Niagara At Large is posting the following media release from representatives of the South Niagara Chapter of the Council of Canadians and CAPP Niagara (Canadians Advocating Political Participation) for a rally this coming Saturday, July 17 from 1 to 5 p.m. in Montebello Park in St. Catharines, Ontario. The rally is being held in support of a public inquiry on security operations at the recent G20 summit in Toronto.
St.Catharines – Residents and concerned citizens from across Niagara announced today that a rally will be held in St.Catharines on Saturday, July 17, calling for a full and impartial public inquiry into events at the G20 summit.
Police forces in streets of downtown Toronto during recent G20 summit.
The Niagara Day of Solidarity rally is being organized in conjunction with other rallies and public events that will be held across Canada during the week of July 11th – 17th by Council of Canadian members and Canadians Advocating Political Participation (CAPP), the group that organized massive rallies against the prorogation of Parliament last year. On July 17th, the National Day of Solidarity, rallies are expected in hundreds of cities across the country.
The G20 Summit was held in Toronto June 25th-27th and there are a number of issues around the event. In advance of the summit, the Ontario provincial government made a cabinet regulation to the Public Works Protection Act (PWPA) that granted addition powers to the police near the summit site, but was not made public in advance. During the summit, large numbers of protestors, most of whom were peaceful, were arrested by police officers. Many of those arrested were released without charge after being held for extended periods of time in questionable conditions.
At the Rally, speaker will share information about what happened. Rally organizers say that an impartial public inquiry is required to investigate the summit and determine what really happened and why.
Trevor Zaple, St.Catharines resident and father of a four-month old daughter, will be attending the rally to stand up for the type of Canada he wants his daughter to inherit. “One of the best things about Canada is the freedoms and civil liberties we enjoy; that is why thousands of people come to our country every year. I’m concerned if we allow those liberties to be eroded even a little then we are starting down a path that will result
Zaple, a writer and literary fan, added, “I never thought the world Margaret Atwood or George Orwell wrote about would become reality.”
The Niagara Day of Solidarity, taking place on July 17th between 1pm and 5pm, will include speeches by local politicians and activists, and a march, followed by music from local bands in Montebello Park.
Malcolm Allen, NDP MP for the riding of Welland, has been confirmed as a speaker. The NDP has called for a full public inquiry into the events at the G20 and has already started the process of requesting committee hearings in the House of Commons.
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For more information, or to arrange interviews, contact:
Mikki Caplan: 905-933-6244 or <mailto:MikkiZaplan@gmail.com> MikkiZaplan@gmail.com.
Or contact Fiona Mcfurran fmcmurran@cogeco.ca or 905 788-0756.
(Click on Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to our greater binational Niagara region.)
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