Canadian border guards deny entry to US indy media reporter

Independent media reporter rejected at border, detained by border agents and denied outside contact

For immediate release – Saturday, February 6, 2010
Martin Macias Jr., an independent media reporter from Chicago travelling to cover the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver BC, has been rejected by Canadian border agents and held without outside contact for at least 7 hours (as of 9pm) today.

Macias arrived in Vancouver from Chicago (via Minneapolis) on a 11:30am Delta Airlines flight on Saturday, February 6, 2010. He was detained for hours by Canada Border Services agents in the Vancouver International Airport and questioned about his plans during the Olympics. Ultimately he was refused entry to Canada. He was then put on an Alaskan Airlines flight to the Seattle / Tacoma Airport (departing at 2:40pm). As of 9pm he had not been able to contact legal counsel or his travelling companion since before his rejection at the border. The information on his rejection was only made available through the US Consulate. It is routine for people rejected at the border to be interrogated by both Canadian and US border agents; he may well still be detained for questioning in the USA at this point. Although he is entitled to a phone call and legal counsel, nothing has been heard from Macias since about 2pm when he still expected to be able to enter Canada as planned.

Martin was travelling to Vancouver for political events during the Olympic Resistance Network anti-Olympic convergence and to document the effects of the Winter Olympics on the communities of Vancouver. He was to leave Vancouver for the USA on Feb. 11. He was travelling with political organizer Bob Quellos of No Games Chicago, who was allowed to enter Canada. They were both to be picked up by Chris Shaw, a member of the Olympic Resistance Network, local Olympic critic, and author of ‘The Five Ring Circus’ who himself has been questioned and detained when travelling to a sports conference in the UK and repeatedly approached by members of the Vancouver 2010 Integrated Security Unit (Olympic policing body) regarding his political activities. Canadian border agents, police, and intelligence units have been actively surveilling, questioning and harassing opponents of the Olympic Games (and their associates and families) for years. Media, such as Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, have been subject to questioning and increased scrutiny as well.

Macias (20 years old) was a leading member of No Games Chicago - which successfully opposed Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. He is a youth organizer for the Chicago Environmental Justice Coalition, and Comite 10 de marzo, an immigrant rights organization. He is also a media reform activist with community radio station Radio Arte where he serves as the host/producer of First Voice, a radio news zine. He has covered the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver, Power Shift 2009 in Washington D.C., and local social justice issues in his community. He currently chairs the Peace Committee at the National Museum of Mexican Art. Macias can normally be reached through reclaimtheearth@gmail.com.

Independent media, activists and opponents of the Olympics are gathering in Vancouver for the Feb. 10-15 anti-Olympic convergence organized by the Olympic Resistance Network. It begins with a two-day conference (Feb. 10-11) and a mass protest and march on the day of the opening ceremonies (‘Take Back Our City,’ 3pm Friday, Feb. 12 beginning at the Vancouver Art Gallery) organized by the 2010 Welcoming Committee, and continues with three days of political events and demonstrations. Visitors have been subject to interrogations, detention, and rejection at the Canadian border repeatedly and members of the Olympic Resistance Network have been interrogated at the US border and denied entry to the USA for speaking tours.

Media Contacts:

Bob Quellos: 773-531-2341

Chris Shaw: 604-710-8291
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U.S. Olympic critic denied entry into Canada
CBC News, Sunday, February 7, 2010

Martin Macias, Jr. seen in this picture from his Twitter account, was allegedly denied entry into Canada on Saturday. Martin Macias, Jr. seen in this picture from his Twitter account, was allegedly denied entry into Canada on Saturday. (Twitter)

An American freelance journalist and Olympic critic was denied entry into Canada on Saturday, according to the Olympic Resistance Network.

In a release, the organization said Martin Macias, Jr. was detained by border officials at Vancouver International Airport on Saturday morning and questioned for several hours.

The organization said the U.S. Consulate told them Macias was eventually denied entry and put on a plane for Seattle.

