[URBANTH-L]NEWS: The "No One is Illegal" Montreal Radio Show

Sun Dec 9 11:02:35 EST 2007

*"Migration is a natural-occurring thing. People have migrated all over this
land since the creation of this world. No fence is going to stop that."* --
Ofelia Rivas, indigenous activist from Ali Jegk Village on the territory of
the O'odham people (near the US-Mexican border in Arizona).

*No One Is Illegal Radio, part of CKUT's "Off the Hour"
December 6, 2007 -- http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com *

--> LISTEN to the December 2007 edition of No One Is Illegal radio at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=25741

On this month's edition of No One Is Illegal Radio:

*- From the frontlines of indigenous resistance to the US-Mexico Border
Wall, an interview with OFELIA RIVAS, an activist, elder and grandmother
from an O'odham village near the US-Mexican border in Arizona.

- More on the border wall with KAHNTINEHTA of Mohawk Nation News (MNN), who
was a delegate to the Indigenous Border Summit on the territory of the
O'odham Nation this past November, and protested at the Border Wall. *

ALSO:

*- An interview with MAHBUB ALAM of Migrant Workers Television in Seoul; a
Bangladeshi migrant in South Korea, Mahbub speaks about the current
crackdown on migrant workers, including the recent arrest and detention of
the entire executive of the Migrant Worker's Trade Union (MTU) on the
morning of November 27. *

AND:

*- Last week, No One Is Illegal and allies organized pickets and speak-outs
against the Bouchard-Taylor Commission in Quebec, denouncing the debate on
"reasonable accommodation" as inherently racist, sexist and xenophobic; we
play two spoken-word excerpts from the speak-outs: a poem by ALIYAH (aka
TruTh), and a piece called "Hurray for Herouxville" by MALIK (aka TuThree).
*

--> LISTEN to the December 2007 edition of No One Is Illegal radio at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=25741

BACKGROUND INFO:

*:::: Indigenous resistance to the US-Mexico Border Wall :::::*

This past November 7-10 marked the 2nd Indigenous Border Summit which took
place in the San Xavier District of the Tohono O'odham Nation, on the
US-Mexican border in Arizona and Sonora. The Summit, brought together
delegates from all over North and Central America, sharing information about
opposing the building and implementation of the border fence, which many
activists are now calling an "Apartheid Wall" between the US and Mexico.

To discuss the situation at the border, we hear from OFELIA RIVAS. Ofelia is
an indigenous activist, elder and grandmother from an O'odham village near
the border in Arizona, which is on the frontlines of resistance to the
border wall.  Ofelia speaks about the incursion of National Guard and border
officials into her community, the collaboration of the US-imposed Tohono
O'odham tribal government, the border wall that is dividing the territory of
the O'odham people, the movement of migrants across the border, and more.

As well, we speak with KAHNTINEHTA of Mohawk Nation News, who attended the
Indigenous Border Summit with a delegation of Mohawks from Six Nations,
Akwesasne, Tyendinaga and Kahnawake. She speaks about what she saw at the
border, as well as the division of Mohawk lands by the US-Canada border.

For more info:
http://indigenousbordersummitamericas2007.blogspot.com/
http://tiamatpublications.com/odham_solidarity_project.html
http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096413502
http://intercontinentalcry.org/report-back-on-the-indigenous-border-summit/
http://www.atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/2821/81/
http://sandiego.indymedia.org/en/2007/06/126781.shtml

*::::: Crackdown on migrant workers in South Korea :::::*

On November 27, 2007, as part of a broader crackdown against migrant workers
in South Korea, the entire executive of the Migrant Worker's Trade Union
(known by the initials MTU) was arrested by immigration officials in three
co-coordinated morning actions targeting their places of work and residence.
The unionists remain in custody in a detention facility near Seoul, and face
removal.

There are more than 200,000 so-called "illegal" or undocumented migrant
workers in South Korea, from  Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, China, Burma, the
Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and elsewhere. They do what are described as
the "3-D jobs" ("dirty, difficult and dangerous"). Migrant workers started
arriving in South Korea in large numbers just prior to the Seoul Olympics in
1988.

