Attention News Editors – For Immediate Release
MIGRANT JUSTICE GROUPS HOLDS ANNUAL ‘STATUS FOR ALL MARCH’ TO DENOUNCE REPRESSIVE IMMIGRATION POLICIES IN THE STREETS OF PARC EXTENSION & VILLERAY
Media Convened to Pre-March Press Point
When: Saturday May 26th, 12:30PM
Where: Departure point for ‘Status for All’ March – corner of Boyer and Jean-Talon (metro Jean-Talon)
Who: Paola Ortiz, Noé Ricardo Arteaga Santos, and representatives of No One Is Illegal, Dignidad Migrante, Mexicans United for Regularization, Immigrant Workers’ Centre, JOC-Montreal, and Solidarity Across Borders
In a climate of ongoing attacks on immigrant and refugee rights, various migrant justice groups are calling a press point ahead of the annual ‘Status for All’ March taking place on Saturday May 26th.
« The purpose of this march is to make space in the media and public discourse for a more real, deeper analysis of immigrant issues says Rosalind Wong, member of Solidarity Across Borders and one of the march’s organizers. « We’re bringing light to positive solutions that are being built every day from the ground up in our communities. We reject the fear and division that the government is trying to create in order to promote its own discriminatory and exploitative agenda».
The march will highlight different realities being faced by refugees and asylum seekers, by temporary foreign workers and by people without status in Canada. Representatives from No One is Illegal, Dignidad Migrante, Mexicans United for Regularization, Immigrant Workers Centre, JOC-Montreal and Solidarity Across Borders will speak to the march’s main political demands: an end to deportations and detentions, the abolition of double punishment, and a full program of regularization for all residents of Quebec and Canada. Speakers will also highlight access to housing, health, and education, as part of a larger ‘Solidarity City’ campaign which aims at building networks of solidarity and support and a movement that works toward making Montreal a liveable place for everyone, regardless of immigration status.
As happens every year, the organizers of the Status for All march encourage participants to wear masks in solidarity with thousands of people who live without status in Montreal, who cannot march with us tomorrow, and whose survival depend on remaining invisible and on the margins of society. Migrant justice groups maintain this important tradition knowing full well that in doing so we are in defiance of recently passed municipal bylaws and Law 78. We consider these measures to be unconstitutional and illegitimate. We maintain the right to protest freely and spontaneously, and will not be sharing the route of our march with the police. The family-friendly march will wind its way from Jean-Talon metro to ParcExtension, ending with a picnic.
« When I was alone, Immigration did what they wanted with me. When I was surrounded by people, I was protected. This is why I want to fight for the rights of other people just like me, » says Paola Ortiz, a Mexican mother who after 7 months of separation from her children after being deported, was finally accorded permanent residency and allowed to return after her story received massive media coverage and popular support. She will be speaking at the press conference along with other people directly affected by these struggles.
For a video promoting the march: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
For more information, contact: Status for All
438-933-7654
solidaritesansfrontieres@