Thank you all for marking TEN years of grassroots anti-colonial migrant justice organizing with us. Our anniversary was a moving and powerful and memorable event and none one of this would be possible or sustainable without our broader movements and communities. With deepest gratitude to all of you for your support, encouragement, participation, leadership and feedback over the past decade. We look forward to rising together in more years of struggle and liberation as we strive for the right to remain, the freedom to move, and the right to return.

Photos from NOII’s ten year anniversary:

Flickr set:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nooneisillegal/sets/72157638827007444/

Facebook album:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.478248832292165.1073741831.153945524722499&type=1

Photos courtesy: Caelie Frampton, Sid Tan, Gurpreet Singh, Charlotte Kates, Ancestral Pride, Audrey Siegl and Magin Payet Scudalleri.

Happy Birthday NOII! A short video with anniversary greetings and solidarity messages from Melina Laboucan-Massimo, DTES Power of Women Group, Neelam Khare, Abi Ghimire, Reem Alnuweiri, Adriana Paz, Christina Panis, Paul Finch, Agnes K, Fatima Jaffer, Glen Coulthard, Tamineh Sadeghi, and Sid Chow Tan.

Please share this Youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FQAkK5SjmE

And a message from Jose Figueroa, El Salvadorean refugee in sanctuary

.. And finally, a poem from political refugee and Indigenous leader from Oaxaca Raul Gatica

Oh Canada
To all my brothers and sisters of NOII

I am a cleaner of toilets and hanging roofer.
Under the table painter.
Servant without rights.

A number on endless lists
compiled by NGO’s and governments;
ephemeral confidential information
in the records of the doctor,
lawyer,
translator and philanthropist:
reason for their vacations and status.

Pity was my welcome to the first world.
With distaste it verified my passport,
my face recorded in a case file,
and a different name stamped on my forehead:
Latino,
nigger,
Muslim,
terrorist,
…refugee;
imprinted next to other names given to us before:
Indian,
social delinquent,
anarchist,
illegal,
poor devil.

This laws from this kingdom,
prohibits but doesn’t prevent contempts.

Oh Canadá
Para mis hermanos y hermanas de Nadie es Ilegal

Soy friega retretes y colgado cambia techos.
Pintor bajo la mesa.
Súbdito sin derechos.
Cifra en incontables listas
de ONG’s y gobiernos.
Información confidencial prescindible
del médico,
licenciado,
traductor y filántropo:
razón de sus vacaciones y estatus.

Lastima fue mi bienvenida al primer mundo.
Ella revisó con asco el pasaporte,
folió mi cara,
e instaló otro nombre en mi frente:
Latino,
negro,
musulmán,
terrorista,
…refugiado;
herrado junto a otros que nos dieron antes:
indio,
delincuente social,
anarquista,
ilegal,
pobre diablo.

Las leyes de este reino,
prohíben pero no impiden desprecios.