Alison Bodine is a U.S. citizen who was until recently a student at the University of British Colombia in Vancouver, Canada. Alison is an activist in the very active Free the Cuban 5 Committee - Vancouver (see picture, right) and the Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC), as well as a co-chair, spokeperson, and executive committee member of the Vancouver antiwar coalition Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO), and an active member of other social justice organizations. She has participated in a Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba, and was involved in organizing the first events on the case of the Cuban Five on the UBC campus.
On Sept. 13, 2007, Alison was reentering Canada by car from the United States. Border officials searched her vehicle, found various political materials including Free the Cuban 5 materials, and refused her entry into Canada. She returned the next day without the materials and was allowed to enter Canada, but when a Canadian friend attempted to bring the same materials into Canada, they were seized by border guards. When Alison later returned to claim the materials, she was handcuffed and arrested!
A lengthy legal struggle, accompanied by a major public defense effort involving demonstrations of as many as 80 people, has ensued. You can read all about the case by reading the brochure (link below), watching an excellent video on the case (below), or visiting her website to get the latest updates. However, after informing yourself about the case, your action is needed, because time is critical! As of this moment, an "exclusion order" has been issued, ordering Alison to leave Canada by Nov. 17 and preventing her from returning for two years! All this for attempting to enter Canada with antiwar and Cuban Five literature!
Fax or email Minister for Citizenship & Immigration Diane Finley, demanding the CBSA lift the ban and stop the removal of Alison Bodine! Email Finley.D@parl.ca, or fax (613) 996-9749. A sample letter (in Word format) can be downloaded here.
Download, sign and circulate the petition now and fax them back. Get your organization to endorse the demand to lift the ban and stop the removal of Alison Bodine! Send support emails to defendalisonbodine@hotmail.com. Time is critical.
Download a brochure with more information about the case of Alison Bodine
Download and sign the petition protesting the charges against Alison Bodine
(Fax the signed petitions to: 604-322-1763)
