In Defense of Free Speech
Labour for Palestine - Canada condemns the U.S & Canadian governments’ recent outrageous attack on free speech and civil liberties. Both governments have designated Samidoun, a Palestinian prisoner solidarity network based in Canada, as a “Terrorist organization”. In an official press release, Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions claimed the move was in response to “violent extremism, acts of terrorism, or terrorist financing” but failed to provide any evidence of Samidoun’s involvement in those acts. There was no transparency about how this designation was made and no legal criterion has been provided that is consistent with both the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, or with criminal law.
Zionist organizations and the Canadian officials that made this decision have never been able to provide any proof to back up their claims. Samidoun has not been linked to any attacks, violence, or financial activity. It is clear that the terrorist designation is simply a politically motivated attack on Palestine solidarity.
The recent designation by both the Canadian and U.S governments is a major infringement on our Chartered rights and an attempt to violate freedom of speech for supporters of the Palestinian struggle for liberation. This new wave of McCarthyism has seen both governments and their apparatuses continuously antagonize, surveille, and demonize our communities and movements in the public.
As of now, both governments have successively failed to protect the Arab, Palestinian, and Muslim communities from hateful rhetoric and racism, which has led to a sharp increase in hate-crimes, profiling, discrimination, and criminalization amongst multiple other issues. We categorically reject this incursion by the government, and we deplore their inconsistency in applying any categorization towards zionist organizations that have incited hatred towards Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, or supporters of the liberation of Palestine.
Labour for Palestine echoes the findings of the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (ICLMG) which concluded that “the terrorist entities list is an arbitrary political tool that undermines freedom of association, freedom of expression and due process in the courts…The listing allows the government to circumvent criminal charges or trial, placing the burden on the listed entity to challenge the supporting information, much of which is kept secret for “security reasons.” Nor is there a coherent process in place to challenge such a listing. The result is an effective violation of due process and the presumption of innocence.”
Canada designating Samidoun a “terrorist entity” is the next step in state repression against Palestine solidarity. It’s clear that there will be greater surveillance, persecution, and criminalization against organizations and individuals that dare to speak out against Israel’s genocide.
Labour for Palestine – Canada stands wholeheartedly behind organizations and groups working to end the genocide against the Palestinian people and towards their full liberation from settler colonial occupation and apartheid. The usage of the terrorism listing of community organizations and solidarity groups is an outrageous attack on both Palestine solidarity and on the rights and freedoms of all Canadians. We remain steadfast in our defence of all those who protest and resist Israeli apartheid, settler-colonialism and Canadian complicity.