FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Citizens head to court against city of Montreal

Montreal, January 18, 2018

Members of the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) and the Communist Party of Canada (CPC) are suing the City of Montreal for compensatory and punitive damages for the city’s actions which occurred during the 2015 federal election campaign. The 5-day trial will begin January 22, 2018.

During the 2015 federal election campaign, the BDS movement and the CPC, both duly registered with Elections Canada, joined forces to denounce the pro-Israel policies of Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party during the electoral campaign. BDS was registered as a third party and the CPC is a registered party which ran four candidates in Montreal. The election posters portrayed a Palestinian child murdered on a beach in Gaza during the 2014 bombings. Their aim was to raise the awareness of Montrealers concerning the cause of the Palestinian people.

These posters, identified as election posters in accordance with the Canada Elections Act, were nevertheless systematically removed by the City of Montreal, undermining the fundamental right to freedom of expression of BDS members and reducing the visibility of candidates of the CPC in the midst of an election campaign.

Following complaints to the Chief Electoral Officer, the City of Montreal has admitted to violating the law.

Today, although it recognizes this fact, the City refuses to acknowledge its fault in this case, forcing the continuation of the trial next week.

A joint release from the Communist Party of Canada and BDS Québec

This year we are all marking the 100th anniversary of the Russian revolution in our own way, and perhaps together in conferences like the one in Saint Petersburg later this year (I wish it and all celebrations success). Perhaps also in common statements.
If you have not already heard of a conference taking place in my local city, I am writing to you to draw attention to the “Revolutions” conference in Winnipeg, Sept. 29-Oct. 1, one of the few conferences organized to date in North America to specifically mark the Russian revolution (see link below).
I am also writing to offer info about local conditions (attached, or ask away) and offer help with billeting. And I’d be happy to meet up if you are able to attend and maybe show you sites related to the 1919 General Strike (significant in Canada, heavily influenced by the Russian Revolution) and the 1869-1970 provisional government of the Metis Nation (Red River Resistance, revolutionary-democratic in content).
The conference is organized by academics, but anyone is free to submit papers and attend. So if you have such members (worker intellectuals and academics) in your party, please consider passing along this invitation. The conference is international; the organizers are inviting people from around the world.
PLEASE NOTE: The deadline for paper and panel submissions is March 15. The deadline has been adjusted already, so I don’t know if there is any more wiggle room.
Contact info: st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }

http://geopoliticaleconomy.org/revolutions-conference-2017/call-for-papers/

Geopolitical Economy Research Group, 527 Fletcher Argue, University of Manitoba

Winnipeg MB, R3T 2N2 Tel 204.474.9818

I am sure we would all agree there are plenty of things we could be doing together, as we have in the past like the timely 1984 statement against continental free trade by the CP of Mexico, the CPUSA and the CPC, anticipating NAFTA. It could be a broader statement today, and include the Central American comrades and touch on the war danger and condition of the working class, for example, but that is just my view and you’ve probably thought of that already. I can’t recall a similar continental statement since then.
It would be good to hear about similar conferences on the 1917 Russian Revolution and its lessons, and I wish them all success.

Darrell Rankin

Leader, Communist Party of Canada – Manitoba

Why Labour Day?
The parties of the capitalist big shots in parliament established the
Labour Day holiday in 1894. (In the United States, 1887.)
They were eager to divert workers from the May 1 International
Workers’ Day, a day associated with the demand for a shorter work
week, official lynchings of militant workers (Chicago) and massive
internationalist protests.
A section of the established trade union movement went along with
this ploy, helping the capitalists dampen enthusiasm for working class demands.
Who would say no to a paid holiday? We need more paid holidays, like
in Europe where May 1 and International Women’s Day are paid holidays
in many countries.
Labour Day is a good example of a reform that worked to divide the
working class struggle, raise false expectations that we are on the
path to a better society under capitalism, and downplay the need for
political struggle by the trade union movement.
Labour Day weakened the international solidarity of workers in Canada
with all the struggles of workers in other countries. It worked to
divide Canada from the struggles of workers targeted by the
imperialism of our continent.
The holiday augured the rise of North America as the centre of global
imperialism for the last century, a position our modern imperialists
are anxious to defend even if it means another world war.
To this day, if you want to measure the scope, depth and unity of the
class struggle, see which countries have the largest May Day protests
(Cuba, Venezuela, etc.)
The real story of Labour Day is that militant trade unions and
growing international solidarity of workers gave us this holiday.
Give us more holidays.
Enjoy the weekend,
Darrell Rankin, Leader, Communist Party of Canada – Manitoba.
CPC Candidate, Winnipeg Centre.

