Marc Kelly Exiled from U of O Community

Undergraduate student Marc Kelly was released from jail on Tuesday April 13, 2010. He was charged and released under strict condition not to attend within 250 meters of any University of Ottawa property and to abstain from talking directly or indirectly, via telephone, Internet or any other means with all students and staff of the University.

On April 15, 2010, we dedicated our show to the Marc Kelly story by sharing the history of this unprecedented case in administrative injustice and institutional oppression against a student. Executive malfeasance with a capital "em"...

To help Marc Kelly / Share you thoughts on his case / join the community

email: marckelly.community@gmail.com

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Doug Christie on Free Speech and Duff Conacher on Democracy

Part-I: On April 8th 2010 BC-based lawyer Doug Christie who had just given a speech in the University of Ottawa Tabaret Hall Rotunda during the afternoon joined us by phone as he was waiting for his flight back home. Christie, who had been afraid that his freedom of speech would be limited or even blocked by protesters of the University administration in light of Ann Coulter's recently canceled speech at the U of O expressed surprise and gratitude for the fact that he was able to speak on our campus. He also commented on student activist Marc Kelly's case saying that it was clear to him that an in depth inquiry where all sides could be heard was in order.

Part-II: During the second part of our April 8th show Duff Conacher from Democracy Watch joined us by phone speaking, amongst other things, of federal lobbying ethics. Both Mary Dawson (Ethics Commissioner of Canada) and Karen Shepherd (Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada) were heavily criticized for being lap dogs. The Democracy Watch lawsuit against the Canadian government regarding Prime Minister Harper's disregard for Canada's fixed election law was also reviewed: LINK HERE.

A Discussion on Allan Rock, Marc Kelly and Mario Savio

Five O'Clock Train co-hosts Mireille Gervais and Denis Rancourt opened this week's show with a recording of Allan Rock's short-lived greeting message on the University's main voicemail and telephone dispatch centre (562-5800). A marketing mishap to say the least...

"This is Allan Rock, President of Canada's university; How may I direct your call?"

The show went on to discuss Allan Rock's "shit magnets in his pockets" history as a Canadian politician; then as President of the University of Ottawa, including his role in undergraduate student Marc Kelly's case.

Marc Kelly faces bogus criminal charges following his attempt to video record a public meeting of University Senate at a time when no policy prohibiting filming existed. Since March 2009 the Senate meetings are now filmed by the University and the videos are posted on its website.

The Student Appeal Centre recently called upon Allan Rock to end the political persecution of Marc Kelly.

The show ended with a discussion on campus corporatization, linking back to Mario Savio's famous ''bodies against the gears'' 1964 speech at Berkeley.