For perspective on the situation of migrant workers in South Korea, and the
recent arrest and detention of MTU activists, we speak with MAHBUB ALAM, a
migrant worker in South Korea, originally from Bangladesh. Mahbub, an
activist with Migrant Workers Television in Korea, addresses the situation
of the hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who live and work in Korea,
and makes an appeal for international solidarity.

For more info:
http://www.mwtv.or.kr
http://migrantsinkorea.net/
http://migrant.nodong.net/ver3/
http://www.interlocals.net/?q=node/889

*::::: "Hurray for Herouxville!": Racism and Reasonable Accmmodation in
Quebec ::::: *

Last November 27 &29, No One Is Illegal-Montreal and allies organized
pickets and speak-outs against the Bouchard-Taylor Commission at the
Montreal Congress Center, denouncing the debate on "reasonable
accommodation" as inherently racist, sexist and xenophobic. At the end of
first picket, the police attacked protesters, including elders and children.

For this month's show, we play two spoken-word excerpts from the speak-outs.
The first is a poem by ALIYAH (aka TruTh), a Montreal spoken-word artist.
The second piece is called "Hurray for Herouxville" by MALIK (aka TuThree).
TuThree will be perfoming at a Panel Discussion on Racism in Quebec this
Saturday.

For more info:
- No One Is Illegal Statement on Reasonable Accomodation:
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2007/11/reasonable-accomodation.html

- Panel Discsussion on Racism in Quebec (December 8, 2007)
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2007/12/panel-discussion-on-racism-in-quebec.html

- Police attack protesters at Bouchard-Taylor Commission
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2007/11/police-attack-anti-racist-protesters-at.html

- PRESS RELEASE: Groups denounce police attack against anti-racist migrant
justice protesters
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2007/11/press-release-groups-denounce-police.html

--> LISTEN to the December 2007 edition of No One Is Illegal radio at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=25741

No One Is Illegal-Montreal is part of a worldwide movement of resistance,
fighting for justice and dignity, and the right to self-determination for
migrants, refugees and indigenous people. Our campaign is in public
confrontation with the Canadian state, denouncing and taking action to
combat racial profiling, police brutality, detentions and deportations,
exploitation and wage-slave conditions, as well as opposing the displacement
and genocide of indigenous peoples on Turtle Island.

Tune-in live to No One Is Illegal Radio on the 1st Thursday of every month,
from 5-6pm, as part of CKUT's "Off The Hour".

--> You can listen live in the MONTREAL-area at 90.3FM.
--> You can listen ANYWHERE online at www.ckut.ca

Contact nooneisillegal at gmail.com to get regular updates about the organizing
of No One Is Illegal-Montreal, including audio links to our upcoming shows.

INFO: 514-848-7583 -- nooneisillegal at gmail.com
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com

*PREVIOUS SHOWS of NO ONE IS ILLEGAL RADIO on CKUT:*

::: November 2007 :::
- Ken Mair, a Maori sovereignist activist based in Whanganui, Aotearoa/New
Zealand, addresses the arrest of  seventeen indigenous Maori, as well as
allied anarchist and environmental activists, under that country's Terrorism
Suppression Act .
- Dustin Johnson (member of the Ts'mkiyen nation and editor of Redwire
Magazine in Vancouver), Neecha (activist from the Anishnabe Ojibway nation)
and Katenies (grandmother from Akwesasne Mohawk Territory)speak about the
recent Gathering of the Indigenous People of the Americas took place in
Vicam, in the state of Sonora, on the territory of the Yaqui tribe of
Mexico.
- Elliot Liu (New York City) and Owl (San Diego), organizers of the No
Borders Camp at Calexico/Mexicali, the first No Borders Camp in North
America.

