More than 500 gathered to participate in the protest organized by Mobilization Against War & Occupation on Saturday January 28 demanding “US/UK Out of Iraq!” and “Canada Out of Afghanistan!”. The rally was held following the 4th Lower Mainland-wide Student Week Against War & Occupation (SWAWO), a week of coordinated antiwar actions held on five major university and college campuses and reaching hundreds of students.

The day’s program was opened by Kelly White, a Coast Salish Elder and Indigenous media activist who gave her salute of solidarity to students and all people all over the world mobilizing against war and for justice and self determination.




Kelly was followed by solidarity greetings brought by Michael Van Fleet, Aboriginal Liaison for the Kwantlen Students Association, Tanya Hill from the Langara Students’ Union Club Langara Students United Against War & Occupation and for students at Langara College and Linsday Clarke, Social Justice Coordinator for the Capilano Students Union and an organizer with Capilano Students Against War.


David Morgan a World War II veteran and veteran of the antiwar movement then graced the stage with a reading of two of his antiwar poems. Junie Desil, a local Haitian-Canadian activist and an activist with Vancouver Status of Women -VSW, followed laying clear the reality behind the brutal invasion and occupation of Haiti by the US, France and Canada.


On the expansion of imperialist aggression and expansion of war and occupation to Latin America, Nita Palmer from the Free the Cuban Five Committee – Vancouver spoke and outlined the case of the five Cuban heros who are unjustly held in US jails for defending their country against terrorist groups operating in Miami. She explained how this case exposed the US’ “war on terrorism” to its core. At this point in the program, local progressive hip hop crew, Influents, warmed up the crowd by performing a short and uplifting set of their political anti-war songs.

Returning to a strong representation from student organizers, Natasha Shivji, a native Tanzanian student at UBC and an organizer with the UBC AMS Coalition Against War on the People of Iraq and Internationally spoke next, explaining Canada’s connection to war from Afghanistan to Haiti to Africa. Claudio Ekdahl of the La Surda Latin American Collective bringing a message of hope and for change looking to the examples of positive steps taken by the brothers and sisters in Latin American countries specifically Venezuela Bolivarian Revolution.

Shannon Bundock, MAWO Co-Chair spoke as the final speaker. “Because of the international scope of this fight, we have to bring the same consistency, the same courage, that we see in Iraq, Afghanistan, in Haiti, in Palestine and everywhere that people of these countries and lands are fighting against imperialist attacks. We have to bring that courage and consistency to the streets we walk every day. Here in Canada it is a great responsibility for educating, for organizing, for mobilizing working and oppressed people. If we are silent, we accept the imperialist status quo, we accept the hell that is being brought to people around this world, and we are only at the beginning of this fight and people may say we are small, but we are strong and historically and globally we are giant and majority!” The rally was closed with the reading of a resolution by Langara anti-war student organizer Amira Abdel Malek which was greeting by prolonged cheering of the crowd in approval.

On January 28 energy from student antiwar organizing on campuses spilled over onto the streets of Vancouver bringing together a diverse group of people raising their voices as one against war and occupation. The good turn out in a very cold winter of winter, and very positive response by people on the streets showed clear and important potential for united struggle against the occupations of Iraq, Haiti and Afghanistan as well as winning support for the call for an independent public inquiry into Canada’s increasing war drive in Afghanistan.