[A template letter of support for Alison Bodine can be downloaded here]

The Alison Bodine Defense Committee is appealing to all progressive
groups and organizations who fight for a better world to support the
campaign to defend Alison Bodine, a US citizen who is being targeted
by Canadian Border Services Agency for being an anti-war and social
justice activist.

Originally from Broomfield, Colorado, Alison is a central organizer
with Vancouver, Canada antiwar coalition Mobilization Against War &
Occupation (MAWO), for three years was the president of the University
of British Columbia's Coalition Against War on the People of Iraq and
Internationally (CAWOPI), a long-time executive committee member of
the UBC Social Justice Center, is a prominent activist in solidarity
with Cuba and the Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba, and a supporter
of immigrant and refugee rights in Canada and the US.

Near midnight on Thursday September 13, 2007, Alison was arrested by
the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) when she attempted to legally
cross the border at Peace Arch border crossing, travelling from Canada
into the United States. Three days prior, Alison was harassed by CBSA
officials while traveling from the US into Canada. The ordeal began
after border officials searched her vehicle and identified her as a
political organizer after they found various political materials and
progressive newspapers in her car.

As an international student at the University of British Columbia who
recently graduated with a Bachelor of Physics in June 2007, Alison has
traveled between the US and Canada on dozens of occasions, and had
never been denied entrance to Canada or asked to return to the US.

As she was returning to the US on Thursday September 13th, Alison
returned to claim items confiscated earlier by the CBSA. Upon
presenting her receipt to claim her materials, she was handcuffed and
told she was under arrest, and that a warrant for her arrest had been
issued across Canada. She was then taken into detention. This unjust
and illegal imprisonment was met with a huge protest and organizing
drive by the newly-formed Committee to Free Alison Bodine. Friday
afternoon, on only 5 hours notice, 80 people came together at the
Citizenship and Immigration Canada Offices in Vancouver, demanding the
immediate release of Alison Bodine. Media was also quick to pick up
this important case, which was covered locally and nationally by
newspapers, TV and radio.

Following all of this, Alison's status took a major turn. Officials
constantly reminded her all day that there was no way she would be
released from detention before Monday. However, at 8:00pm on Friday,
Alison was given notice by immigration officials that she would be
released from custody immediately until her Admissibility Hearing on
Monday Sept 17th – a major victory in the campaign for her freedom.
However Alison's ordeal is not yet over. In the early afternoon of
September 17th, Alison learned from a CBC reporter that the CBSA had
cancelled her Admissibility Hearing scheduled for 2pm that day. Alison
herself was never officially notified by CBSA.

At 1:30pm Monday September 17th, more than 50 supporters rallied
outside the downtown Citizenship & Immigration Canada offices,
especially because of the cancelled hearing, to demand that all
charges against Alison be dropped immediately. The CBSA postponement
of Alison's hearing is a maneuver to delay because they know they
won't be able to prove the charges they have made up so far. It also
shows they have decided to escalate this case to a more political
level by finding some different charges to bring because they know
right now their case cannot win in a hearing.

Being without status in Canada, Alison's situation is always
uncertain, and she can still be arrested at any time. All progressive,
humanity loving people must unite around this case. We must understand
that this is not just an attack on Alison, this is an attack on all of
us. This is an attack on the basic democratic and human rights of all
people, especially social justice activists, immigrants, refugees and
all non-status people and non-residents in Canada. The illegal and
unjust arrest and detention of Alison Bodine means the Government of
Canada and its agencies want to continue and escalate the silencing of
free speech and political expression and continue their terrorizing of
people who oppose their policies at home and abroad and the new era of
war and occupation. They are also testing and evaluating our response
to defend ourselves against their attacks against us. The degree,
seriousness, effectiveness and consistency of our defence impact their
decision on how to further their repressive measures.

For this reason, we are appealing to you to join us in this struggle
by endorsing this emergency campaign and by writing a letter of
support demanding that the CBSA drop all charges against Alison.
Please send this appeal to your email lists and friends. We must show
the Government of Canada and their agency, the CBSA, that they cannot
get away with trying to intimidate activists. We have attached a
template support letter, as an example. Letters of support should be
sent to: defendalisonbodine@hotmail.com

The CBSA might think that by delaying the Admissibility hearing this
campaign will lose steam and the pressure against them will lessen. On
the contrary, this campaign is only just beginning. People all across
Canada and the world know about this case of political harassment and
this will only gain momentum from here. This is a political case;
Alison has done nothing wrong or illegal. Alison, along with
supporters in Vancouver and across the country will keep up the demand
that the CBSA must drop all charges against her and restore her full
rights to travel between the US and Canada. For now, they have
re-scheduled her Admissibility hearing for Friday, September 28th at
9am. In the time between now and then we will not back down, we will
not slow down and we will continue fighting!

Our fight is not over. Your support is essential to get all charges
against Alison dropped!

WE WILL WIN!

-----------------------
Alison Bodine Defense Committee (ABDC)

*Contact by phone:
Shannon Bundock 778.891.1470
Tamara Hansen 778.882.5223
Aaron Mercredi 604.339.7103
Andrew Barry 604.780.4029

*Blog, Daily Updates & Action Info: http://alisonbodine.blogspot.com
*Email: defendalisonbodine@hotmail.com