LISTEN to the November 2007 show at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=25357

::: October 2007 :::
- Patricia Perez, the founder of the Migrant Worker's Support Center in
Quebec, passed away on September 30, 2007, after a battle with cancer. She
is remembered by Stan Raper of  the United Food and Commercial Workers
(UFCW) union, Andrea Galvez of the Migrant Worker Support Center, and Sarita
Ahooja of No One Is Illegal-Montreal.
- Bhagat Singh, was a key revolutionary figure in India's anti-colonial
struggle, denounced as a terrorist and criminal, and  hanged by the British
in 1931 at the age of 24. Freelance Punjabi journalist, Gurpreet Singh,
addresses  the legacy of Bhagat Singh on his 100th birth annivesary.
- Janet Hinshaw-Thomas, 65, was arrested by the Canadian Border Services
Agency at the Lacolle border crossing while accompanying Haitian refugees.
She was charged for a "crime" that is punishable by potential  life in
prison. Mitchell Goldberg, Janet's Montreal-based lawyer, speaks about the
case.

LISTEN to the October 2007 show at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=24978

::: September 2007 :::
- Benamar Benatta, Canada's first 9/11 rendition to torture, who was
detained close to five years without charge in the United States after being
illegally removed from Canada.
- Shawn Brant, just released Mohawk organizer from Tyendinaga who was jailed
since July 5, 2007 and denied bail in relation to his participation in
native blockades of rail lines and highways to raise awareness about the
reclamation of a piece of land called the Culbertson Tract, living
conditions in indigenous communities, and struggles for sovereignty and
self-determination.

LISTEN to the September 2007 show at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=24582

::: August 2007 :::
- Sverre Pederson, an anti-racism activist in Oslo, speaking about Afghan
refugees refusing forcible removal from Norway;
- Jenn Tsun, a dissident member of the Ardoch Algonquin First Nation,
speaking about indigenous sovereignty and the resistance to uranium mining
by the Algonquins of Sharbot Lake;
- Farha Najah and Nazila Bettache of No One Is Illegal-Montreal, and
Roderick Carreon of the Siklab Migrant Workers Support Group, speaking about
the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) from a community assembly in
Montreal.

LISTEN to the August 2007 show at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=24164

::: July 2007 :::
- Kahehti:io & Raiewate, youth activists from the Kahnawake Mohawk
Territory, south of Montreal, speaking about the blockade of Highway 30 and
the shutdown of the Mercier bridge on June 29, the inspiration of the
resistance at Tyendinaga, the anniversary of Oka, and unity amongst
indigenous activists.
- Gord Hill, member of the Kwakwaka'wakw nation who has been active with the
Native Youth Movement, the Sutikalh Camp and other groups, speaking about
the "collaborators" of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), the Indian Act
band council system, actions on June 29 and Anti-Canada Day actions on July
1st, the inspiration of indigenous elders Harriet Nahanee and Louis Hall,
the legacy of Oka, the "warrior spirit", among other topics.

LISTEN to the July 2007 show at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=23762

::: June 2007 :::
- Antonia Baker of the Prisoners Justice Action Committee (PJAC) in Toronto,
about the series of "tough on crime" bills introduced by the Harper
government, and Canada's emerging Prison Industrial Complex;
- Jill Chettiar of the Anti-Poverty Committee (APC) in Vancouver, about the
disruptive tactics being employed to oppose the upcoming Olympic Games in
Vancouver and Whistler in 2010, in support of anti-poverty and indigenous
sovereignty efforts;
- Ashley Turner and Rob Block of Sin Fronteras in Houston, Texas, about a
recent protest at an immigration detention facility, as part of a Global Day
of Action for Free Movement coinciding with anti-G8 protests in Germany;

LISTEN to the June 2007 show at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=23533

