Statement of the Joint Committee of East Indian Defence Committee, West Indian People’s Organization and Canadian People’s (Citizens and Residents) Defence Committee Released on November 4, 1977 at a Press Conference in Toronto
Certain sections of the news media in Metro Toronto (e.g. CFTO TV and others) have attempted to create confusion on the nature of the demonstration and rally being organized by us on November 6, 1977. We release this statement to clear up this confusion.
There is one struggle against racist attacks. This struggle has three aspects of racist attacks to which it addreses itself. These aspects are:
– Struggle against the state-organized racist attacks, that is against the racist propaganda, policy and legislation of the Canadian state, that is the “Green Paper on Immigration” and the anti-immigrant Bill C-24.
– Struggle against the state-organized racist attacks which the state launches through fascist groups like the Western Guard, and
– Struggle against the physical attacks against the people coming from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the West Indies.
The main enemy, the main culprit responsible for racist attacks is the Canadian state, and the state at various provincial and local levels. Our struggle is justly directed against this state.
The demonstration and rally organized for November 6, 1977 is directed against the state-organized racist attacks. It is clear to all that all our propaganda leaflets, posters, etc. are presenting this position and there is no one else as a target of attack. The news media deliberately and with an ulterior motive are falsifying this fact.
Those who do not recognize the state-organized racist attacks are part of the state-organized racist attacks against our people. These people cannot be said to support the struggle against racist attacks. Thus if they organize a demonstration, this is merely a provocation against the struggle against racist attacks. More particularly it is a provocation against the work of the Joint Committee.
Certain individuals are blaming government “inaction” as being responsible for continuing racist attacks. So they are demanding that the government take “action”. We say that the racist attacks are not taking place because of government “inaction”. Racist attacks are taking place because the government has been busy overtime promoting and organizing the racist attacks. For years, the press and news media and capitalist politicians have been blaming the immigrants for the economic crisis and creating hysteria particularly against the immigrants from Asia, Africa and Latin America and the West Indies. The “Green Paper on Immigration” was a well-financed criminal racist and fascist propaganda campaign against the immigrants from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the West Indies. Can we call all this hysterical activity of the news media, the federal government and of immigration officials as government “inaction”? No, we justly call it the state organizing racist attacks against the people. Thus those who are calling for government action are not part of the struggle against the racist attacks. If they are organizing a demonstration, it is a provocation and an attack against the anti-racist struggle.
All justice-loving people who are genuinely concerned about the escalation of the racist attacks on our people will see the justice of our cause and the correctness of our analysis. They will see that it was Bette Stephenson who led the racist propaganda against there being too many foreign students in medicine and other such propaganda, as a prelude to increasing fees for the foreign students. It was the government which declared that the Canadians have limited “absorptive capacity” for people with “novel and distinctive” features.
The Joint Committee of East Indian Defence Committee, West Indian People’s Organization and Canadian People’s (Citizens and Residents) Defence Committee calls upon the people to resolutely oppose the state-organized racist attacks and smash the demagogic and treacherous propaganda that the people should depend on the same criminal state which is responsible for organizing attacks against the people. The Joint Committee is not fooled by the hypocritical outbursts of the likes of the Attorney-General of Ontario, who thinks that by some supernatural power he is going to make racism “non-fashionable” while he pursues it through the government against the Native people and the people of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the West Indies. The Joint Committee is not fooled by those who are calling for government action because more and more people are defending themselves.
The Joint Committee clearly states that the issue in Canada is not one of “integration” or one of opposing some racist slurs. The issue is to concretely oppose the state-organized racist attacks. We are organizing the demonstration and rally on November 6, 1977 to further strengthen the struggle against state-organized racist attack taking place because the government has been busy overtime promoting and organizing the racist attacks. For years, the press and news media and capitalist politicians have been blaming the immigrants for the economic crisis and creating hysteria particularly against the immigrants from Asia, Africa and Latin America and the West Indies. The “Green Paper on Immigration” was a well-financed criminal racist and fascist propaganda campaign against the immigrants from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the West Indies. Can we call all this hysterical activity of the news media, the federal government and of immigration officials as government “inaction”? No, we justly call it the state organizing racist attacks against the people. Thus those who are calling for government action are not part of the struggle against the racist attacks. If they are organizing a demonstration, it is a provocation and an attack against the anti-racist struggle.
All justice-loving people who are genuinely concerned about the escalation of the racist attacks on our people will see the justice of our cause and the correctness of our analysis. They will see that it was Bette Stephenson who led the racist propaganda against there being too many foreign students in medicine and other such propaganda, as a prelude to increasing fees for the foreign students. It was the government which declared that the Canadians have limited “absorptive capacity” for people with “novel and distinctive” features.
The Joint Committee of East Indian Defence Committee, West Indian People’s Organization and Canadian People’s (Citizens and Residents) Defence Committee calls upon the people to resolutely oppose the state-organized racist attacks and smash the demagogic and treacherous propaganda that the people should depend on the same criminal state which is responsible for organizing attacks against the people. The Joint Committee is not fooled by the hypocritical outbursts of the likes of the Attorney-General of Ontario, who thinks that by some supernatural power he is going to make racism “non-fashionable” while he pursues it through the government against the Native people and the people of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the West Indies. The Joint Committee is not fooled by those who are calling for government action because more and more people are defending themselves.
The Joint Committee clearly states that the issue in Canada is not one of “integration” or one of opposing some racist slurs. The issue is to concretely oppose the state-organized racist attacks. We are organizing the demonstration and rally on November 6, 1977 to further strengthen the struggle against state-organized racist attacks.
We openly declare that the racist attacks will never end unless the masses of people defend themselves. They must defend themselves against all three aspects of racist attacks and courageously resist these attacks.
BLAME THE RICH AND NOT THE PEOPLE FOR RACIST ATTACKS!
SELF-DEFENCE IS THE ONLY WAY!
FIGHT STATE-ORGANIZED RACIST ATTACKS!
IT IS THE CANADIAN STATE AND NOT THE PEOPLE WHICH IS RACIST!