Dear Friends,

Who wants to hear a knock on their door at 2 a.m.? The Key family does not know when or if they will hear a knock followed by Joshua Key being escorted across the border and sentenced to decades in a U.S. military prison for the ‘crime’ of opposing war crimes.

You are invited: “The Good Soldier” – a lunch and talk – this Sunday, March 29, 2:00 pm at the U of Winnipeg Bulman Centre; tickets are $25.

Time is short, so purchase or reserve a ticket right away:
Phone: 792-3371, email livinginlimbo2014@gmail.com or go to:
– Bison Books (cash or cheque), 424 Graham Ave. (at Vaughn)
– Organic Planet (cash or cheque; surcharge for debit), 877 Westminster (at Evanson)
– North End Socialist Centre (cash or cheque), 387 Selkirk Ave. (at Salter) [phone to confirm office hours: 586-7824]

It will be a chance to discuss why the Conservatives are deporting U.S. military veterans opposed to war crimes – regardless of the huge humanitarian cost, as common criminals, and to lengthy and undeserved prison sentences.

If you asked me, the Conservatives are using these courageous military veterans – who should receive medals – to spawn examples of dreadful consequences should Canadian or NATO soldiers be tempted to complain about war crimes.

In short, the Conservatives are terrorizing our own soldiers to follow orders, no matter how criminal.
Ignoring the lesson of the Nuremberg trial (1946), they are copying Hitler’s methods how to carry out a war.

To me, it is another sign of capitalism’s plummeting economic and political health.

– Darrell Rankin
Leader, Communist Party of Canada – Manitoba.

* * * * * *
All the details:
Sunday, March 29, 2:00 pm
The Bulman Centre, University of Winnipeg
Tickets are $25; a late lunch will be served
Children under 12 are free
The funds are badly needed. Please buy a ‘solidarity ticket’ or more if you cannot attend!

Please help by inviting your friends: Forward this email and invite and share this event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1595419437369012/

Well-informed speakers about the campaign to win U.S. military veterans refuge in Canada:
Joshua Key, outspoken American veteran. Joshua came to Canada in 2005 after serving in the initial invasion of Iraq. He wrote about the atrocities he witnessed in “The Deserter’s Tale” (2007).
Michelle Robidoux, a founding member of the War Resisters Support Campaign.
Alyssa Manning, passionate immigration lawyer who represents U.S. military veterans in Canadian courts.
Dr. Amar Khoday, Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba

Dear Friends and Comrades,

You’re invited to discuss the Bill C-51 with the leader and members of a party long the target-of-choice by Conservative governments.

What does the law mean for the trade unions, Aboriginal rights struggles and resistance of any kind to the corporate agenda? Why are the Conservatives so determined to pass this bill? What strategy will defeat the present reactionary direction of governments in Canada, and globally?

Miguel Figueroa, Leader of the Communist Party of Canada since 1992, is in Winnipeg to discuss the urgent need to continue building a broad coalition aimed at stopping the Conservative anti-democratic Bill C-51, which will be used against the popular movements.

Sunday, March 15, 1:00 pm
Workers’ Organizing Resource Centre
280 Smith St., mezzanine level (at Portage)

Miguel Figueroa has been a part of the ‘good fight’ and the resistance against pro-big business parties since the 1970s.

Everyone is welcome to participate.

Information: (204) 792-3371

Sponsored by the Penner-Bethune Club, Communist Party of Canada