4
theconcordian
WORLD IN BRIEF BY DAVID EASEY OPINIONS EDITOR BY JESSICA ROMERA COPY EDITOR
Migrants being sent back to Turkey from Greece Over 200 migrants and refugees seeking asylum in Greece were deported to Turkey on Monday. These measures are being taken by Greek and European authorities to “stem the flow” of illegal immigrants arriving in Europe, according to the Huffington Post. According to The New York Times, a deal was made between Turkey and the EU on March 20. Those refugees who arrived in Greece after that date are to be deported. The EU has stated that for every Syrian refugee without proper documentation sent back to Turkey, they will accept someone who is registered as a refugee in Turkey.
Data leak reveals international corruption scandal Roughly 11 million documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca were leaked to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, revealing how the wealthy launder their money. Many implicated are current and former heads of states, according to BBC News. The Icelandic Prime Minister is already facing criticism and protests in Reykjavik, as documents revealed he transferred millions through the law firm under the auspices of his wife, according to The Guardian. Sergei Roldugin, a cellist and close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin was also named in the documents, revealing how he shifted billions of dollars. More information is slated to be released in the coming weeks as the documents are continuously analyzed.
Unilateral Ceasefire in the Caucasus Region A unilateral ceasefire has been announced between Azerbaijan and the separatist enclave Nagorno-Karabakh, according to CBC News. This comes after a bloody weekend which resulted in roughly 30 casualties on either side. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for peace while the Turkish President President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his support for the Azerbaijani military. This is the first conflict between the ethnic enclave and Azerbaijan since the war ended in 1994 with a ceasefire, with the CBC citing religious tensions as the cause of the complex conflict.
APRIL 5, 2016
PROTEST
Ending marginalization in Canada
BLM and Indigenous peoples stand together against years of oppression BY SAVANNA CRAIG ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
Leslie Anne St. Amour, an Indigenous McGill activist, read out names “They have been protesting in the of black men killed in rain, the cold and the snow. They Montreal: Anthony Griffin, have been attacked, chemicals have killed in 1987 running away been thrown on them, electricity from the police station has been taken away—and still after being arrested; Leslie they stand. I have never been Presley, killed in 1990— more proud to be black in Canada shot six times by three than this week. Our people are policemen in a downtown so beautiful and resilient, but we bar; and Marcelle Francois, are also enraged. We are tired, unarmed killed by the I’m tired. We shouldn’t have bullet of an M-16. “Shortly to organize this event to begin after, Montreal’s black with. We’re tired of globalized community found out that anti-blackness, we’re tired of police had been placing state sanctioned violence. We’re pictures of black people tired of this white supremacist overtop of their targets state called Canada. We’re tired for shooting practice,” of having our bodies attacked!” said St. Amour. Yasmin Abdulgadir Abd shouted “Institutional violence to the crowd as protesters cheered against black people The protest in Phillips Square brought together BLM and Indigenous rights activits. Photos by William Fox. back. Abd and fellow McGill University exists not just in Toronto, student Sumaya Ugas organized but all over Canada,” the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protest said Abd. bodies like the SPVM.” Alan Shepard to create a sustainlast Tuesday in solidarity with BLM Kyle McLoughlin, a Concordia Yahia participated in the BLM able and supportive community Toronto, where protesters have student in anthropology who attended gathering held last Tuesday. “The for Concordia’s Indigenous staff created a tent city outside Nathan the protest, said he is supporting the numbers speak for themselves— and faculty and to shape a better Phillips Square. Abd and Ugas wanted movement due to his frustration with there are more people of colour curriculum for Indigenous education. to show their solidarity for Toronto systemic racism, police brutality and in prison and that just shows the “The university will strive to protesters by holding a rally in the silence from media in regards to presence of racism in our society. ensure that Indigenous students, Norman Bethune Park on March 29. these issues. “A lot of these issues We are witnessing institutionalized staff, and faculty find their perAbd said the BLM tent city are receiving the media attention racism,” said Yahia. “The system itself ceptions and experiences valued in Toronto began in response to they are now because of public disadvantages people of colour.” in the classroom, on campus, and the verdict of an Ontario Special protest—demonstrating at large the In 2014, the SPVM reported their among their peers,” wrote organizer Investigations Unit investigation amount of people who are not only ethnic breakdown of permanent Olivia Gennarelli on petition host into the death of Andrew Loku, the expressing solidarity for black victims police officers to be 12 First Nations Change.org. 45-year-old man who was shot by of police brutality, but victims of officers, 134 ethnic minority officers, The Concordian asked Heather police in his apartment building in racism in general,” said McLoughlin. 250 visible minority officers and Igloliorte, assistant professor Toronto last July. Officials decided “Canada is not only this beautiful 2,795 other officers, which hasn’t of art history at Concordia and no charges would be laid and the multicultural country, we too often changed much compared to the an Inuk artist, for her opinion of name of the officer would not be hide behind this multicultural fabric 2005 rates of 12 First Nations, 220 the university’s current effort to released. and sweep under the rug things ethnic minority officers, 183 visible represent and offer education of “Andrew Loku was a black like anti-black violence, things like minority officers and 2,592 others. indigenous communities. “The south-Sudanese man, father of Islamophobia,” said Ugas. “There However, Ugas does not believe petition is justified, it’s great that five and a former refugee living [are] so many issues that margin- greater representation of minorities students are taking action on this,” with mental illness,” said Abd to alize ethnic communities that are would reduce racism and police said Igloliorte. the crowd. “He was saving up to not recognized.” brutality. “Some people feel that However, she feels the petition sponsor his wife and children to join “The lack of colour in the SPVM is if more [police] were represented overlooks the work being done in him in Canada. However, Loku was a clear sign of the power dynamics in the police force things would be the department in regards to history killed by an officer while holding a in Western society,” said Rami Yahia, better, but honestly the reality is that and research in the faculty of fine hammer,” said Abd. Clubs and Internal Affairs Coordinator a lot of discrimination is systemic arts, which is very focused around “They could have tasered for the newly-elected CSU slate ACT and the violence [is] as well,” she Indigenous studies. “If we are going him, they could have constrained Together. “The laws have been put in said. “So putting brown and black to be the Eastern Canada Centre him—instead they murdered him!” place by whites and these laws have faces behind the trigger doesn’t for Indigenous Studies [standard] she shouted. been enforced by whites through change much.” that Concordia wants to be, then “Indigenous communities face we need to have something that similar struggles including police attracts students and tells them brutality, incarceration and systemic that they are valued here—their racism,” St. Amour said. “Black and contributions are important and Indigenous communities in Canada worth investing in.” have suffered terrible injustices from Igloliorte said there is currently the colonial conquest which stole only one scholarship offered to our land, exploited our peoples, Indigenous students and that displaced us and degraded us to Concordia would benefit from nothing more than expendable introducing more scholarships bodies.” She said our society has available to First Nations students. been shaped around historical “This is a field that’s going to grow injustices—as colonialist thinking and we want to be in the front of is still present in Canada. it and not trying to catch up to it,” In efforts to generate greater said Igloliorte. awareness, many have used petitions The Concordian reached out and protests to push for a change in to Concordia to ask the amount of the way Canada’s society is shaped scholarships available to Indigenous by a history of colonialism and racism. students, however the university Recently, a petition was created could not respond before publiThe Montreal protest was in solidarity with protesers in Toronto. which calls on Concordia president cation time. Photos by William Fox.