On Friday, April 17, Montreal-area activists organized a “Caravan for Migrant Justice” in solidarity with allies mobilizing against recent CBSA raids against migrant workers all over southern Ontario.
On Sunday, April 19, upwards of 41 migrant workers, among the more than one hundred arrested and detained in raids earlier in the month by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) were facing removal from Canada.
The 5-car caravan, accompanied by a loudspeaker sound system, met at the downtown offices of the CBSA. After a picket, the caravan proceeded to the neighborhoods of Pointe-St-Charles, Parc Extension and Côte-des-Neiges.
In each neighborhood, the caravan stopped at key intersections, to denounce the recent raids, and the upcoming deportations, as well as to flyer and talk with local residents, as part of an effort to build solidarity and support in the face of the fear and anxiety caused by the CBSA raids.
A “Solidarity Statement” denouncing the raids and supporting the arrested and detained workers, was signed by 16 local organizations, including: Solidarity Across Borders (SAB), Immigrant Workers Center (IWC), No One Is Illegal-Montreal, The Committee to Aid Refugees (CAR), Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) at Concordia, Projet Refuge, Women ofDiverse Origins, Q-Team, South Asian Women’s Community Center (SAWCC), 2110 Center for Gender Advocacy, Les Apatrides Anonymes, SIKLAB-Québec, Philippine Women’s Center of Québec, Head & Hands (NDG), PINAY: The Filipino Women’s Organization in Quebec, and theCentre des femmes d’ici et d’ailleurs.
A PHOTO ESSAY about the caravan is linked here: http://photos.cmaq.net/v/caravanformigrantjustice/
The MONTREAL SOLIDARITY STATEMENT, signed by sixteen local groups, is linked here: http://nooneisillegal- montreal.blogspot.com/2009/04/montreal-solidarity-statement.html An AUDIO report about the caravan, prepared for CKUT radio, is linked here: http://www.radio4all.net/ index.php/program/33009
For background to the raids, consult: toronto.nooneisillegal.org
For more information in the Montreal-area, contact: The Immigrant Workers Center (IWC): 514-342-2111, iwc-cti@yahoo.ca Solidarity Across Borders (SAB): 514-848-7583, solidaritesansfrontieres@gmail.com