August: War Criminals Coming to Montebello, Quebec

• This August, Stephen Harper, George Bush and Felipe Calderon will be just 90 minutes from Montreal, in Montebello, Qc!
• Mobilize and Protest against George Bush, Stephen Harper and Felipe Calderon at the meeting of the "Security and Prosperity Partnership" (SPP)

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AUGUST 19-21, 2007
MONTEBELLO, QUEBEC
(Between Ottawa and Montreal)
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• A main Day of Action against the SPP will take place on MONDAY, August 20 at 3pm at the Chateau Montebello (or as close as possible to Montebello). We encourage everyone to mobilize to Montebello by 3PM on August 20.
  
  
• Montebello, Quebec is a tourist village between Ottawa and Montreal, on Highway 148, on the Ottawa River. ( To view a small map, click here: http://www.psp-spp.com/?q=fr/carte&size=_original ; or download a more detailed map of the region in .pdf format here: http://www.psp-spp.com/files/grande_carte_Montebello.pdf )

Actions will also take place from August 19-21. An "anti-capitalist camp" will be set up in the area, as early as August 8, for all protesters who want to be in the region early to help plan actions and raise awareness. More details forthcoming. Visit http://www.uncampement.net frequently for updates.

Protests are being organized against Bush, Harper, Calderon and the SPP by anti-capitalist social justice activists in Quebec and Ontario, under the framework of the People's Global Action (PGA) Network (http://www.agp.org).

Ottawa and Montreal -- on either side of Montebello on the Highway 148 will act as organizing hubs for protests, including local protests and actions.

::::: GET INFORMED. GET ORGANIZED. GET INVOLVED. :::::

For up-to-date information, subscribe to our announcements list by visiting: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/psp

Please phone or email for more info, or to get involved with organizing efforts (popular education, mobilization, logistics, transportation, fundraising and more!):

E-MAIL: info@psp-spp.com
WEB: http://www.psp-spp.com (visit frequently for updates)
TEL: 514-848-7583

TRANSPORTATION: Transportation is being organized from Montreal & Quebec City to Montebello for August 19&20. To offer transport, or to request transport, please contact TransportMontebello@gmail.com

PLANNING CONSULTA: A Consulta open to all delegates of groups who are interested in actively mobilizing against Bush, Harper, Calderon and the SPP -- will be held in MONTREAL on SATURDAY, JULY 21, from NOON-5pm (Location TBA).

We strongly encourage all groups to attend this Consulta (ie. preparation meeting), one month before the SPP, so that we can together finalize our plans to protest and disrupt the Bush visit.

Please confirm your attendance (or request housing, for out-of-town delegates) by e-mail at: bloquezlempiremontreal@resist.ca

::::: BACKGROUNDER :::::

This August, George Bush, Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon will be just 90 minutes from Montreal, in Montebello, Quebec. They are meeting at the Chateau Montebello, as part of the so-called "Security and Prosperity Partnership" (aka the "Three Amigos" Summit).

They talk about "security" and "prosperity", but their agenda really means insecurity and misery for working and oppressed peoples in the Americas.

In brief, the "Security and Prosperity Partnership" (SPP) combines the destructive neo-liberal policies of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with the fear and paranoia of post 9-11 "Homeland Security" policies. The SPP is firmly rooted within a colonial and capitalist framework.

The SPP is described by its proponents as a "NAFTA 2.0", and is promoted and supported by corporations and their lobby groups, like the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.

A group of 30 corporate executives from the NAFTA countries comprise the North American Competitiveness Council, which was set up "to fully incorporate the private sector into the SPP process" (to cite the SPP's own words). Moreover, because the SPP announces itself as a "dialogue based on shared values," it is secretive process, subject to no formal public scrutiny or open debate.

There is no mystery to the SPP agenda: murderous wars and occupations abroad; border militarization; increased detentions and deportations; attacks on indigenous peoples, the poor, migrants, and working people; ecological destruction; mega-projects in the service of corporate greed; and unfortunately, much more and worse.

The SPP reinforces the idea of "Fortress North America", whereby the rich and privileged live in gated communities and gentrified cities, protected by police and security, with easy movement for capital between borders; for the rest, there's border fences, detention centers, prisons, surveillance, and increased precarity.

This August, protests are being organized by anti-capitalist social justice activists in Ontario and Quebec, within the framework of the People's Global Action (PGA) Network. With organizing hubs in Ottawa and Montreal, on either end of Montebello on the Highway 148, we are preparing to resist the upcoming SPP meeting.

We are not going to lobby the SPP leaders or governments to be nicer. Justice and dignity is achieved through grassroots mobilizing and struggle, not the charity of rich philanthropists, rock-stars or politicians complicit in a destructive system.

When George Bush, Stephen Harper and Felipe Calderon try to meet at the Chateau Montebello, we are going to protest and try to disrupt their meeting. There will be activities from August 19-21, with a call for a convergence on Montebello (or as close as possible to Montebello) on 3pm on MONDAY, AUGUST 20. An anti-capitalist camp will be set up in the Montebello region in early August, as a convergence space for activists who want to gather early to plan popular and actions.

More info at: www.psp-spp.com

Our protests are rooted in our ongoing mobilizing efforts and day-to-day organizing: for indigenous sovereignty and self-determination in the Americas, for immigrant justice and free movement, against deportations and detentions, against war and imperialism, for workers justice, against poverty, for ecological and environmental justice, for the liberation of all political prisoners, in solidarity with social justice movements worldwide.

On January 1, 1994, the day that NAFTA took effect, the Zapatistas began an uprising in southern Mexico, declaring NAFTA a "death sentence" on indigenous peoples. With the SPP, the politicians, bureaucrats and corporations of North America have renewed their death-sentence on all of us.

The inspiration of the Zapatistas still resonates, 13 years later, as we make links between our struggles and issues, and unify to confront the SPP at Montebello, and beyond.

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E-MAIL: info@psp-spp.com
WEB: http://www.psp-spp.com (visit frequently for updates)
TEL: 514-848-7583