::: May 2007 :::
Special CKUT Fundraising Show
- Rhonda Martin, mother of former Six Nations political prisoner Chris Hill;
Chris was held in a Hamilton-area detention centre for over three months in
relation to charges relating to the Ontario Provincial Police raid on the
Six Nations Land Reclamation that has been ongoing since February 2006;
- Jason Maracle, a spokesperson for the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte who has
been involved in the ongoing reclamation of a quarry site on a part of
Mohawk land called the "Culberston Tract" as well as a 30-hour plus blockade
of CN railway lines to put pressure on government officials to properly
settle land claims;
- Maria Muentez of Families for Freedom reporting about the May 1 immigrant
justice protests in New York City;
- Ashanti Alston, former Black Panther and prison justice activist, speaking
about the importance of independent media, as well as providing an update
about the San Franciso 8 trial of several former Black Panthers;
- Sophie Harkat, an activist against secret trials and security
certificates, and the partner of Mohamed Harkat, one of Canada's "Secret
Trial Five,"speaking about the current fight against deportation by Mohamed,
as well as the severe bail conditions faced by her and her husband;
- Amir Hodhod from Jersey City; a refugee from Egypt, and an active member
of the Workers Solidarity Network and Solidarity Across Borders in Montreal,
Amir lived as an "illegal" in Canada, and was deported to the United States
where he was detained in December 2006.

LISTEN to the May 2007 show at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=23164

::: April 2007 :::
- Shawn Brant of the Tyendinaga Mohawk Community in Eastern Ontario, about
the ongoing occupation of a quarry, as part of a land reclamation effort on
the Culberston Tract;
- Corinn Williams, about a raid by Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
on a manufacturing plant, involving hundreds of armed agents, police,
military, as well as helicopters, resulting in the detention of more than
350 migrant workers, mainly young women with infant and small children;
- Khadija Bennis, the twin sister of Anas Bennis who was killed by Montreal
police in still unexplained circumstances on December 1, 2005;

LISTEN to the April 2007 show at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=22676

::: March 2007 :::
Special about the People's Commission into Immigration "Security" Measures
- Fetya Ahmed, Sarwat Viquar & Jared Will, commissioners: presenting the
findings of the People's Commission;
- Sarita Ahooja, member of No One Is Illegal-Montreal and a commissioner:
speaking on the Land Reclamation at Six Nations;
- Khadija Bennis, spokesperson of the Justice for Anas Campaign: speaking
about the killing of her brother by Montreal police;
- Mary Foster, member of the Justice Coalition for Adil Charkaoui and an
organizer of the People's Commission: speaking about the Kingston
Immigration Holding Center ("Guantanamo North") and the Secret Trial Five;
- Tatiana Gomez, member of Solidarity Across Borders and an organizer of the
People's Commission: speaking about the case of Amparo Torres, a Colombia
refugee facing deportation based on secret evidence;
- Hicham Hillal, member of the Al Hidaya Association: speaking about
Islamophobia and the racial and religious profiling of Arab and Muslim
communities;
- Marie-Eve Lamy, member of the Justice Coalition for Adil Charkaoui and an
organizer of the People's Commission: speaking about the case of Suleyman
Goven, a Kurdish refugee to Canada who was denied status for 15 years due to
CSIS harassment and intimidation;
- Leila Pourtavaf, member of No One Is Illegal-Montreal and a researcher for
the People's Commission: speaking on the current immigration regime in
Canada;
- Laura Schevchenko, organizer with the Sogi Bachan Singh Support Committee:
providing an update about the deportation to possible torture of Sogi Singh,
based on secret evidence

LISTEN to the March 2007 show at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=22700

::: February 2007 :::
- Katenies, member of the Akwesasne Mohawk Community, who is currently
wanted on an arrest warrant for refusing to appear in court as she
steadfastly refuses to recognize the jurisdiction of the Canadian courts and
border officials;
- Kavitha Pawria, organizer with Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM) in New
York City, about the recent dawn arrest of an entire Pakistani family in New
York City, part of the ongoing "War on Terror" in migrant communities.

