Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Anti-2010:Information Against the Olympic Industry



Anti-2010:Information Against the Olympic Industry
is a 36 page, 8 x 11, magazine PDF published by No2010.com. Please download and distribute in your area.

As is explained:
No2010.com was established in the spring of 2007 to provide information for anti-Olympic resistance, to educate and inspire others, and to post regular updates for the movement. It is maintained by Indigenous rebels in occupied Coast Salish Territory. Thanks to a comrade in Montreal, 100,000 stickers were printed with the slogan 'No Olympics on Stolen Native Land' & the website address. These stickers have been distributed across Canada. In addition, a 'Militant Merchandise' section has been added to the site, which has t-shirts, patches and stickers for sale. You can support No2010.com by purchasing these products (via Paypal).
On the website there are also PDFs that can be downloaded and copied that you can distribute in your area, including SportsAction (direct actions against 2010 chronology) and this publication.
We are currently working on a special print edition/PDF focusing on the 2010 Torch Relay.
No2010.com is a member of the Olympic Resistance Network, the main coordinating group for anti-2010 opposition in Vancouver. Over the last two years, the anti-Olympic movement in Vancouver and across the country has carried out a succesful campaign of protest & direct action.
If you'd like to get involved, contact the ORN at email: OlympicResistance@riseup.net.


If printing out the document for photocopying, it is recommended to set the printer DPI (dots per inch, usually in properties) to 600 or 300 DPI.

You may also want to check out these fine websites: www.No2010.com www.warriorpublications.com



Friday, December 19, 2008

Targetting of Anti-Olympics Movement: What To Do When Police & Spies Come Knocking




Since 2007, police & intelligence agencies have targetted anti-2010 Olympics opposition as a 'security threat' to the Games. This has included media articles based on reports from CSIS and police specifically mentioning Indigenous and other social movements in Vancouver. Police have publicly stated their need to increase surveillance of anti-2010 resistance.


Beginning in 2008, CSIS and police also began attempts to recruit informants and gather information through interviews with people organizing anti-2010 resistance, or with people indirectly associated with our movement.


==> Agencies Involved

The following are the main agencies involved in surveillance & attempts to conduct interviews/recruit informants:

1) CSIS- the Canadian Security & Intelligence Service is Canada's main spy agency and is under the authority of the Ministry of Public Safety. It was formed in 1984 to seperate intelligence gathering from law enforcement after it was revealed that the RCMP had carried out violent and illegal campaigns against social movements in the 1970s. Unlike the police, CSIS agents have no powers to arrest; they gather & analyze intelligence and share this with government and police agencies. Like police, however, CSIS may conduct surveillance, recruit informants and infiltrate agents into groups.

2) RCMP VISU- the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are a national police force and are the main agency responsible for security during the 2010 Olympics. To carry this out, they have organized the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit (VISU), which coordinates the security activities of CSIS, the Canadian Forces, police, border control, coast guard, and other emergency services. The RCMP also has its own intelligence department (National Security Criminal Investigations) and is the lead agency for the Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams (INSET), which includes police, intelligence, and border control. INSET has offices in Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa.

3) VPD- the Vancouver Police Department works in coordination with the RCMP VISU. The main officers involved in interview attempts have been those with the Aboriginal Liason unit of the VPD. Like other police departments, the VPD also has its own intelligence unit (the Criminal Intelligence Section, which is part of the RCMP's INSET).


==> Method

The agent or officer(s) may approach a person through either telephone or in person (i.e., appearing at a workplace or residence). They identify themselves and ask for an opportunity to meet with the person in order to learn their opinions or concerns about the 2010 Olympics.


==> Who Could Be Contacted:

Security agencies cast a wide net when collecting intelligence. Often times it is because someone is active in the particular movement being targetted, but not always. It includes situations where it is believed that divisions may be exploited (between individuals/groups), to discourage people from becoming more active (intimidation), or when a person has a close relationship with the target of surveillance (including family). Sometimes, agents have no idea how a person might respond to an interview request and take a chance they'll co-operate. They often request that people keep quiet about their intelligence gathering efforts.

For these reasons, it's a good idea to contact others and let them know if you've been approached by either police or intelligence agents.


