Solidarity Across Borders - march to Ottawa / Canada

The four basic demands of the Solidarity Across Borders network are: the regularization of all non-status people in Canada; an end to deportations; an end to detentions; and the abolition of security certificates. Solidarity Across Borders is a Montreal-area campaign initiated by several groups active in defending the rights of migrants, immigrants and refugees. The majority of groups within Solidarity Across Borders are self-organized committees of persons directed affected by repressive anti-immigrant and "anti-terrorist" laws and regulations.

Below you will find some important updates concerning the march. We need your involvement, your solidarity and your support! Please read and get in touch.

To stay in touch, e-mail us at sansfrontieres (at) resist.ca, phone us at 514-859-9023 (messages only) or check our website at http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org. If we don"t reply with 2 days, don"t hesitate to get in touch again!


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SATURDAY, JUNE 18, NOON:
THE MARCH STARTS IN MONTREAL!
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The march on Ottawa will begin on SATURDAY, JUNE 18 at NOON at the corner of Atwater and Ste-Catherine (metro Atwater) in downtown Montreal.

We will marching through downtown Montreal, along Ste-Catherine Street, and north on St-Denis and St-Laurent to Parc Extension; we"ll go west along Jean-Talon into Cote-des-Neiges. The first evening, around 6pm, we"ll be stopping at Kent Park, where a neighborhood party is planned, with food and music (confirmed acts include Nomadic Massive!). Marchers will be staying at a local school and community center for the night.

Day 2 of the march will begin on SUNDAY, JUNE 19 at 9AM at metro Snowdon. We"ll be marching through Notre-Dame-de-Grace and other West Island neighborhoods towards Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, where another night of festivities is planned.

PLEASE NOTE: We are well aware that most people will not be able to march the entire one-week duration of the march. BUT, we encourage everyone who wants to support the march to at least join us for the first day of the march on June 18. We are hoping for the maximum turnout possible on both June 18 and June 19, the Montreal portions of the march.


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ON TO OTTAWA!
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Various committees of Solidarity Across Borders, and supporters in Ottawa andHull, have been working hard organizing the march route from Montreal to Ottawa.

We will be marching through the lands of the Kanienkeha:ka (Mohawk) and Algonquin peoples, and publicly supporting their demands for sovereignty and self-determination.

On June 20, we"ll be marching off the island of Montreal from Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue to Hudson, where the ferry will take us to Kanehsatake for the evening. On June 21, we will get onto highway 344 to St-Andre Est. On June 22, we"ll continue along the 344 to Grenville/Hawkesbury. On June 23, we"ll be on highway 148, on the Quebec-side of the Ottawa river, continuing the march to Ottawa. By June 24, we"ll be crossing over to Cumberland, Ontario from Masson. On Saturday, June 25, we"ll be marching into Ottawa to end the march.

Shuttles: There will be daily shuttles from Montreal that will join the march from Montreal. So, even if you can"t be on the march each day, you can join the march on the days you are available. Daily shuttle information will be posted on our website. As well, buses are being organized for Saturday, June 25, from Montreal to Ottawa, to allow people to greet the marchers in Ottawa for the final protest. Bus information will also be posted in the coming days.

Lodgings and Food: Food and housing is being organized for every day and night of the march. We encourage anyone who intends to march to register in advance, so that we can properly plan.

Special Needs: We are also aware that children, older folks, as well as people with disabilities, might not be able to march the entire route. Don"t let that stop you from joining the march. There will be vehicles that will enable people who can"t march continuously to participate. If you have a special need, don"t hesitate to get in touch.


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REGISTER FOR THE MARCH
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We encourage participants to register for the march, so that we have good idea about numbers to prepare for lodgings and food. Even if you"re not marching the entire distance, you are encouraged to register in advance. You can register for the march on our website: http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org/march_en/home_march_en.html


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FINANCIAL DONATIONS
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We still need donations to help us meet the various costs of this march (bus rentals, gas and many other costs). Any donation, $5, $50, $100 or more, is greatly appreciated. We are currently asking for up to 250 people to donate $50 each, which will help us meet a large part of our costs. So far, at least 50 people have donated, but we need a lot more!