LISTEN to the February 2007 show at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=21783

::: January 2007 :::
- Kahntinetha of Mohawk Nation News from January 1, 2007; she reports on
historic events at the Grand River Territory of Six Nations, where a
traditional Confederacy House, shut down by the Canadian government in 1924,
was re-opened.
- Ahmad Jaballah, the 20-year old eldest son of Mahmoud Jaballah, one of the
three detainees at the "Guantanamo North" prison near Kingston, Ontario.
Jaballah was detained without charge, on secret evidence, for more than five
years; includes a reading of the "Open Letter from Guantanamo North".
- Amir Hodhod, who on December 27, 2006, after several months living without
legal status in Canada, was deported to the United States and spent 7 days
in the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility.

LISTEN to the January 2007 show at:
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=21252

::: May-December 2006 :::
An archive of No One Is Illegal Radio's 2006 shows is available at:
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2007/01/no-one-is-illegal-radio-2006-archive.html

Our 2006 shows include the voices of:
- Latifa Charkaoui: mother of Adil Charkaoui, one of the Secret Trial Five;
- Arnoldo Garcia: organizer with the National Network for Immigrant and
Refugee Rights in Oakland, California;
- Kahehti:io: Mohawk youth activist from Kahnawake, arrested at the Land
Reclamation at Six Nations;
- Sherene Razack, author of "Looking White People in the Eye," and a witness
at the People's Commission into Immigration "Security" Measures;
- Hassan Almrei: secret trial detainee at Guantanamo North Prison, detained
without trial since 2001;
- Karen Coq: member of No One Is Illegal-Kingston, active in opposing the
Guantanamo North prison;
- Amir Hodhod: a member of Solidarity Across Borders who marched to Ottawa
from Montreal in June 2005, and is fighting a pending deportation from
Canada;
- Hazel Hill: spokesperson for the Six Nations Land Reclamation;
- Kahentinehta: of Mohawk Nation News and a defender of Mohawk territory
during the Oka Crisis of 1990;
- Roberta Keesick: elder, trapper and activist from the Grassy Narrows
indigenous territory in Northwestern Ontario; the blockade against logging
at Grassy Narrows is the longest blockade in Canadian history;
- Arash Aslani: refugee from Iran, and former 10-month detainee at the Laval
Detention Center near Montreal;
- Teresa Hayter: author of "Open Borders" and organizer with the Campaign to
Close Campsfield Detention Center in England;
- Aarti Shahani: anti-deportations and anti-detentions activist with
Families for Freedom in New York City;
- Rasha Moumneh, of the Helem LGBT group in Beirut, Lebanon;
- Nay: activist with Aswat, a queer justice group in Palestine;
- Rafeef Ziadah: the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid in Toronto;
- Ashanti Alston Omowali: anarchist activist, former political prisoner, and
member of the Black Panther Party;
- Biju Mathew: organizer with the New York Taxi Worker's Alliance;
- Trudy Miller: mother of indigenous Six Nations political prisoner Trevor
Miller;
- Angel Smith: cousin of Trevor Miller;
- Khadija Bennis: twin sister of Mohamed Anas Bennis, killed by the Montreal
police.

An archive of No One Is Illegal Radio's 2006 shows is available at:
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2007/01/no-one-is-illegal-radio-2006-archive.html

-----

Tune-in live to No One Is Illegal Radio on the 1st Thursday of every month,
from 5-6pm, as part of CKUT's "Off The Hour".

--> You can listen live in the MONTREAL-area at 90.3FM .
--> You can listen ANYWHERE online at www.ckut.ca

Contact nooneisillegal at gmail.com to get regular updates about the organizing
of No One Is Illegal-Montreal, including audio links to our upcoming shows.

No One Is Illegal-Montreal is part of a worldwide movement of resistance,
fighting for justice and dignity, and the right to self-determination for
migrants, refugees and indigenous people. Our campaign is in public
confrontation with the Canadian state, denouncing and taking action to
combat racial profiling, police brutality, detentions and deportations,
exploitation and wage-slave conditions, as well as opposing the displacement
and genocide of indigenous peoples on Turtle Island.

INFO: 514-848-7583 -- nooneisillegal at gmail.com
http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com