US peace activist barred again from entering Canada

Posted October 30, 2007 in [Security]

Thursday, October 25, 2007, The Associated Press, OTTAWA - A U.S. peace activist who has been barred from Canada after past arrests for anti-war activities put her on an FBI crime database was denied entry again Thursday, despite having an invitation from several members of Parliament.

Retired U.S. Army Col. Ann Wright was to speak at an anti-war news conference at the invitation of the left-leaning Parliament members, who sent a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper last week advising him that they had invited Wright and another activist.

But while other passengers passed through Customs at Ottawa's airport, Wright was held back and told to return to the U.S.

Wright called the database listing "political intimidation." She said six of her convictions for protesting are listed in the FBI crime database.

"If you get arrested just for protesting policies, Canada will exclude you," Wright said. "They said it was their purpose to enforce the law and if you are convicted of a misdemeanor it doesn't matter. They said if the FBI has it on their database they accept it."

Wright said she is now been banned from Canada for a year because she knowingly failed to bring proper documentation that might have allowed her into Canada despite the convictions.

"I failed to produce proper documentation, which is the court documents about these convictions and a temporary resident permit from a Canadian embassy. They said by my failure to bring those with me I was purposefully flouting the Canadian law," Wright said.

On an attempted visit to Canada in August, Wright and and fellow activist Medea Benjamin learned that their names were in an FBI-maintained database meant to track fugitives, potential terrorists, missing persons and violent felons. They were told they would have to apply for "criminal rehabilitation" and pay $200 (€139) if they ever wanted to visit again.

The women walked into Canada at Niagara Falls on Oct. 3 to test whether they really would be denied entry and were turned back.

They say they should not be in the database and said the FBI has not explained why they are in it, though they suspect it is because they have been arrested at peaceful protests against the war in Iraq.

"This is being applied in an arbitrary manner, particularly now that we find out the FBI is putting that type of offense on a database, which to me is political intimidation," Wright said.

Benjamin was arrested and jailed Wednesday during a protest in Washington.

On Tuesday, the activists and their supporters presented petitions at Canadian consulates in several U.S. cities, demanding that Canada reverse what they say is a policy that keeps opponents of the Iraq war from visiting.

"All travelers that arrive in Canada must satisfy the border services officer that they meet the requirements for entry into Canada," said Chris Williams, a spokesman with the Canada Border Services Agency. "Several factors are used to determine admissibility. They include involvement in criminal activity, human rights violations, organized crime, security, health reasons and financials reasons."

Williams said he could not comment on individual cases but said any criminal conviction is used to determine admissibility.

Member of Parliament Alexa McDonough, who had invited the women to Canada, scoffed at the notion Canada needs protection from peaceful anti-war protesters.

"I've heard from a great many Canadians how distressed they are that this is another worrisome example of the increasing integration of Canada and U.S. policies," McDonough said.

Former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau declared his homeland "a refuge from militarism" during the Vietnam War and allowed 30,000 to 50,000 American draft resisters to settle there. But the Canadian government has denied political asylum to U.S. soldiers who sought it after deserting from duty in Iraq.

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Associated Press Writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.