Dion, Dit non!
Lively march in Stéphane Dion's riding calls on Liberal leader to oppose new security certificate law
A lively march through the Montreal neighbourhood of Ville St. Laurent on 17 November called on Liberal party chief Stéphane Dion to oppose new security certificate legislation, Bill C-3. Bill C-3 was introduced by the Conservative government in October, as a response to the Supreme Court Charkaoui decision, which struck down the former security certificate regime as a violation of the right to life, liberty and security of the person. The court decision came after years of grassroots campaigning against the measure, in which family members of the detainees played a central role.
The colourful march, complete with marching band and bright silk banners, wound through the largely immigrant, Muslim and Arab neighbourhood, chanting, "Dion, Dit Non!".
As a local rap artist wove in new lyrics rejecting the "special advocate" model proposed by the government, passers-by were handed information sheets and offered the opportunity to sign a petition detailing the injustices of the proposed new law. In the weeks leading up to the march, teams of volunteers had gone from door to door along the march route in Ville St. Laurent, handing out flyers and inviting people to join the march.
Members of diverse organizations such as the Immigrant Workers Centre, No One is Illegal, the Canadian Muslim Forum, Quebec Solidaire, the NDP, CAIRCAN, Muslim Council of Montreal, the Maori Solidarity Committee, the Ligue des droits et libertés and the Justice for Mohamed Harkat Committee, as well as Adil Charkaoui himself, successively took the mike to add their voices to the opposition to C-3.
The government's proposed bill leaves in place a two-tiered system of justice in which non-citizens are denied the right to a fair trial. It does not meet a single one of the demands of the public campaign: under the new law, the government will still be able to detain non-citizens indefinitely without charge and threaten them with deportation to torture. The new law still denies the detainee access to the information used against them, fails to reject the use of information obtained under torture, permits the use of hearsay (gossip and rumour), and uses a low standard of proof (possibility instead of fact). If the law passes, it will further normalize this treatment, as well as institutionalizing a model (the "special advocate") which can help to legitimize increased use of secrecy in other areas of the legal system.
Arriving at Stephane Dion's riding office, a delegation of community leaders presented an open letter to a representative of Dion's. The open letter makes the case against the proposed bill, and is endorsed by forty-five organizations - including national labour unions, community associations, development NGOs, human rights groups, and student organizations - that represent many people in Dion's own riding. Dion's representative promised a meeting with the Liberal leader "soon" to speak about the issue.
A delicious, hot meal was served on the street outside Dion's office to warm up the marchers before they returned home. The public campaign will certainly continue until the five detainees are freed or provided with a fair trial, and until non-citizens are guaranteed their fundamental rights to a full and fair trial and to protection from indefinite detention and deportation to torture.
Meanwhile, Bill C3 passed second reading in Parliament, with the Liberals and the Bloc voting with the government. The debate is depressing. It can be read at the parliamentary website.