Occupy evictions spur legal complaint to UN

[Spazito]

A group of Ontario lawyers has filed a complaint at the United Nations over the move by various Canadian cities to evict Occupy protesters.

In its submission to the UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Law Union of Ontario says the evictions are an affront to the rights to freedom of association and freedom of peaceful assembly.


"We think it's a worthwhile thing to do," said Howard Morton, a Toronto criminal lawyer and a member of the Law Union of Ontario.

snip

"In these municipalities, government officials seek to elevate the need to enforce municipal bylaws related to park use and maintenance above fundamental civil and political rights…. Municipal bylaw enforcement does not constitute legitimate justification for violations of the rights to freedom of expression, opinion, peaceful assembly and association in international human rights law."

more

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/11/18/occupy-canada-un-complaint.html

[intheflow]

1. We should get some of that going here in the States. n/t.

[EFerrari]

3. ACLU, NLG and CCR sound invigorated and at times, elated

like I've never seen them in my adulthood. We will. :toast:

[intheflow]

4. Yes, but I'd specifically like to see the UN involved.

They have better funding and operate outside the US so can act as an independent, unbiased third party. Sadly, the ACLU. NLG and CCR are seen as leftist political organizations by conservatives. If the UN jumped in, it could hardly be called a tool of the Democrats (or unions, or "professional left," etc.).

Still, always good to see our native groups gaining traction.

[Downwinder]

7. Could try for some OAS peacekeepers.

[EFerrari]

9. There is no human rights organzation that the right wing doesn't hate

and actively try to discredit, including the UN, when you think about it.

[meow2u3]

5. That's for damn sure

If the courts won't rule in favor of Constitutional and human rights, we just need to go over their heads. That's where the UN comes in.

[roguevalley]

2. attach a video of Obama scolding Egypt about the crackdown

on their protesters. Nothing like a little bit of hypocracy to prove a point.

[Earth_First]

6. What exactly will the UN do for #OWS?

Stand as observers in the streets?

That just gave me the fucking chills like I haven't felt in a loooooong time.

Not sure I'm 100% behind this...

[WillyT]

8. K & R !!!

:kick: