Click photo to view large version
![May 11th 2006 Emergency Picket Action](http://www.mawovancouver.org/thumbs/thumb_060511_picket[3].jpg)
![May 11th 2006 Emergency Picket Action](http://www.mawovancouver.org/thumbs/thumb_060511_picket[2].jpg)
![May 11th 2006 Emergency Picket Action](http://www.mawovancouver.org/thumbs/thumb_060511_picket[1].jpg)
![May 11th 2006 Emergency Picket Action](http://www.mawovancouver.org/thumbs/thumb_060511_amira[1].jpg)
![May 11th 2006 Emergency Picket Action](http://www.mawovancouver.org/thumbs/thumb_060511_david[1].jpg)
![May 11th 2006 Emergency Picket Action](http://www.mawovancouver.org/thumbs/thumb_060511_ivan[1].jpg)
![May 11th 2006 Emergency Picket Action](http://www.mawovancouver.org/thumbs/thumb_060511_nita[1].jpg)
![May 11th 2006 Emergency Picket Action](http://www.mawovancouver.org/thumbs/thumb_060511_shaq[1].jpg)
![May 11th 2006 Emergency Picket Action](http://www.mawovancouver.org/thumbs/thumb_060511_david[2].jpg)
|
CANADA OUT OF AFGHANISTAN NOW!
Money for Schools, Jobs, Housing, Healthcare - NOT FOR WAR!
Call for an Independent Public Inquiry into the Canadian War Drive in Afghanistan!
Emergency Picket Line
Twenty-five people gathered in
front of the Canadian Forces Recruitment Centre in
Downtown Vancouver to demand an end to the Canadian
occupation of Afghanistan and call for an Independent
Public Inquiry into the Canadian War Drive in
Afghanistan. The protest, organized by Mobilization
Against War and Occupation (MAWO), was the eleventh in
a series of picket protests organized by MAWO against
Canadian troops in Afghanistan. It came on the heels
of Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay’s
surprise visit to Afghanistan on May 9th.
The picket was opened by MAWO organizer Sophie Ziner,
who outlined the destruction that the occupation of
Afghanistan has caused, as well as emphasizing MAWO’s
call for an Independent Public Inquiry in order to get
answers for unanswered questions: “What is Canada
doing in Afghanistan?”, “Why have 2300 Canadian
soldiers been sent there to fight, kill, and die?”
After some energetic picketing and chanting, MAWO
Acting Secretary Nita Palmer read a statement to the
press and picketers. Nita made note of Foreign Affairs
Minister Peter Mackay’s recent affirmation that Canada
has a “commitment to finish the job” in Afghanistan,
noting that “with this statement, Peter MacKay is
telling us that there is no end in sight to this
brutal occupation. There is no concrete prediction
measured in months or years, but that this occupation,
and the death for plunder and profit will continue
indefinitely, until ‘the job is done’.”
MAWO organizer Ivan Drury spoke next, emphasizing that
the ‘Canadian mission’ in Afghanistan, despite the
supposed boost given by Peter MacKay’s visit to
Kandahar, was facing waning support at home. “No
matter how many opportune visits are made to
Afghanistan by Canadian government officials to boost
morale, it cannot hide the devastating situation for
Afghans brought by thousands of occupying troops, and
it cannot hide the growing opposition to this
occupation here in Canada.” said Ivan. “We will
continue our pickets here and our protests against the
Canadian War Drive in Afghanistan until our job is
done- until the occupation of Afghanistan ends.”
The picket was wrapped up with encouragement for
people to continue to speak out against the occupation
of Afghanistan, and to become a part of the growing
movement against the Canadian War Drive in Afghanistan
– particularly through upcoming events and actions,
such as the next Canada Out of Afghanistan picket on
THURSDAY MAY May 18th at 12:30PM at the Canadian
Forces Recruiting Office, 1070 West Georgia St.
|