top
San Francisco
San Francisco
Indybay
Indybay
Indybay
Regions
Indybay Regions North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area North Coast Central Valley North Bay East Bay South Bay San Francisco Peninsula Santa Cruz IMC - Independent Media Center for the Monterey Bay Area California United States International Americas Haiti Iraq Palestine Afghanistan
Topics
Newswire
Features
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay Feature
Tue Jul 8 2008 (Updated 07/10/08)
US War Resisters Face Deportation Despite Official Welcome by Canada's Parliament
Activists Demonstrate at 13 Canadian Consulates on July 9
On July 4th, peace and humanitarian organizations celebrated a Canadian federal court decision favoring Iraq war resister Joshua Key that could have substantial implications for other American war objectors.

In a nationwide action July 9th, US protesters drew attention to the imminent deportation from Canada of AWOL GIs. If returned to US soil they face court martial, imprisonment and dishonorable discharges. Across the country 14 events were held in support of US war resisters attempting to remain in Canada while resisting participation in illegal and immoral occupation wars. The actions were organized in less than two weeks in response to a deportation order issued against war resister Corey Glass, an Iraq War veteran who was a sergeant in the Indiana National Guard. In San Franciaso, over 50 military veterans, religious leaders and peace activists rallied in front of the Canadian Consulate.

Activists were pleased with a surprise decision announced just hours after San Francisco's noon hour protest; a Canadian Federal Court granted Corey a last minute reprieve of at least several months while his lawyers are given an opportunity to appeal earlier negative rulings.

Despite a non-binding Parliamentary motion calling on the government to allow war resisters to stay in Canada, and in spite of recent encouraging court decisions in at least one other war resister's case, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Immigration Minister Diane Finley may act against the wishes of Canadians and soon deport another war resister, Robin Long. If deported, he will be the first of an estimated 200 deserters who have sought refuge in Canada to be returned to the United States. Mr. Long remains in jail as of this writing.

Corey Glass, 25, who was a sergeant in the Indiana National Guard, has been ordered to leave Canada this week or face deportation. "I signed up for the National Guard to ... do humanitarian work, filling sandbags if there was a hurricane. I should have been in New Orleans, not Iraq," he said. If deported as scheduled on July 10 Glass will be the first Iraq War resister to be deported. Other AWOL GIs face the same fate in the near future.

imc_photo.gif Photos: 1 | 2 | Canada Court Decision Favors US War Resister | imc_audio.gif Democracy Now: Canadian court rules Immigration and Refugee Board reconsider asylum claim for US war resister

Coverage of January 2008 San Francisco protest at Canadian consulate
2024-04-09 Deal Described as One of the Most Significant Urban Land Back Victories in US History Front Page | Environment & Forest Defense | Racial Justice | East Bay2024-03-20 Victory! EFF Helps Indybay Resist San Francisco Police Warrant and Gag Order Front Page | Police State & Prisons | Media Activism & Independent Media | San Francisco2024-02-09 Catholic Anti-Choice Marchers Get an Earful from Abortion Rights Activists in San Francisco Front Page | Health, Housing & Public Services | Womyn | San Francisco | South Bay | U.S.2024-01-10 Wall of Shipping Containers Intended to Keep the Public Out of People's Park Front Page | Police State & Prisons | Environment & Forest Defense | Global Justice & Anti-Capitalism | East Bay | California2023-12-08 Largest Ever Pro-Palestine Marches in NorCal Demand End to US Aid for Israel's War on Gaza Front Page | Anti-War | Central Valley | San Francisco | South Bay | Peninsula | U.S. | International | Palestine | Santa Cruz Indymedia2023-10-31 Three Activists Detained at Climate Protest for Crossing Beale Air Force Base Gate Front Page | Environment & Forest Defense | Anti-War | Central Valley | California | U.S.2023-09-29 California Climate Justice Actions in Coordination with Massive New York City March Front Page | Environment & Forest Defense | Central Valley | California2023-08-19 Environmentalists Speak Out Against Airport Expansion as Climate Disasters Accelerate Environment & Forest Defense | East Bay2023-08-12 Starbucks Bus Tour Stops in San Francisco, Rallies with Allies to Support Unionization Labor & Workers | San Francisco | Peninsula | California | U.S.2023-07-19 Halt to Fossil Fuel Funding Demanded as Wells Fargo Operations Shut Down Environment & Forest Defense | Global Justice & Anti-Capitalism | San Francisco | U.S.2023-07-13 Demonstrations Wrack France, Boiling Over After Police Murder of Youth Police State & Prisons | Health, Housing & Public Services | Global Justice & Anti-Capitalism | LGBTI / Queer | International | Government & Elections | Immigrant Rights
We are 100% volunteer and depend on your participation to sustain our efforts!

Donate

$210.00 donated
in the past month

Get Involved

If you'd like to help with maintaining or developing the website, contact us.

Publish

Publish your stories and upcoming events on Indybay.

IMC Network