by Travis Lupick on Mar 14, 2013 at 6:38 pm. Georgia Straight

National Geographic Channel is filming a reality television about Canada Border Services Agency operations at YVR and around Vancouver. News that a reality television show’s camera crews were “embedded” with law enforcement teams that arrested immigrants working on Vancouver construction sites Wednesday (March 14) has sparked some public backlash. About 80 people gathered outside a Citizenship and Immigration office on Georgia Street today (March 14) to protest what happened, event organizers with No One Is Illegal (NOII) told the Georgia Straight.

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Rebekah Funk, Canadian Press | 13/03/15 | Last Updated: 13/03/15 9:50 AM ET

VANCOUVER — Tearful families and immigration activists have demanded an end to what they call “American-style tactics” by officers who patrol Canada’s borders and police immigration. Protesters gathered outside the glass doors of Vancouver’s federal immigration offices on Thursday, deploring a series of raids at construction job sites where border services agents rounded up immigrant workers who allegedly lacked proper work permits. They allege the Canada Border Services Agency brought in film crews to document surprise blitzes against the workers for a reality TV show, called Border Security.

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Sacred Water Declaration

We are Speaking on behalf of our Nation and future generations, our relations, all entities, land, water, animals and plants, when we declare that our Water and Salmon are Sacred.

As Secwepemc, we are collectively responsible to take care of our land and water, to uphold all of our responsibilities and follow our Natural Laws, as was passed down to us from Tqelt Kukpi7 and our ancestors.
Therefore, we will not, under any condition, compromise the health of our water and our future generations.

We unanimously agree that all mining is detrimental to the health of our Nations’ water.

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About 50 people occupy the Citizenship and Immigration buildings in Vancouver, Unceded Coast Salish Territories, seeking justice for refugee Hossein Blujani and demanding a public investigation in to the cause of his death.

The body of the 31-year-old Kurdish-Iranian refugee was found on December 1, 2012 on the railway tracks near Commercial Drive and Broadway in an apparent suicide. Blujani survived over 12 years of imprisonment, torture and forced labour in Iran and Iraq. When Blujani sought refuge in Canada he was faced with immediate detention and CBSA began to pursue unfounded allegations of him being a “security threat” and a member of a “terrorist” organization – an organization he was recruited into as a 15-year old and one which Canada itself has delisted. Blujani had appealed this decision and a Federal Court hearing was set for February 12th, 2013. However on February 8th, the Court dismissed the appeal due to his death.

No More Deaths, No More Deportations.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALL NEWS EDITORS

RALLY TO DEMAND INVESTIGATION INTO DEATH OF KURDISH REFUGEE HOSSEIN BLUJANI

WHAT: Rally to Demand Investigation into Death of Kurdish Refugee Hossein Blujani
WHEN: Tuesday February 12, 2013 at 9:30 am
WHERE: Federal Court, 701 West Georgia, corner Granville
WHO: Iranian Federation of Refugees, Lawyer Peter Edelmann, Kinbrace Housing Society, No One Is Illegal, and others

Monday February 11th, 2013, Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories – The Kurdish and Iranian communities as well as refugee advocates will be holding a memorial in remembrance of deceased Kurdish-Iranian refugee Hossein Blujani on Tuesday February 12 at 9:30 am at 701 West Georgia. The body of the 31-year-old was found on December 1, 2012 on the railway tracks near Commercial Drive and Broadway in an apparent suicide. The groups are demanding an investigation into this death and condemning Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) for enforcing racist and inhumane policies.

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