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[OPIRG-EVENTS] Revised Scarf Call Out - April 2nd
> SCARF 'CALL-OUT'
> BULLETIN #1
>
> "THE SCARF SUMMIT"
> WORKING GROUP=20
> OF THE OTTAWA COALITION TO STOP THE FTA
>
> Please forward to your lists and make some hard copies for your friends =
> who are not connected to e-mail and the web!!
>
> Stand up to creeping police state tactics in Canada!
>
> A Simple Plan for Solidarity and Action to:
>
> * Support the Citizens of Quebec City and=20
>
> * To signal condemnation to the Federal Government which is =
> co-ordinating the "New Iron Curtain" and police state measures in Quebec =
> City to protect the corporate driven Summit of the Americas Meeting in =
> Quebec City in April
>
> Greetings All!
>
> What is the situation?
>
> By now you have heard that the City Councils of Saint-Foy and Quebec =
> City had passed by-laws prohibiting the wearing of scarves to cover a =
> part or a whole of the face, not only during the demonstrations planned =
> in Quebec City for the Summit of=20
> the Americas to promote the Free Trade Area of the Americas, BUT ALSO IN =
> THE WEEKS LEADING UP TO THE EVENT!
>
> People are subject to fines and/or a jail sentence.
>
> Just a few days ago, St. Foy backed down and rescinded their by-law due =
> to the massive public response and the work of civil liberty lawyers.
>
> The intent of the scarf ban is to:
>
> *Make it easy for the security forces to spray tear gas directly into =
> the face, mouth and nose.
>
> *Make it easy for the security forces to photograph people who attend in =
> Quebec City so that they can be entered into the security files of the =
> rapidly expanding security system supposedly focused on "terrorism."
>
> *Build a climate of fear and inhibition in citizens to stop people from =
> expressing their constitutional rights to peacefully assemble and =
> petition.=20
>
> Several weeks ago, several students were arrested and taken to jail, =
> temporarily, in Quebec City for distributing pamphlets on a public =
> sidewalk without a permit!
>
> We all also know that during the Summit of the Americas, the =
> 'authorities' are closing off a 3 square kilometer area of the inner old =
> city of Quebec with 2 to 3 meter high chain link fences set in concrete =
> highway dividers. This is to keep the heads of state and the 'corporate' =
> contingent safe from the assembly and petition of citizens. All those =
> living inside the "New Iron Curtain" must have police passes to come and =
> go to their own homes or businesses!
>
> The local jail is to be emptied out in preparation to recieve 'arrests.'
>
> The erosion of civil liberties piling up in Quebec City is driven by the =
> Federal Government, the same Federal Government which signaled to the =
> RCMP to pepper spray students in British Columbia several years ago to =
> prevent 'embarrassment' to the criminal and genocidal leader of =
> Indonesia, President Sukharno, now 'retired.'
>
> Do we stand for democracy and constitutional rights or for the creep-in =
> of corporate driven, neo-liberal authoritarianism which now has too many =
> governments in a puppet posture?
>
> *What is the action?
>
> The concept of the action is based on one of the most successful civil, =
> non-violent direct actions in modern history. In Denmark, during the =
> NAZI occupation, the order was sent to round up Jews on a given date for =
> 'transport.' They were ordered to wear a yellow star of David. =20
>
> The whole Danish people in Copenhagen and elswhere, including the King, =
> donned yellow stars and appeared in public thus stopping the NAZI =
> action. The NAZIS dared not deport a whole nation!
>
> We can do something similar.
>
>
> The Action is "A Scarf Wearing Call-out on April 2":=20
>
> The call is for those who can to hold vigils and marches before Federal =
> Government buildings ACROSS CANADA starting early in the morning on =
> April 2 and continue all day. WEAR A SCARF AROUND THE FACE! Mount =
> placards and pamphlets of your own making! Call the media! Call your =
> municipal, provincial and federal representatives and protest the =
> erosion of democracy. Stand in solidarity with the citizens of Quebec =
> City and St.-Foy who will be otherwise left to the decisions of the =
> security forces!
