Another Successful Rally to Support Political Prisoner Dr. James Sears
TORONTO, September 23, 2021. Today supporters of the Canadian Association for Free Expression held its fourth protest outside the Toronto South Detention Centre in support of political prisoner Dr. James Sears. The Times They Are A-Changin’ We were joined by John McCash “John the Evangelist” who is a regular at the END THE LOCKDOWN rallies every Saturday at Queen’s Park. He brings religious fervour and a loud voice. One of his witty chants at Queen’s Park is: “We follow the Lord, not Doug Ford”. Four prison guards, masked of course, approach to tell us to keep off the prison lawn (we were on the sidewalks). Actually, as the prison is paid for by the taxpayers of Ontario and, as we are taxpayers, the property is really ours. John gave the bossy guards no quarter and berated them for being masked outdoors.
As of today, Dr. Sears has been in jail for over three months. HOWEVER, we may have some good news shortly. We must keep up the pressure and our public witness
* In January, 2019, Dr. Sears, Editor, and Leroy St. Germaine, Publisher of the satirical tabloid YOUR WARD NEWS were convicted on two counts of “wilfully promoting hate” against privileged groups (Jews & Women) in contravention of Canada’s notorious “hate law” – Sec. 319 of the Criminal Code. Each was sentenced to the maximum — unprecedented for a first time offender — of a year in jail. As Leroy is of Metis heritage, he was allowed to serve his sentence at home,
* In November, 2020, under protest, Dr. Sears and Leroy St. Germaine argued their appeal by Zoom.
* On June 14, the appeal was denied and the sentences upheld. Dr. Sears was immediately ordered to prison and denied even a few hours to say goodbye to his wife and young son.
* Dr. Sears’ Application for Leave to Appeal his conviction and sentence was turned down by an Ontario judge on July 16, but Dr. Sears was NOT informed and had to learn of the decision from a friend on the outside on July 29!
* Dr. Sears is virtually incommunicado. He has contacted his wife or supporters only eight six in three weeks and then only for extremely brief conversations!.
* Many people across Canada and the world have sent Dr. Sears postcards and letters of support. After six weeks behind bars, as of July 29, he had received NONE of these letters. Maybe the COVID ate them. Finally, because of our protests, as of August 3, Dr. Sears was finally receiving his mail. Those letters are so important. Thus far, he has received letters from Australia, Italy, Britain. Romania, the United States and, of course, from across the Dominion of Canada.
* Dr, Sears complained to the prison authorities of sciatic pain but was breezily told there was only one physiotherapist to deal with the large prison population!
* On August 14, I had a brief conversation on the phone with Dr. Sears. He is really grateful for your letters and support. He is encouraged and delighted by our protests. He is a “celebrity” in prison and rightly so.
* On August 10 and August 23 I dropped some money off at the prison for Dr. Sears’ canteen and shall leave some more later this week. I welcome your contributions. Also, a donor generously sent him a substantial money order,
* Amnesty International defines a “prisoner of conscience” or political prisoner as a person punished solely for the non-violent expression of their political, religious or cultural views. Both Dr. James Sears and Leroy St. Germaine are political prisoners — jailed because they criticized politically powerful minority groups. Free speech activist Raychyl Whyte has been lobbying Amnesty to adopt Dr. Sears as a “prisoner of conscience”
* A lasting disgrace is that only one mainstream media writer has criticized this attack on freedom of the press, which they regularly condemn if it occurs in Hong Kong or the Philippines.
* As a measure of how deranged the Ontario Justice system is the day before, Umaar Zameer, a fellow inmate at the South Toronto Detention Centre was granted bail. He’s charged with first degree murder allegedly having deliberately run over Const. Jeffrey Northrup in Toronto’s City Hall parking lot, July 2. Const. Northrup was investigating a robbery and stabbing. Typical of our secretive court system, the presiding judge placed details of the bail hearing under a publication ban. On the other hand, political prisoner Dr. James Sears was denied bail, June 14, to pursue his appeal. Clearly. satirizing privileged groups is taken more seriously by the judicial system than allegedly killing a police officer in the line of duty. “Zameer’s lawyer, Nader Hasan, told Global News in a statement on Wednesday that ‘Mr. Zameer’s family is very pleased with the outcome of today’s hearing. They welcome him home.”‘(Global News, September 22, 2021) Dr. Sears’ wife and young son would also be happy to welcome him home!
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FREE POLITICAL PRISONER, DR. JAMES SEARS
PLEASE SEND POSTCARDS OR LETTERS OF SUPPORT TO ONE OF OUR MEN BEHIND THE WIRE.
Dr. James Sears, Political Prisoner,
Toronto South Detention Center,
160 Horner Ave,
Toronto, ON
M8Z 0C2
CANADA
_______________________CAFE (The Canadian Association for Free Expression)P.O. Box 332,Rexdale, ON.,M9W 5L3
416-428-5308
HTTP://cafe.nfshost.com
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