[R-G] CODEPINK: Oh, Canada! Update: Challenging Bush Agenda Canada

[james m nordlund]

Oh, Canada! Update on Challenging Bush's Agenda in Canada
November 9, 2007
Dear james m,

http://codepink-aot.org/calendar/

The Canadian government has yet to follow through on a hearing in
parliament regarding the recent refusal of Medea Benjamin and Retired
Colonel/ diplomat Ann Wrights' entry to Canada because they engaged in
acts of non-violent civil disobedience against the war in Iraq. As you
know, the Canadian border officials said the women's names appeared on the
FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, and anyone
convicted of a criminal offense, including a minor misdemeanor for peace
and social justice, was "inadmissible." 

We are continuing to pressure the Canadian Government to hold hearings so
they, in turn, will pressure the U.S. Government to remove the names of
non-violent offenders, such as peace activists, from the criminal
database.

On the U.S. side, we are taking action into our own hands...
Medea Benjamin and Ann Wright are in the process of retrieving their
arrest records from the FBI's Criminal Database Center. Once these
documents are retrieved they will hold a press event in front of the FBI
building demanding that non-violent offenders be removed from the NCIC's
Database. 
We are currently approaching several Members of Congress to assist in
removing non-violent offenders from this database and hoping to shed some
light as to why these offenses were added in the first place, but have yet
to elicit a response.
We will also be contacting local CODEPINK groups and members in border
cities as we have updates.  We are going to continue to generate press
around this situation, proving how arbitrary and unacceptable this new
policy is.

As we continue to pressure our Members of Congress and the Canadian
government and plan several action and press events we thank you for your
continuing support.

We will continue to keep you updated and encourage you to read the latest
article from Col. Ann Wright and Medea's most recent article detailing
their stories. 

You will be hearing from us soon!

CODEPINK 

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