Independent media reporter rejected at border, detained by border agents and denied outside contact

Martin Macias Jr., an independent media reporter from Chicago travelling to cover the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver BC, has been rejected by Canadian border agents and held without outside contact for at least 7
hours (as of 9pm) Saturday.

Macias arrived in Vancouver from Chicago (via Minneapolis) on a 11:30am Delta Airlines flight on Saturday, February 6, 2010.  He was detained for hours by Canada Border Services agents in the Vancouver International
Airport and questioned about his plans during the Olympics.  Ultimately he was refused entry to Canada. He was then put on an Alaskan Airlines flight to the Seattle / Tacoma Airport (departing at 2:40pm).  As of 9pm he had
not been able to contact legal counsel or his travelling companion since before his rejection at the border.  The information on his rejection was only made available through the US Consulate.  It is routine for people rejected at the border to be interrogated by both Canadian and US border agents; he may well still be detained for questioning in the USA at this point.

Although he is entitled to a phone call and legal counsel, nothing has been heard from Macias since about 2pm when he still expected to be able to enter Canada as planned.

Martin was travelling to Vancouver for political events during the Olympic Resistance Network anti-Olympic convergence and to document the effects of the Winter Olympics on the communities of Vancouver.  He was to leave Vancouver for the USA on Feb. 11.  He was travelling with political organizer Bob Quellos of No Games Chicago, who was allowed to enter Canada.  They were both to be picked up by Chris Shaw, a member of the
Olympic Resistance Network, local Olympic critic, and author of 'The Five Ring Circus' who himself has been questioned and detained when travelling to a sports conference in the UK and repeatedly approached by members of the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit (Olympic policing body) regarding his political activities.  Canadian border agents, police, and intelligence units have been actively surveilling, questioning and harassing opponents of the Olympic Games (and their associates and families) for years.  Media, such as Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, have been subject to questioning and increased scrutiny as well.

To read the full text the memorandum and Professor Lundy’s media statement for yourself, click on 'read more.' Write Comment (0 Comments)

Over the past decade, the Canadian Federation for Sexual Health, formerly the Planned Parenthood Federation of Canada, has had its federal government funding grants cut by 99 per cent.

The CFSH has charitable status and 'promotes sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada and abroad'.  And as it is a charity, it is allowed to spend up to 10 per cent of its annual budget on political advocacy.  And acting as an advocate, it is acting as a national voice to protect and improve sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada.  CFSH does not state that it spends any time on lobbying.

In 2005, the federation received $1.14  million dollars or about 48 per cent of their budget.  Starting in 2007, the grants began to decrease.  In 2007, it was $743,745 dollars.  In 2008, the grant has gone down to $482,498.  By 2009, the grant has dwindled to $9,381.

Submitted by Ken Collier, recently of the School of Social Work, University of Regina

Canadian Network on Cuba
www.canadiannetworkoncuba.ca

Dear Friends, 

Cuba has an unequaled record in helping people in crises such as the earthquake in Pakistan and natural disasters in many other countries.  In fact it has set up a special emergency unit, the Henry Reeve Medical Brigade, to respond to such disasters.  

Behind the headlines of the mainstream media in Canada you can find that the U.S. government is increasing its military forces in Haiti today from 4,000 to 11,000. The Harper government is to raise its military forces there by another 1,000. As in New Orleans, Hilary Clinton has announced that the primary objective of the mounting military presence is to provide “security.” Military forces are reported to have opened fire on desperate Haitians who have been looting stores, looking for food and water. The U.S. military is in complete control at the international airport and giving priority to U.S. aircraft.

Across Saskatchewan people are mounting campaigns to help Haitians in this time of great tragedy. It is important to make sure that donations go to those organizations in Haiti who are actually assisting the victims of the earthquake and the years of political and economic repression. Money should be sent to the organizations identified with the Canada Haiti Action Network. They can be found at the following web site:

http://canadahaitiaction.ca

In a Regina Police report debated on Monday, the federal government is covering the cost of sending 20 police officers to the Vancouver Olympics.  Twenty police officers being sent to Vancouver will be costing Canadians $169,400 for base salaries, $149,000 for overtime and per diem expenses of $15,600 for a total of $334,900. 

This is likely how the staff are to be collected, that being, seconding the staff from across Canada.  There has already been some concern about rural RCMP officers going to the Olympics and leaving the towns and rural Canada unsecure.  How many other cities and communities across Canada are being limited in their capacity to handle crime?

In Regina, there are 529 FTE staff positions in the Regina Police Service.  The report does not identify how many of those are police officers or how many are civilian staff.  The secondment to the Olympics is a 3.7% decrease in overall staff during the period of the Olympics.  This will likely create limits to taking holidays and increases in overtime.  This year's overtime bank is increased by 222,500 with a cost recovery of $184,900.  How much of this will be utilized during the Olympic period, one can only speculate, perhaps none.

But because the discussion and presentation of this budget was in a closed door in camera meeting last week with the Regina Police Commission, it is likely that any speculation on the side of the Police Service or the Commission will never been known.  As well, it would be unlikely that a report will come after the Olympics to assess their impact on the Regina Police Budget. 

Are Regina residents being asked whether they want to support the ballooning $1 Billion security budget?  Are they willing to send their police officers to perhaps arrest protesters of the corporate greenwashing or extinguish Canadian human rights of Vancouver and Whistler residents?

Of course, this will not include the police presence at the Torch Relay that came through this city last weekend.  Is this a cost of the Olympics or a cost for Regina taxpayers?