>
> Hold similar vigils and marches before your municipal and provincial =
> houses! =20
>
> Ottawa citizens, go to Parliament Hill with your scarves around your =
> faces! Ottawa citizens going to the April 2 FTAA demonstration in =
> Ottawa in front of the Lester B. Pearson Building, wear your scarves =
> around your faces!
>
> Go to work wearing a scarf around the face. Tell your colleagues to =
> come with a scarf on the bus, in the car, and going home also. Tell the =
> story of how democracy is being hollowed out by our corporate serving =
> government.
>
> Students, bring out your scarves on April 2! Wear them at every =
> opportunity!
>
> All people, everywhere, wear scarves on April 2! =20
>
> Members of Provincial Houses and Members of Parliament, those of you =
> who stand for the freedoms guaranteed by the constitution and the spirit =
> of democracy; those of you who are not paralyzed by the sterility of =
> extreme democracy suffocating party discipline and the whips; hold =
> noon-hour vigils in front of your legislative chambers, join the forces =
> of Democracy, don the scarf on April 2!
>
> Members of Municipal Councils, you already see the anti-democratic =
> outcome of NAFTA at the Municipal level in the Mexican Government's =
> final appeal to the B.C Supreme Court of the secret NAFTA tribunal =
> decision to overturn a municipal by-law prohibiting an American =
> corporation to establish a toxic dump. Join with your colleagues and =
> don the scarf on April 2!
>
> If the April 2 scarf call-out works, it will set a precedent for people =
> who go to Quebec City and for those who live there to turn the steets =
> into a 'sea of scarves' in addition to what is already planned to take =
> place there.
>
> *Why April 2? =20
>
> Because a cross country effort will amplify, immensely, a big action in =
> Ottawa which opposes secrecy and the creep-in of anti-democratic =
> government practices, like scarf bans, in support of the corporate =
> agenda.
>
> There will be a demonstration in front of the Lester B Pearson Building =
> in Ottawa starting the morning of April 2 to demand the release of the =
> secret government position on the FTAA. This building houses the =
> Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) which is =
> currently in charge of hosting the Summit of the Americas in Quebec =
> City. DFAIT'S policy is to negotiate, in secret, the issues of the Free =
> Trade of the Americas which will effect every man, woman and child in =
> Canada and the Hemisphere.
>
> For months, the forces for democracy and social justice have been =
> calling upon the corporate serving Federal Government to reveal their =
> secret position in the Free Trade of the Americas negotiations in Quebec =
> City. =20
>
> This is the same Government which lied for several years about being in =
> negotiations on the Multilateral Agreement on Investment, denying the =
> existence of such a scheme which was to be extended to over 25 =
> countries. This was an agreement which would have given corporations =
> supremacy over the people by allowing corporations to sue foreign =
> governments in a secret private tribunal and force the countries' =
> citizens to pay the damages. The Government was forced to confess when =
> a 'whistle blower' sent the text of the MAI to democratic forces who =
> then mounted a successful offensive against this step into corporate =
> tyranny.=20
>
> This power to sue in secret already exists over Canadians because of the =
> North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Canada has already been =
> successfully sued and we citizens are paying the award to Ethyl =
> Corporation in the USA.=20
>
> The Free Trade Agreement seeks to extend NAFTA and the MAI concept to =
> the entire Western Hemisphere!
>
> The Federal Govt. told parliament about one week ago that neither the =
> parliament nor the people had the right to know the Government position =
> on health care, education and a host of other services. Superseding the =
> rights of Parliament and the Citizens was the 'Governments loyalty to 33 =
> other Western Hemisphere governments to negotiate in secret.'
>
> If you support this democratic, non-violent 'Scarf call-out,' please =
> pass this message on to everyone who might be interested.
>
> Organize your own demonstration! Organize groups to pass this message =
> and your own about the 'scarf as symbol of struggle, resitance and =
> solidarity!
>
> Express solidarity with the citizens of Quebec City. =20
>
> Express rejection of secret FTAA negotiations which will further =
> subordinate Canada and the Western Hemisphere to authoritarian corporate =
> rule!
>
> Scarf-up!
>
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