==> What to Do:

If you are contacted by either CSIS or police for an interview, the best response is to just say “No.”

You are under no legal obligation to talk with either CSIS or the police (this also applies if you happen to be arrested and they want to talk to you then). Nor can CSIS or police enter your residence (unless they have a warrant) or detain you (unless you are under arrest).

It is a good idea to document any contact or harassment by CSIS or police and to let others know as soon as possible.

Write down

  • details of the incident and any comments made by the agent/officer(s).
  • get the agents/officers names and contact information (you can ask for a business card).
  • If possible, get a photo of the agent/officer(s) with a camera or cell phone (or write a description of what they looked like).
  • Send this info to the Olympic Resistance Network so that others can be made aware.


==> What NOT to Do:

Some people think it might be fun or “interesting” to meet with CSIS or police, to play 'Spy Vs. Spy'. This is a bad idea. Intelligence agents are trained in interrogation techniques. They may have years of experience and interrogated hundreds of people. In addition, they may have large amounts of intelligence at their disposal, based on extensive surveillance of our movements and communities. You don't know what they know or don't know. A seemingly minor detail, or even a certain response to a question, could reveal more than you think.

Not only are these agencies seeking info to certain 'criminal acts', they are also gathering psychological profiles of people. When it comes to dealing with state intelligence and police agencies, where information provided could target individuals or groups for repression, this is a dangerous game to play.

That's why the best response is to say No and alert others!

Contact individuals you know that are involved in the anti-olympics movement or contact Olympics Resistance Network (olympicresistance@riseup.net). We are happy to meet in person and your privacy and wishes will be respected.

For more information on anti-Olympics resistance, email olympicresistance@riseup.net or visit http://www.no2010.com/



Thursday, December 04, 2008

[Toronto] Let Freedom Ring: Calendar launch - book launch - panel discussion - art show

i'll be in toronto this weekend:


LET FREEDOM RING
Calendar launch - book launch - panel discussion - art show
Saturday, December 6

Join us for an evening of political prisoner support, prisoner justice, and prison abolition.

6pm - Panel discussion
9pm - Launch party, with bar, snacks, and local DJs
(art will be up all evening)

$5/$15 with calendar

Whippersnapper Gallery
587A College Street, Toronto, ON
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PANEL DISCUSSION - 6pm

A discussion on political prisoners, prisoner justice and prison abolition, featuring local organizers and statements from U.S. and Canadian prisoners
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CALENDAR LAUNCH

Certain Days 2009 Freedom for Political Prisoners Calendar

42 gorgeous full-colour pages of art & writings, featuring DRUM (Desis Rising Up and Moving), Philly's Pissed, Incite!, Sumoud, Alvaro Luna Hernandez, Inside Books Project, Laura Whitehorn, Robert Seth Hayes, David Gilbert, Herman Bell, Peter Collins, The Cuban Five, Victory Gardens, Common Ground, Native Youth Movement and more!

The calendar is a joint fundraising and educational project between organizers in Montreal and Toronto, and three New York state Political Prisoners: Herman Bell, David Gilbert and Robert Seth Hayes.

http://www.certaindays.org
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BOOK LAUNCH

Let Freedom Ring: A Collection of Documents from the Movements to Free U.S. Political Prisoners / Edited by Matt Meyer

Let Freedom Ring presents a two-decade sweep of essays, analyses, histories, interviews, resolutions, People's Tribunal verdicts, and poems by and about the scores of U.S. political prisoners and the campaigns to safeguard their rights and secure their freedom.

www.kersplebedeb.com/letfreedomring.html
_______________________________________________
ART SHOW

"Voices from Outside: Artists Against the Prison Industrial Complex"

In connection with the historic Critical Resistance 10th anniversary conference Just Seeds Artists Cooperative has produced a print portfolio project that they are donating to prisoner justice organizations across North America. The portfolio consists of 20 prints, each by a different artist, that all either critique the prison-industrial complex or address alternatives to incarceration. One copy of the portfolio is currently touring Canada. It will be exhibited at le Cagibi from November 10 to the 16 inclusive.

www.justseeds.org/blog/2008/10/justseeds_prison_portfolio_pro.html

* Calendar
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