If you can contribute to the 250x$50 plan for the Solidarity Across Borders March on Ottawa, write a cheque in the name of "Solidarit"© sans frontiÚres" with "250x50" in the memo line.

All cheques can be mailed to the following address:

Solidarity Across Borders/No One Is Illegal
c/o QPIRG-Concordia
1500 de Maisonneuve Ouest, #204
Montreal, Quebec
H3G 1N1 CANADA

Please e-mail sansfrontieres (at) resist.ca if you"re sending a donation.


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SOLIDARITY ACTIONS ACROSS
"NORTH AMERICA" AND BEYOND!
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To date, we know that there will be solidarity actions in Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto and New York City. Buses are being organized from Quebec City, Joliette and Trois-Rivieres to Montreal. There will also be affinity actions such as the upcoming "Borderhack" at San Diego/Tijuana, and the No One Is Illegal International Conference in London on June 25. And of course, there is a lot of organizing in Ottawa-Hull. If you"re organizing a local solidarity action, or an action in affinity with the goals of the No One Is Illegal March On Ottawa, please get in touch at sansfrontieres (at) resist.ca.


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ENDORSEMENTS
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We are actively soliciting the endorsements of organizations for the No One Is Illegal March on Ottawa and its four main demands. Dozens of groups have so far endorsed the march, including the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW), the Canadian Union of Postal Employees (CUPW), the Quebec Women"s Federation (FFQ), l"Organisation populaire pour les droits sociaux (OPDS) and many more.

If you endorse the march and the four main demands, please e-mail sansfrontieres (at) resist.ca


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NEWSPAPER
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Solidarity Across Borders organizers have produced a 24-page, two-colour, bilingual (English-French) tabloid newspaper for distribution in Montreal and beyond. The newspaper contains several articles analyzing migrant and refugee issues in Canada, and also includes the testimonies of several refugees themselves. If you can help distribute the paper in Montreal, or beyond, please get in touch.


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UPCOMING EVENTS IN MONTREAL
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There are a variety of events related to Solidarity Across Borders scheduled in Montreal in the coming days, almost on a daily basis.

For a complete list of upcoming events, consult our website, or get on our organizing list by e-mailing sansfrontieres (at) resist.ca


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ORGANIZING ASSEMBLIES
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There are only three more organizing assemblies scheduled before the march!: June 3, June 10 and June 17. All assemblies are at QPIRG Concordia (1500 de Maisonneuve West, #204, near metro-Guy Concordia). Childcare is available on site, as well as translation for English, French, Arabic and Spanish. The assemblies begin at 6:30pm sharp, with an intro for newcomers at 6pm.


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PRACTICE MARCH
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As part of the preparations for the march on Ottawa, we have organizing weekly practice marches. The next practice march will be this SUNDAY, June 5 at 10am. The rendez-vous will be metro Snowdon. This practice march will walk along what will be the second day of the march (from Cote-des-Neiges to Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue).


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GETTING INVOLVED
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There are more than a dozen committees, as well as more than fifty organizers involved in organizing the march to Ottawa, but we still need help!

The various committees and sub-groups include:

Logistics (dealing with lodgings, transport, the march route and more); Cote-des-Neiges Neighborhood Party (organizing the June 18th Kent Park neighborhood party, after the first day of the march); Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue Welcoming Committee (June 19); Outreach (mobilizing Montreal-area groups and individuals, as well as maintaining links with Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec City, and communities along the route); Ottawa Welcoming Committee; Legal; Medical/Physical Training; Media; Women"s Committee; Food; Kids; Art and Theatre; Propaganda; Postering; and more.

To get involved, please phone or e-mail.


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STAYING IN TOUCH
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e-mail: sansfrontieres (at) resist.ca
phone: 514-859-9023 (messages only)
web: http://www.solidarityacrossborders.org

If we don"t reply to your e-mail or phone call within two days, please get in touch again!

To get on our low-volume announcements list, please send an e-mail to sansfrontieres (at) resist.ca with "announcements" as the subject.