Vancouver Islander Released by Israeli Defence Forces

Last Updated (Wednesday, 30 June 2010 14:20) Written by Administrator Wednesday, 02 June 2010 19:23

Victoria resident KEVIN NEISH IS FREE from custody of the IDF. He was deported back to Istanbul late Wednesday night with nothing but his passport and the cloths on his back. Authorities seized all other possessions including cell phone, identification, credit cards and all of his cash. Neish was part of an international peace effort called Free Gaza, which had sent a flotilla of several vessels carrying over 700 activists to Gaza on a mission of peace and humanitarian aid. On May 30th the convoy was intercepted in international waters and boarded by masked gunmen from the IDF. The Free Gaza convoy had kept in communication with Israel for the duration of the trip and had stated explicitly that the flotilla was on a humanitarian mission, was unarmed, and comprised of civilians.

Eye witnesses and video reports show gunmen repelling from helicopters onto a passengers ship, deploying stun grenades and beating passengers on deck. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was visiting Canada at the time, claims that the soldiers were merely defending themselves in the raid that saw 10 civilians killed.

 A spokesman for Forign Affars in Ottawa has said that the have Kevin on file and that he is "OK" and would most likely be deported back to Canada in the next 72 hours, but refused to give any more information beyond that. Indymedia will keep you up to date on this story as it develops.

University Shuts Down Food Gardens

Last Updated (Wednesday, 02 June 2010 23:24) Written by Food Not Lawns Thursday, 25 March 2010 03:47

One day after a collective of students occupied a piece of the lawn at The University of Victoria it was taken back by the campus administration with the assistance of the Saanich Police. One student was arrested and released with a charge of "assault by trespass". Students had taken the land and built food producing gardens in an act of frustration after fifteen years of talks with the university had yielded nothing with regards to urban agriculture on campus.  University student Joyce Lyell says "after fifteen years of having UVic administration turn down every one of our campus agriculture and garden proposals, we took action on our own. With the bulldozing of our gardens, it is now more obvious than ever that UVic values lawns over sustainable food, and values control of students over student choice and ingenuity”.

Victoria Indymedia made this report on the day of the action:

Supreme Court case challenges Langford development

Last Updated (Thursday, 25 March 2010 03:57) Written by VIC FAN Wednesday, 17 March 2010 16:59

Environmental group's Supreme Court case challenges Langford development

Vancouver Island -- More than a year after the mayor of Langford "berated, bullied and browbeat" speakers at a public hearing, the BC Supreme Court will hear a petition for Judicial Review of the South Skirt Mountain development bylaw. 

The petition asks the Supreme Court to quash the bylaw for violations of the Local Government Act, on the grounds that Langford city councilors betrayed the public trust by inadequately performing public consultation and failing to disclose documents to the public.

Read more: Supreme Court case challenges Langford development

Critical Mass: Down With Gas

Last Updated (Sunday, 28 February 2010 04:02) Written by lucho Sunday, 28 February 2010 03:06

Cyclists gathered friday to demonstrate their power in traffic and to protest the incredible social and environmental destruction caused by cars. Cars are one of the worlds largest producers of greenhouse gasses, and play a big part in our global addiction to oil, an addiction that causes nations to kill and wage war upon each other throughout the world. Many anthropologists including prominent urban psychologist Jane Jacobs also blame the automobile for creating urban sprawl and the alienation that has destroyed community life. But some people here in Victoria have had enough. With numbers of no more that 20-30, the critical mass bike ride was able to block off major traffic routs throughout the capital including both the Bay St and Johnson St bridges.

Read more: Critical Mass: Down With Gas