It’s a case of poetic justice for a Vancouver-based student activist who — barring a last minute reprieve — will be deported for participating in violent protests against the Trans Mountain pipeline.On Thursday, a British Columbia judge decided not to delay the deportation of Muhammad Zain Haq to his native Pakistan as early as Monday. Perhaps fittingly, April 22 is Earth Day. Although he had been the lead organizer for Save Old Growth, a movement advocating for the protection of BC’s old forests and a spokesman for Extinction Rebellion at Simon Fraser University, he gained notoriety for protests against the Trans Mountain pipeline..BC judge said Haq’s conduct “speaks to an arrogance of his ideals at the expense of the democratic process, and pro-social dialogue.” .In 2021, he was arrested in charged in Burnaby, BC, after he breached a court-ordered injunction of the Trans Mountain’s Burnaby Terminal.Last July he pleaded guilty to five mischief charges for participating in illegal blockades and celebrating the arrests on social media — conduct provincial court Judge Reginald Harris said “speaks to an arrogance of his ideals at the expense of the democratic process, and pro-social dialogue.” Court heard head been arrested multiple times throughout the Lower Mainland and was released each time on promises not to return — but did anyway.Haq was given a conditional sentence of 61 days, minus 14 days for time served. He was also under a 12 month probation. In 2022 he spent nine days in prison for blocking Trans Mountain in violation of a judge’s order..“Civil disobedience has been an essential part of many social change movements, but it must disrupt if it is to be effective. It is not our purpose to disrupt. Our purpose is to create a profile so large that it cannot be ignored.”Muhammad Zain Haq upon his arrest.At the time he told the SFU newspaper: “Civil disobedience has been an essential part of many social change movements, but it must disrupt if it is to be effective. It is not our purpose to disrupt. Our purpose is to create a profile so large that it cannot be ignored.”His comeuppance was rewarded after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) revoked his student visa and moved to have him deported. Although he applied to have the deportation delayed on compassionate grounds — and married a Canadian citizen and fellow activist last April — the CBSA and court refused, noting that peaceful protest would not have resulted in a crime.As of Friday, the only option to stop his removal is direct intervention by federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller. There has been no indication he’s willing to do so.Meanwhile, his wife, Victoria resident Sophia Papp will attend a rally on Friday outside Premier David Eby’s office in Vancouver to rally public support. To date, 2,300 people have signed a petition calling on him to stay.
It’s a case of poetic justice for a Vancouver-based student activist who — barring a last minute reprieve — will be deported for participating in violent protests against the Trans Mountain pipeline.On Thursday, a British Columbia judge decided not to delay the deportation of Muhammad Zain Haq to his native Pakistan as early as Monday. Perhaps fittingly, April 22 is Earth Day. Although he had been the lead organizer for Save Old Growth, a movement advocating for the protection of BC’s old forests and a spokesman for Extinction Rebellion at Simon Fraser University, he gained notoriety for protests against the Trans Mountain pipeline..BC judge said Haq’s conduct “speaks to an arrogance of his ideals at the expense of the democratic process, and pro-social dialogue.” .In 2021, he was arrested in charged in Burnaby, BC, after he breached a court-ordered injunction of the Trans Mountain’s Burnaby Terminal.Last July he pleaded guilty to five mischief charges for participating in illegal blockades and celebrating the arrests on social media — conduct provincial court Judge Reginald Harris said “speaks to an arrogance of his ideals at the expense of the democratic process, and pro-social dialogue.” Court heard head been arrested multiple times throughout the Lower Mainland and was released each time on promises not to return — but did anyway.Haq was given a conditional sentence of 61 days, minus 14 days for time served. He was also under a 12 month probation. In 2022 he spent nine days in prison for blocking Trans Mountain in violation of a judge’s order..“Civil disobedience has been an essential part of many social change movements, but it must disrupt if it is to be effective. It is not our purpose to disrupt. Our purpose is to create a profile so large that it cannot be ignored.”Muhammad Zain Haq upon his arrest.At the time he told the SFU newspaper: “Civil disobedience has been an essential part of many social change movements, but it must disrupt if it is to be effective. It is not our purpose to disrupt. Our purpose is to create a profile so large that it cannot be ignored.”His comeuppance was rewarded after the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) revoked his student visa and moved to have him deported. Although he applied to have the deportation delayed on compassionate grounds — and married a Canadian citizen and fellow activist last April — the CBSA and court refused, noting that peaceful protest would not have resulted in a crime.As of Friday, the only option to stop his removal is direct intervention by federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller. There has been no indication he’s willing to do so.Meanwhile, his wife, Victoria resident Sophia Papp will attend a rally on Friday outside Premier David Eby’s office in Vancouver to rally public support. To date, 2,300 people have signed a petition calling on him to stay.
