next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects
--=======265A676E======= Content-Type: text/plain; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-6391D38; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit The G7 met in Halifax last year and supports environmental degradation around the world. These people were targeted for voicing dissent and need support. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: <hfx-g7@ziplip.com> Date: February 18, 2003 Support Halifax G7 Arrestees February 18, 2003 Activist Legal Defence Fund 317-2070 Quingate Pl Halifax, NS, B3L 4S1 hfx-g7@ziplip.com Dear friends, colleagues and supporters, We are writing this letter to give you an update on our recent activities, and to ask for your support in our ongoing fundraising efforts. As you may know, last June several hundred Nova Scotians and supporters from surrounding areas gathered in downtown Halifax to protest a meeting of the G7 Finance Ministers. The protesters voiced their opposition to policies of the governments of the 7 countries represented (8 with Russia), their plans for further exploitation of Africa through the NEPAD program, and their links to those global brutalizers, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, who were also in attendance at the meeting. Many people were arbitrarily attacked with tear-gas, pepper bullets, and tazer guns for voicing their views. Claims made by the police of violence have not been substantiated, and in some cases are clearly fabricated. In all, 31 protesters were arbitrarily arrested and 5 were charged with resisting arrest, unlawful assembly, and/or obstruction. Many of the arrests were accompanied by police violence. Several of the arrestees were left with multiple tazer burns and other wounds. . Most of those arrested were denied their right to legal counsel and were held in cold cells overnight with metal beds and no blankets or food. Some arrestees were denied access to a bathroom despite repeated requests for up to five hours. Some of the people facing charges have been given excessively restrictive release conditions, such as not attending public demonstrations and not leaving the Maritimes. Their (and our) rights have been removed. These are only a few examples of the mistreatment and abuse. The Activist Legal Defence Fund organized in the wake of the protests to raise money to cover legal costs associated with the actions of the police last June. Since then, we have worked to support the charged individuals as they have attended hearings in Halifax. Several people have launched complaints against the RCMP and Halifax Regional Police. At least one is considering further legal action. Additionally, as our vision is to develop long-term support for the activist community in Halifax, we have also supported several activists arrested during a recent housing protest in Halifax. We need your help. The trials are scheduled to begin in April, 2003 and money is needed well in advance of this to retain lawyers. Please consider making a donation to the Activist Legal Defence Fund at your earliest convenience. We anticipate the total cost of defending the G7 arrestees to total approximately $25,000. We have raised about $5,000 so far, which has just allowed us to keep abreast of costs to date. Some Halifax lawyers have generously agreed to work at a reduced rate, and a group of law students have offered their time and skills to assist. Nonetheless, the legal costs have quickly mounted, and continue to rise. Additional fundraising efforts have included concerts, passing the hat at events, CD and button sales, an art auction, and personal donations. We ask that you consider contributing to this fund. If you are able to do so, donations can be mailed to the address above, or deposit directly into the "Activist Legal Defence Fund" account at the Credit Union Atlantic, Spring Garden Rd. branch in Halifax, or get in touch for information about direct depositing into our account from elsewhere.. There are also many other things people can do to help raise money in their community, like passing a hat at a meeting or demonstration, spreading this letter to potential supporters, organizing a fundraiser, having donation jars at supportive businesses, or.anything else you think would help with legal costs. Sincerely, Heather Maxwell, for the Activist Legal Defence Fund PS. Please share this letter with others who might support our efforts. --=======265A676E=======-- -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- SUST-MAR TIP: tell your friends how to join sust-mar! To join, just send "subscribe sust-mar" to majordomo@chebucto.ca CBC enviro news-briefs follow: -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- PROVINCE TO GIVE STORA FINANCIAL BOOST The Nova Scotia government is about to give money to the Stora paper mill in Port Hawkesbury. FULL STORY http://novascotia.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=ns_storaprovince20030218 NO 'BARN' FOR HALIFAX SEWAGE PLANT: RESIDENTS The proposed sewage treatment plant for Halifax won't look like a big box if residents have their way. FULL STORY http://novascotia.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=ns_sewagebox20030218 POLICE ARREST ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATORS Halifax regional police arrested a dozen people Monday at a protest outside the offices of an aerospace company. FULL STORY http://novascotia.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=ns_lockheedprotest20030217 YARMOUTH SAYS 'NO' TO WAR IN IRAQ Rural Nova Scotians are hoping Ottawa gets this message – even Canadians in small towns are opposed to using force against Iraq. FULL STORY http://novascotia.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=ns_yarmouthwar20030217 PLUNGING TEMPERATURES HURTING FISH INDUSTRY The freezing cold is killing fish in salmon farms across the Maritimes. FULL STORY http://novascotia.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=ns_coldfish20030217 N.S. MAKING MONEY FROM BURSARY FUND: REPORT Nova Scotia and other provinces routinely short-change students who must wait months for their Millennium Scholarship bursaries. FULL STORY http://novascotia.cbc.ca/template/servlet/View?filename=ns_millenfunds20030217 © Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects