September 1, 2010

August in Review, Part II

Israeli shipping slowed, Enbridge evicted, G-20 defendants appear in court

by Dominion Staff

The Dominion - http://www.dominionpaper.ca

Activists slowed the flow of traffic at Deltaport in Vancouver as a Zim cargo ship was unloading. Zim is an Israeli shipping company, targeted as part of the boycott, divest and sanctions (BDS) campaign. Photo: Murray Bush - Flux Photo

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Vancouverites picketed the arrival of an Isreali ship to Deltaport, aiming to inform workers about the Boycott Divest and Sanctions campaign, and slow the flow of goods out of the port.

The Canadian Union of Postal workers expressed their support for a Canadian boat to Gaza. The union suggested that people who want to send letters or packages to Gaza send them on the boat, since Canada Post is no longer accepting mail bound for Gaza.

As the Karzai government in Afghanistan pledged to kick out approximately 40,000 private security contractors in the country, Montreal based GardaWorld Security Corp has indicated it plans to stay. “This might sound a little too bold but we don’t intend to leave," said Pete Dordal, Garda’s senior vice-president of international operations.

The New York Times reported that a Karzai administrator embroiled in a corruption case has been on CIA payroll.

Seventy two bodies were found on a ranch near the Mexico-U.S. border. The bodies were not buried, and it is suspected all of the dead were Mexican or Central American migrant labourers. It is believed they were murdered by drug traffickers who also participate in human trafficking.

Venezuela and Colombia restored diplomatic relations and restarted trade relations. Venezuela cut ties with Colombia on July 22, after outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe accused Chavez of sheltering FARC guerrillas.

Four tonnes of cocaine were discovered in Venezuela, en route for Mexico. Venezuelan officials say anti-drug efforts have improved since bilateral relations with the U.S. ended in 2005.

Documents revealed that US mercenary company Blackwater (now Xe) provided training unauthorized by the US State Department in Colombia in 2005.

Another journalist was assassinated in Honduras, bringing the total number of journalists killed there since the 2009 coup d'etat to 10.

Dozens of activists and scholars sent an open letter to the government of France, urging them to pay reparations for the 90 million francs Haiti paid their former occupiers in order to secure their independence.

Thirty-three Chilean miners who have been trapped underground for weeks will not be rescued for at least another three months. Small tunnels have been bored to allow rescue teams to send supplies and food down to the trapped workers.

More than 20 Mapuche political prisoners in Chile continued their hunger strike, which began on July 12. Strikers say their actions are motivated by the targeting of their people by the pro-business Chilean government. A solidarity action took place in Toronto and another is planned in Vancouver.

Members of the Wet’suwet’en nation and their allies protest outside a Smithers town council meeting where Enbridge representatives were in attendance. Photo: Hereditary Chiefs of the Likhts’amisyu Clan

The Hereditary Chiefs of the Likhts’amisyu Clan issued a press release stating they had given Enbridge a "final trespass notice." Enbridge is planning to build a series of pipelines from the tar sands to the BC coast, though unsurrendered Indigenous lands. “We cannot be clearer about our position, there will NO PIPELINES like Enbridge, the KSL Looping Project, Kinder Morgan, or Pembina pipelines going through our territories!" stated Toghestiy, a hereditary chief of the Likhts'amisyu Clan of the Wet’suwet’en nation, at a meeting with Enbridge representatives in Smithers, BC.

Enbridge was fined for a 2007 spill, in which two people were killed in Minnesota.

Scientists found a huge plume of oil 500 metres thick, 35 km long and 2 km wide resting just above the surface of the ocean floor where the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded, contradicting the White House claim that most of the oil has dispersed.

Mining giant Vale is appealing an Ontario court's decision that the company must pay $36 million to residents of Port Colborne for contaminating and devaluing their properties. The case is expected to be heard in April 2011.

High levels of toxins in Alberta's Athabaska River are linked to tar sands development, a new study from the University of Alberta revealed. The study contradicts the findings of an industry-provincial government study, which said the toxins are naturally occurring. The report also states the current government monitoring systems are seriously flawed and will lead to further health ricks if not fixed.

Roger Clement, one of three men accused of arson at an RBC branch in the Glebe neighborhood of Ottawa, was again denied bail. The other two accused have both been granted bail.

Hundreds of people charged during the G-20 in Toronto appeared before the courts in Toronto. “As expected many people’s charges were either dropped or they were asked to pay money and have them forgotten without any evidence presented” said Jessica Denyer, who was at the court with the accused.

Stephen Harper said he would consider changing Canadian law to give authorities greater power to curb human smuggling, but wouldn't give details of what laws he was talking about. Thousands of people took to the streets in support of the 492 Tamil refugees who arrived aboard the MV Sun Sea in demonstrations and events from Victoria to Halifax.

Researchers released a report that linked ALS (Lou Gherig's disease) to brain trauma, such as that sustained by soldiers and athletes.

Canadian ombudsman for veterans Pat Stogran said the Harper government has been "deliberately obstructive and deceptive" in addressing support for mentally and physically disabled veterans. The ombudsman will not be reappointed to his post.

Toronto police shot and killed a man who suffers from mental illness after his family called 911 for help in getting the man medical help. Relatives said he was not violent when they last saw him. The man was shot after he ran off a bus when it was stopped by police. A knife was found at the scene, but it is unclear whether it belonged to the man, and one officer is being investigated in the death.

The nuclear reactor in Chalk River, ON, is back up and running, producing medical isotopes. The reactor previously was capable of providing one-third of the world's medical isotopes, but was shut down for 15 months because of a heavy water leak.

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