March against new security certificate legislation in Ville St-Laurent, Montréal
Saturday, 17 November 2007
Press scrum at 1:30pm at Côte Vertu metro (corner of Côte Vertu and Décarie)

Media contact : 514 222 0205 or 514 846 9325

On October 22nd, the federal Conservative Party introduced Bill C-3, new security certificate legislation. According to media reports, the federal Liberal Party immediately signaled their intention of supporting the bill. The New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Bloc Québecois affirmed that they plan to oppose the bill as it stands.

On Saturday, Montrealers will march in Stéphane Dion’s riding of Ville St-Laurent, to call on the leader of the Liberal Party to oppose Bill C-3. The march also aims to show solidarity with Muslim, Arab and new immigrant communities targeted by such measures as the security certificate, who are heavily represented in Ville St. Laurent.

The march comes after more than five years of public agitation against the security certificate and for the equality of non-citizens. The Canada-wide campaign culminated in the 23 February 2007 Supreme Court Charkaoui decision which struck down the process as a violation of the right to life, liberty and security of the person. The draft legislation introduced by the Conservative government responds to none of the core concerns raised in the public campaign. At the same time, the detainees and their families remain in the same situation of indefinite detention, house arrest or conditions, on the basis of secret suspicions, and under threat of deportation to torture.

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