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The SPVM avoids the Justice for Anas Coalition at Côte-des-Neiges Community Center event

On Wednesday March 21st, the Justice For Anas Coalition learned that there was to be an event on racial profilling held at the Cotes des Neiges community center on Friday March 23rd.  The centre planned on showing the film "Zero Tolerance", an NFB film about racial profiling in Montreal, and planned to have two police officers from post 25 present to answer any questions from the audience.  Khadija Bennis, the sister of Mohamed Anas Bennis who was killed by officer Bernier from Station 25 on December 1st 2005, planned to attend the event along with other members of the Coalition, in order to ask the police about the death of Anas and the massive cover up that followed.

Two hours before the event was to begin, an employee of the Community Center mentioned to the police officers that Khadija Bennis planned on attending the event. The police officers immediately canceled, claiming that they did not think the film was objective and that they did not want to feel under attack from community members who might become hostile after watching it.

It is our opinion that the true reason that the police canceled was because of the possibility that members of the Justice For Anas Coalition would be in attendance. The police are clearly afraid of being confronted with the clear injustice of the death of Anas. We know that they cannot answer any questions about the death of Anas, as there are no answers that could correspond to their original story and do not point towards a police murder.

This is just one more example of the government policy of secrecy and evasion in the case of Anas.

Yet even without having a chance to question the police, it was well worth our while to be at this event, as it gave us the opportunity to participate in a lively discussion with many youth from Cote des Neiges, about the problems around racial profiling and police brutality in the neighbourhood.

Please join us in the struggle for justice and dignity for the family of Mohammed Anas Bennis, get involed in the ongoing campaign.

in solidarity - the Justice For Anas Coalition

Our Three Demands:
  1. the immediate release of all reports, evidence and information concerning the death of Anas Bennis to the Bennis family and to the public;
  2. a full, public and independent inquiry into the death of Anas Bennis;
  3. an end to police brutality and impunity.
The Justice for Anas Coalition
Tel: 514-342-2111
Email: justicepouranas@gmail.com
Web: http://www.justicepouranas.org