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Brit MP George Galloway: Should he be allowed into Canada?
- April 28, 2010 10:06 AM |
- By POV
British MP George Galloway smiles as he arrives with the international aid convoy 'Lifeline-3 for Gaza' in Amman, Jordan, Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009. Galloway will have to wait until Wednesday to try to have his ban from visiting Canada overturned in Federal Court. (Nader Daoud/Associated Press)
When Galloway was denied entry to the country in early 2009, the federal government said it was because of his support of Palestinian militant group Hamas. But the MP and his supporters believe he was barred because the Conservatives didn't want him to deliver an anti-war message.
Leading up to the scheduled court hearing, supporters on both sides of the dispute gathered in front of the courthouse in downtown Toronto. Anti-war demonstrators and freedom-of-speech advocates were protesting on the north side of Queen Street West on Monday morning, while representatives of the Jewish Defence League protested on the south side.
His lawyer will cite emails from within the office of Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, claiming they show it was Kenney, and not the Canada Border Services Agency, who wanted him kept out.
"It's quite clear from the leaked documents that this was a highly politicized intervention, abusing the immigration laws to silence a political critic," Galloway told CBC News.
Read more:
Brit MP George Galloway: What do you think about this situation? Should the ban on Galloway visiting Canada be lifted? Comment or take our poll.
(This poll is not scientific. It is based on readers' votes.)
Lawyers for controversial British MP George Galloway will appear in a Federal Court on Wednesday in a bid to overturn a ban that prevents him from visiting Canada.
When Galloway was denied entry to the country in early 2009, the federal government said it was because of his support of Palestinian militant group Hamas. But the MP and his supporters believe he was barred because the Conservatives didn't want him to deliver an anti-war message.
Leading up to the scheduled court hearing, supporters on both sides of the dispute gathered in front of the courthouse in downtown Toronto. Anti-war demonstrators and freedom-of-speech advocates were protesting on the north side of Queen Street West on Monday morning, while representatives of the Jewish Defence League protested on the south side.
His lawyer will cite emails from within the office of Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, claiming they show it was Kenney, and not the Canada Border Services Agency, who wanted him kept out.
"It's quite clear from the leaked documents that this was a highly politicized intervention, abusing the immigration laws to silence a political critic," Galloway told CBC News.
Read more:
Brit MP George Galloway: What do you think about this situation? Should the ban on Galloway visiting Canada be lifted? Comment or take our poll.
(This poll is not scientific. It is based on readers' votes.)
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