different story.
Elman recounts a particularly disturbing incident.
“They talked to me about a lockdown,” he said. “They were telling me that there was a strip search because there was a DVD missing. There had been a strip search and full-cavity search for the DVD.”
Staff made the youths “bend over to see if the DVD was in their rear ends,” he said.
“That’s punishment,” Elman said. “To be in that situation, for a young person especially, is punishment.”
Elman’s findings follow a Toronto Star investigation into the life and death of Ashley Smith, who was jailed at age 14 for throwing crabapples at a postal worker in Moncton, N.B. Smith suffered from mental health issues that were never treated and as a result, spent nearly four years in segregated isolation for bad behaviour.
At 18, she was transferred to the adult prison system where she strangled herself with a cloth ligature.
This is an article taken from The Metro – I am posting exactly what was written in the article; However, I am not saying that MuteScreamz AGREES with everything written in this peice. We are simply asking THE PEOPLE to read between the lines and do something about this NEO-SLAVERY youth facility!
India Launches War Against Tribals
November 8, 2009 by admin
Filed under Colonizer Watch
Counter-insurgency offensive is really a resource and land grab
Women from the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) carry axes and bows as they form a road block in protest of widespread police atrocities in Lalgarh. April 2009.
On June 17, 2009, the Indian state launched a major counter-insurgency offensive, Operation Lalgarh, to “restore law and order” to the West Midnapore district of West Bengal. In the months leading up to the military offensive, the adivasi, or tribal, populations of Lalgarh and surrounding villages in the district had been subject to consistent police harassment, including the torture and detainment of tribals on the slightest suspicion of rebel activity.
To protect the autonomy and self-governance of the area, villagers formed the People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA). As the people’s movement had support from the Maoist party, the state quickly labeled the organic, self-directed community uprising a Maoist rebellion. Although the Maoist party only played an advisory role and was only one of the progressive forces supporting the movement, the Indian state was able to employ its commonly-used scare tactic of labeling villagers opposed to state intervention as “Maoists”. Paramilitary forces suppressed the movement in twelve days through the recapture of the villages, but did not defeat it.
In the months following the June offensive, the people’s movement – under the leadership of the PCAPA – has continued to grow and resist, while the police harassment has escalated. On September 27, 2009, Chhatradhar Mahato, a key leader of the PCAPA, was arrested for sedition and raising funds for the Maoists.
In early October 2009, the Central Government of India announced that they would start preparations for a major anti-Maoist offensive. What they did not announce is that this major offensive would serve as a huge resources and land grab. The government had entered into hundreds of secret memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with companies that include mining corporations and information technology parks. The communities had not been consulted about the business deals and actively resisted the “development projects” the national government was championing for the area. Areas like Lalgarh, largely inhabited with tribal populations, are mineral-rich and the people recognize that the companies that exploit these resources will not contribute to their livelihoods. These so-called ‘development’ projects would effectively dispossess tribal populations from their ancestral lands and allow for greater exploitation of the population, including a highly exploitative labor market. Thus, under the veneer of an anti-Maoist offensive, the Indian state hopes to achieve the final suppression of tribal populations from the area.
However, the people of Lalgarh are not alone. A national and international campaign has begun to stop the offensive. A petition signed by luminaries including Noam Chomsky, Arundhati Roy and several hundred human rights activists and academics was presented to the Indian government calling for the immediate halt to the offensive and to have the MOUs made public to the tribals so that they can decide for themselves how to improve their lives.
by Dhruv Jain
