Montreal, 17 November -- After anti-war/anti-racist activists called for a disruption of Ambassador Cellucci's talk at the University of Quebec at Montreal (see below), the university announced that "for security reasons" the talk would be cancelled. Cellucci had been invited to UQAM to speak about Canada-US relations.

US is currently asking Canada to provide more support to the occupation of Afghanistan, as well as step up its role in Iraq. US pressure on such issues as missile "defense", anti-immigrant measures on our common border, and "security" measures in Canada also continue to test the ability of Canada to maintain its desparately hypocritical face as a purveyor of peace, freedom and human rights.

Cellucci represents a regime whose ambitions to political and economic domination are expressed ruthlessly, but have the merit, at least, of being openly acknowledged. His legitimacy, especially after the concerns raised about election fraud in the US, should not be recognised. The only place Cellucci should be allowed to speak is before a tribunal, trying him for complicity with crimes against humanity.

The cancellation is a minor victory, and a little indication of what can be done - especially around the coming visit of Bush to Ottawa (30 November-1 December).

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as a warm-up for stopping Bush from entering Canada ...

STOP PAUL CELLUCCI from SPEAKING IN MONTREAL!

The US Ambassador Paul Cellucci will be in Montreal on WEDNESDAY to speak at UQAM about US-Canada relations. Cellucci represents a regime carrying out unspeakable atrocities in its unbridled pursuit of economic and political domination. He should not be given any platform to promote his politics of economic greed, racism, and state violence.

+++Bring your placards, banners, posters, slogans to PICKET outside the room from 1:00pm.

+++Prepare your questions to create a CONTINUOUS INTERRUPTION of his attempts to talk (dress pretty to get in!). There is no shortage of topics for questions:
-> It seems that 100,000 Iraqis have been killed in your liberation project - is the price still worth it?
-> Is missile defense about protecting people or protecting the empire?
-> Would you agree that preventive detention is a fascist measure?
-> How do you justify the racial profiling that takes place on your borders?
-> How do you define terrorism?
-> How do you reconcile democracy with election fraud?
-> Are you in favour of the economic reforms that are taking place in Quebec under the Charest government?
-> Are the rumours of chemical weapons being used in Fallujah true? (How do you sleep at nights?)
-> Why did you invade Iraq?
-> Would you characterise the situation in Afghanistan as better than before you bombed the hell out of it?
-> Why is the current ex-CIA operative leading Iraq better than the last one?
-> If Canada pulled out of missile defense, what would you do to us?
-> Speaking of US-Canada relations, how many CIA agents do you have in the Canadian government?
-> What is the basis of your own legitimacy, realistically speaking?
-> Is it true that Canada contributed more to the invasion of Iraq than most so-called coalition members?
-> In your assessment, what kind of responsibility do the US and Canada have for the war crimes being committed by Israel?
-> What steps did the US take to ensure that Paul Martin assumed power in Canada?
-> How many people are locked up in the US under preventive detentions?
-> What is your personal position on torture?
-> What international laws would you say apply to the prisons in Guantanamo Bay?
-> What is your theory of why the media still print the words of our leaders, given their numerous and enormous lies?

And these are just some obvious questions - come and ask your own!