The Daily GRRR! Feb 11, 2015 - International Solidarity news

We are broadcasting from the centre of the Haldimand Tract, the occupied Grand River Territory of the Six Nations (Haudenosaunee).

The Daily GRRR! is a project of the Grand River Media Collective; and is supported by the Community Radio Fund of Canada and CKMS.

Today’s feature isInterview With Francis Makey of the 32CSM

 We will begin today with headlines:

The Daily GRRR! HEADLINES for Feb.11th, 2014

1. Kitchener-Waterloo Meeting Launches Work for
Political Renewal

2. Kitchener Political Picket

3. Postal Workers in Greater Toronto Area Plan More Actions

4. Disingenuous "Prohibited Conduct" Clause*

5. Alan Ryan Peoples Community Organization Condemns attempts to marginalize the elderly!!

1. Kitchener-Waterloo Meeting Launches Work for
Political Renewal Anna Di Carlo, National Leader of the MLPC talking to local activists engaged in the work to empower the people, Kitchener, January 28.

At the 11th hour the meeting, scheduled to be held at a senior's home, had to be moved when a crank call alarmed the management that two hundred people would be invading their common room.

During the gathering, Anna led discussion on the need for democratic renewal. Well-known Kitchener-Waterloo political and human rights activist Julian Ichim took the opportunity to announce that he is a candidate for the MLPC in the coming federal election in the riding of Kitchener Centre.

2. Kitchener Political Picket A spirited picket outside the Kitchener Market on February 7 called on people to work to defeat the Harper government in the 2015 election and take part in politics for their own empowerment.

Activists distributed the newspaper, Justice for Injured Workers, which is always warmly received by local people. MLPC candidate for Kitchener-Centre Julian Ichim used the occasion to collect nominations from electors. At the market and other areas of the city canvassed by the picketers many residents signed up to receive Renewal Update, expressing their desire to be informed about political affairs and the movement to defeat the Harper government.

Many stopped to say what they think of the Harper government and, especially, its new anti-terror legislation. Many people in the area know Ichim and stopped to say hello. Julian discussed how the right to participate in politics is an ongoing battle in Kitchener-Waterloo. Local activists come under on-going police surveillance and are constantly harassed for their work which tackles the problems of the people in the region, especially the under-privileged.

3. 
Postal Workers in Greater Toronto Area Plan More Actions As part of the fight to defend the public post office, members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers are continuing their work in support of door-to-door delivery in February and March in the Toronto-area ridings of Conservative MPs.

On February 28, canvassing will take place to engage Canadians in the work in the Mississauga South riding currently held by Conservative Stella Ambler. Another action will be held on March 28 in the Bramlea-Gore-Malton riding held by Bal Gosal. Postal workers are inviting others to join them to engage the public to defeat these Conservative MPs and defend public services.

Information: Angela Jones, Toronto Local Campaign Coordinator, (647) 909-7484

4. Disingenuous "Prohibited Conduct" Clause*

- Christian Legeais - The Canadian Security Intelligence Services Act of 1984 authorized CSIS to collect, analyze and retain information and intelligence about "activities that may on reasonable grounds be suspected of constituting threats to the security of Canada" and to report to and advise the government about such matters.

The CSIS could gather information "by investigation or otherwise, to the extent that is strictly necessary." Bill C-51 changes the agency's role quite significantly by authorizing it to "take measures, within or outside Canada" against detected threats.

First the bill says that the CSIS cannot carry out actions that violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It then attaches a list of "prohibited conduct" in which the CSIS cannot engage. Bill C-51 states:

"In taking measures to reduce a threat to the security of Canada, the Service shall not
(a) cause, intentionally or by criminal negligence, death or bodily harm to an individual;
(b) wilfully attempt in any manner to obstruct, pervert or defeat the course of justice; or
(c) violate the sexual integrity of an individual."

This clause leads one to pose the obvious question: are not (a) (b) and (c) violations of the rights guaranteed by the Charter? Why is it necessary to actually spell this out in a "prohibited conduct' clause? Perhaps the "prohibited conduct" clause is there to protect people abroad whom the CSIS can now target but unlike Canadians do not enjoy the protection of the Charter? What is this about?

One might breathe a sigh of relief, until reading on. Bill C-51 prohibits torture, murder, rape, and the obstruction and perversion of justice, but also sets outs the procedure for the CSIS to get permission to do these and other criminal acts.

It states: "The Service shall not take measures to reduce a threat to the security of Canada if those measures will contravene a right or freedom guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or will be contrary to other Canadian law, unless the Service is authorized to take them by a warrant issued under section 21.1." "Measures ... contrary to other Canadian law" would obviously include the "prohibited conduct" listed above. (Emphasis RU)

Section 21.1 spells out the procedure for seeking authorization from a judge, which includes the Director of the CSIS first getting permission from the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

All of this leads us to the conclusion that this bill turns CSIS into an organization that can carry out all sorts of criminal acts -- including black-ops such as torture, blackmail, assassinations and disappearances.

Judges are being told they should listen to arguments which justify overstepping Charter rights and "prohibited conduct" restrictions in cases of national security. They are just to give "legality" to the suspension of rights.

The "prohited conduct" clause taken in the context of the rest of the bill seems to be a disingenious prescription for state terrorism. We are no longer dealing with the violation of rights through the enactment of emergency measures, with a sunset clause, such as the War Measures Act of 1970 or previous anti-terrorist laws enacted since 2001, but a permanent state of emergency and the suspension of civil liberties as a normal course of defending "national security."

A concern is that Bill C-51 is not merely about unjustified, extreme and unnecessary measures but that it is part of the trend which is abolishing the rule of law and destroying the public authority. Its provisions favour an agenda which is not in fact aimed at fulfilling the proclaimed objective of protecting Canadians from terrorism. It has to do with creating security services and authorizing them to engage in black-ops at home and abroad as part of the U.S. war machine.

In the opinion of the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada, it is important to go into the essence of Bill C-51 and oppose it. The security of Canadians lies in defending the rights of all, not enacting provisions which authorize their permanent suspension.

Adding the "prohibited conduct" clause to Bill C-51 to give the impression that these things are indeed prohibited and Canadians can relax and trust the bill is disingenious indeed.

5. Alan Ryan Peoples Community Organization Condemns attempts to marginalize the elderly!!

The Alan Ryan Peoples Community Organization condemns the attempts of the management of 74 Church Street to isolate the elderly by stating what events they can and cant host in there building. Using falsehoods and lies they chose to cancel the meeting Jan.28th where elderly people and youth get together to discuss the problems they are facing and come with solutions. Despite this the event still went on and was a success.

This decision is an attempt to isolate the elderly and stop them from participating in society and as such is deplorable and clearly a political decision aimed at further marginalizing and isolating this section of society from the polity.

Despite this the Alan Ryan Peoples Community Organization will continue to have monthly gatherings the last Wednesday of the month and organize to allow all to have a say and participate in society by rejecting the the attempts to marginalize any section of the polity.
Today is Feb 11.th 2014 and my name is Julian Ichim and we are now moving into the feature portion of our broadcast.

Feature: And that was an interviewWith Francis Makey

This was the The Daily GRRR! for Feb. 2014. We are on weekdays from 9-10am on 100.3fm CKMS in Waterloo region, and http://soundfm.ca on the web.

Check out all our past shows and other Grand River Media Collective work on our webpage http://grandrivermc.ca

The Daily GRRR! is supported by the Community Radio Fund of Canada and CKMS.

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