Antiwar Protesters on Criminal Database; Canada Refuses Entry

Two well-respected US peace activists, CODEPINK and Global Exchange cofounder Medea Benjamin and retired Colonel and diplomat Ann Wright, were denied entry into Canada On October third. The two women were headed to Toronto to discuss peace and security issues at the invitation of the Toronto Stop the War Coalition. At the Buffalo-Niagara Falls Bridge they were detained, questioned and denied entry.

"In my case, the border guard pulled up a file showing that I had been arrested at the US Mission to the UN where, on International Women's Day, a group of us had tried to deliver a peace petition signed by 152,000 women around the world," says Benjamin. "For this, the Canadians labeled me a criminal and refused to allow me in the country."

"The FBI's placing of peace activists on an international criminal database is blatant political intimidation of US citizens opposed to Bush administration policies," says Colonel Wright, who was also Deputy US Ambassador in four countries. "The Canadian government should certainly not accept this FBI database as the criteria for entering the country." Both Wright and Benjamin plan to request their files from the FBI through the Freedom of Information Act and demand that arrests for peaceful, non-violent actions be expunged from international records. "It's outrageous that Canada is turning away peacemakers protesting a war that does not have the support of either US or Canadian citizens," says Benjamin.

src www.opednews.com...

Frankly I'm a bit surprised here. I know the long corrupt arm of the US government extends into Canada but now it appears as though alleged peace activists are walking on thin ice. Canada has always been known as a laissez faire type nation which often greets radicals with open arms. What is not clear here is what criminal background the activists triggered on the search. Just another example of profiling at work you really have to choose your public words carefully.

brill

[edit on 7-10-2007 by brill]

I don't know if you will get this. But I thank you for the amusement. I find it funny how Congress votes for War and later a peon citizen can declare that he speaks for all the United States Citizens and say they are against the war.

How does a person bestow so much power and athority upon oneself?

Soon, I too will speak for America.