It said Macias is a reporter at a community radio station in Chicago and a leading member of No Games Chicago, an organization that opposed that city's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

Macias was travelling to Vancouver for political events including a two-day conference, the organization said, and he was to leave Vancouver on Feb. 11, before the start of the Games.

The group said he was travelling with Bob Quellos of No Games Chicago, who it said was allowed to enter Canada.

The Olympic Resistance Network, a Vancouver-based anti-Olympic group, maintains Macias was denied entry because of his known opposition to the Olympics.

The organization said this is not the first time an Olympic critic has been denied access. It says border agents, police and intelligence units have been actively harassing opponents of the Olympic Games for years.

A spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency wouldn't discuss the specific case because of privacy issues, but said in an email Canada's admissibility requirements will not change for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/02/07/bc-reporter-m...

Anti-Olympics organizer and journalist denied entry to Canada
Interrogated by CBSA, ISU and US Customs, Martin Macias was turned back to Seattle
http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/audio/2627
February 8, 2010
RUSH TRANSCRIPT

VMC: Martin Macias arrived in Vancouver from Chicago on February 6, prepared to spend a week documenting resistance to the 2010 Games. Macias is a student, a radio journalist and was active in Chicago’s campaign against the 2016 Olympic bid. During the No Bid Chicago campaign, Macias traveled to Denmark and Switzerland to meet with the IOC. But he didn’t make it into Vancouver yesterday. Instead, he was detained by CBSA on his way into Canada.

MACIAS: They wanted to know about the conference, they wanted to know about any kind of protest that I knew about, they wanted me to tell them about the organizers of the conference and what their phone numbers were, they asked me why I was there and I tried to establish that I was there as a radio journalist to talk to some people from the conference, residents of Vancouver who are outspoken about the games, or against the games.

VMC: Macias told the Vancouver Media Co-op that the border guards searched everything he had, but it was one particular piece of information that they used to keep him out of Canada.

MACIAS: They looked at my notebook, they looked at my newspapers, looked in the phone books that I had in my bag, and they found a number in there which is from the conference, and it’s a support number, I guess in case you need something while you are in Vancouver, if you need food of shelter or if you have problems with the authorities, any issues with them, you can call that number. The customs agent, she saw that as a sign that I came to Vancouver with the intention of being involved in some kind of activity where I would possibly need support, in case I was arrested or in case I had issues with the authorities. And she saw that as reasonable grounds to refuse my entry.

VMC: Denied a phone call or the right to speak to a lawyer, Macias was presented with two choices.

MACIAS: Eventually they offered me two options, because I appealed the decision, I wanted to appeal the decision, and they offered me two options. One was to voluntarily leave Canada, the second was to go to a trial, a hearing for the decision, meanwhile I would have to be detained, and the next trial would be in about a week and a half, so obviously I can’t be detained, I have school, and I have work. I have other things to do, I can’t be detained waiting for a trial. So I accepted the voluntary leave, they wanted me to fly to Chicago at my own expense, which was a $1300 ticket so instead I wanted to go to Seattle because I had a ticket from Seattle to Columbus Ohio.

VMC: Before he got on the plane to Seattle, he was interviewed by the Integrated Security Unit.

MACIAS: Before I got on the plane to Seattle, two police officers in plain clothes came up to me, identified themselves as the ISU, the Integrated Security Unit. They showed me their badge, which had an Olympic logo on it. It was very strange, cause they were extremely friendly with me, and they were saying “well we’re not here to accuse you of anything, we want to talk and help you out any way we can, we’re just looking out for you.” You know, obviously trying to get me to say something, be more comfortable with them and reveal something that I wasn’t telling customs, but obviously I didn’t know anything else so they weren’t satisfied. Their main concern was about the protest and about any destruction to property, and about any plans that I knew about or any contacts that I knew about who were organizing anything. And I didn’t have anything to give, so they left me alone.
VMC: Macias was again questioned to US authorities in YVR before he boarded his flight to Seattle. He is currently staying in a hotel at the Seattle Tacoma Airport, unsure whether or not he’ll attempt to re-enter Canada.