Report-back from the Emergency “Open the Borders!” Demonstration against Donald Trump and the Far-Right (January 28)

Jan 28 3Report-back from the Emergency “Open the Borders!” Demonstration against Donald Trump and the Far-Right 

(January 28, 2017)

Immediately on hearing about Donald Trump’s anti-migrant, anti-Muslim executive orders last week, Solidarity Across Borders and the Resist Trump Network called an emergency demonstration to denounce these measures, and to expose the hypocrisy of the Trudeau government.

Here are some of the necessary and straightforward demands articulated at the modest demonstration:
i) immediately open the Canadian-USA border to all migrants from the USA into Canada;
ii) immediately cancel the Safe 3rd Country Agreement with the USA;
iii) implement an ongoing, comprehensive and inclusive regularization program for the more than 500,000 undocumented people already living in Canada;
iv) declare Montreal a Solidarity/Sanctuary City, open to all migrants, with funding for access to services including health care, housing and education;
v) funding for a legal defense fund to support any and all who resist the border wall, and anti-migrant measures (all forms of resistance to racism, including physical removal of the border wall).

Selected News Articles:

– Montreal resistance to Trump’s policies ramps up: http://mediacoop.ca/story/montreal-resistance-trump%E2%80%99s-policies-ramps/36418
– Turning Up the Heat on Resisting Trump: http://theconcordian.com/2017/01/turning-up-the-heat-on-resisting-trump/
– Protesters call on Canada to counteract Trump policies: http://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/anti-trump-pipeline-protest-planned-for-saturday-in-montreal
– (Audio) Resist Trump and the Far-Right Network: https://soundcloud.com/radiockut/resist-trump-and-the-far-right-network-on-jan-28th-2017

The following pro-migrant posters were distributed at the demonstration:

www.facebook.com/JaggiMontreal/posts/10154119798496176

The following callout was shared with the Montreal-area community prior to the demonstration:

Donald Trump has announced, or is imminently planning, various executive measures that will attack refugees and migrants, increase violent and racist immigration enforcement, target sanctuary cities, and fund the extension of the Clinton-era wall at the US-Mexico border. His measures are racist, Islamophobic and violent. Earlier, Trump announced approval for the Keystone and the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), despite sustained resistance from Indigenous communities, particularly at Standing Rock, North Dakota.

This a moment to take to the streets, to denounce Trump’s actions, to show solidarity with communities under attack, and to articulate our radical alternatives, without compromise.

We will gather and march this Saturday in support of Open Borders, and for the regularization of all undocumented people. We declare: No One Is Illegal.

Solidarity Across Borders has campaigned for years to build, via our grassroots networks and communities, a Solidarity City in Montreal, inspired in part by sanctuary cities in the USA. Let’s defend and build the vision of cities and communities that are welcome and open to all seeking justice and dignity. Let’s build from Solidarity Cities into Rebel Cities. We need more defiance, disobedience and rebellion, in the streets and in our communities.

While we resist Trump’s wall extension, we should organize to support all those who will tear down the existing walls and fences. We should take direct action ourselves, to make the more than thousand-mile borders between Canada and the USA, and Mexico and the USA, effectively open to migrants.

While we defend open borders, and support efforts to disobey border imperialism and to support people migrating, we also demand the immediate cancellation by Canada of the “Safe third country agreement” with the USA. Trump’s recent measures make it clear that the USA is not a “safe third country” and migrants should be allowed to pass into Canada without impediment.

The actions of seemingly more “progressive” politicians needs to be denounced. The Trudeau government supports the Keystone Pipeline, and still refuses to regularize the close to 1 million undocumented migrants living on this side of the Canada-US border. Trump’s US-Mexico border wall is a continuation of sections of wall already built during the Clinton-era.

Let’s build our alternatives beyond the narrow scope of hypocritical politicians whose real allegiance is to the ruling class. Let’s root our resistance in support of Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination.

Initiated by Solidarity Across Borders and the Resist Trump & the Far Right Network

To stay in touch:
solidaritesansfrontieres@gmail.com
resisttrumpmontreal@gmai.com