Aug 26, 2006 - Rally
Canada Out of Afghanistan! US/UK Out of Iraq! Israel Out of Lebanon & Palestine
Organized by: Mobilization Against War & Occupation
PRESS RELEASE >>
NEWS ITEM: For Immediate Release
RELEASED: AUG 25, 2006
Media Contact: Shannon Bundock
MAWO Co-Chair 778-891-1470
VANCOUVER: Mobilization Against War and Occupation
(MAWO) condemns 28th Canadian military death and
shooting death of 10 year old Afghan boy; holds
weekend rally to demand:
NO MORE CASUALTIES OF THE CANADIAN WAR DRIVE!
CANADA OUT OF AFGHANISTAN NOW!
VANCOUVER: On Tuesday August 22nd, the 28th Canadian
military death in Afghanistan was followed mmediately
by the shooting death of a 10 year old Afghan child by
a Canadian solider. As warnings ring through the
Canadian media of the Afghan ‘backlash’ that the
Canadian occupation forces fear in response to the
killing of this child, Vancouver anti-war,
anti-occupation coalition Mobilization Against War and
Occupation (MAWO) calls for a demonstration on
Saturday August 26th to demand: “No more casualties of
the Canadian war drive! Canada out of Afghanistan
now!”
Corporal David Braun of CFB Shilo, Manitoba was killed
just outside of Kandahar Afghanistan in the late
afternoon of Tuesday August 22nd in a bombing attack
on a Canadian military convoy.
The attack came one day after the Canadian military
killed more than 72 Afghan people in the farmlands
surrounding Kandahar. According to Lt.-Col. Omer
Lavoie, who took over as Canada's battle group
commander in Kandahar the same day as this major
battle, these deaths constituted “an extremely
big blow (to the Taliban's) combat effectiveness."
“In less than 24 hours since this so-called extremely
big blow to the Afghan resistance one Canadian soldier
has been killed and at least 5 have been injured in
attacks in the same region,”
said MAWO Co-Chair and protest organizer Shannon
Bundock.
“Canada is at war against the people of Afghanistan.
This makes 8 Canadian military deaths this month
alone.”
“The murder of an innocent 10 year old Afghan boy is a
sign of the desperation and panic in the Canadian
occupation forces in Afghanistan because of their
failure to take control over Southern Afghanistan,”
Bundock continued. “Too many lives have been lost to
this war and occupation mission that has brought only
blood, death, and destruction to the people of
Afghanistan.
Canada is part of the problem in Afghanistan – that’s
why we are demanding the immediate withdrawal of all
Canadian forces from Afghanistan now.”
Saturday’s protest will also focus on opposing
Israel’s invasion of Lebanon and Gaza and will demand
the immediate withdrawal of all occupation forces
from Iraq. Speakers will condemn and oppose Israel’s
ongoing attacks on the people of Lebanon in violation
of the ‘ceasefire’ agreement signed on August 14th.
While laying siege to Lebanon, Israel has continued
their raids and attacks on the people and
infrastructure of the Gaza Strip, including sweeping
house demolitions, targeted assassinations, missile
attacks on civilians, and kidnappings of government
ministers – marked this week by last Saturday’s
abduction of Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister Nasser
Shaer.
The demonstration will also condemn the US/UK
occupation forces record breaking month of death and
destruction in Iraq – more than 3,500 people died in
Iraq in July alone, with more than 110 deaths each day
raising the average of daily deaths by 9% since June
and more than 50% since the beginning of the year.
“Everywhere that the US, Canada, and Israel put hteir
‘boots on the ground’ we find war, occupation, death,
and destruction,” concluded Bundock.
“The vast majority of people in Canada share interests
with the people of Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and
Palestine. We do not gain anything from
the slaughter of the Afghan, Iraqi, Lebanese, and
Palestinian people or the occupations of their lands.
We stand, rally, march and join with them in
demanding: CANADA OUT OF AFGHANISTAN! ISRAEL OUT OF
LEBANON AND PALESTINE! US/UK OUT OF IRAQ! HANDS OFF
THE MIDDLE EAST! STOP THE CANADIAN WAR DRIVE!”
-30-
Rosie Karkari, speaks of her experience
doing reconstruction in Lebanon between
1996 and 2003
![](http://www.mawovancouver.org/photos/060826rally_16.jpg) Dalal Noor, Iraqi activist speaks against the US-led occupation of Iraq
![](http://www.mawovancouver.org/photos/060826rally_17.jpg)
Lindsay Clarke, Capilano College Social
Justice Coordinator and Vancouver Communities
in Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC)Organizer
![](http://www.mawovancouver.org/photos/060826rally_18.jpg)
Aaron Mercredi, Indigenous Activist,
Member of Redwire Native Youth Media
Board of Directors, Organizer with
Mobilization Against War and Occupation
![](http://www.mawovancouver.org/photos/060826rally_19.jpg)
Alison Bodine, UBC Student and activist
with the UBC Social Justice Centre,
Coalition Against War on the People
of Iraq and Internationally - UBC, and
Mobilization Against War & Occupation(MAWO)
![](http://www.mawovancouver.org/photos/060826rally_20.jpg) Max Tennant, MAWO activist, closes
the rally with a firm resolution
against war & occupation
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CLICK ON PHOTO FOR LARGER VERSION
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![](http://www.mawovancouver.org/photos/060826rally_6.jpg) Global News films as MAWO Organizers Shakeel Lochan and Shannon Bundock open the rally
![](http://www.mawovancouver.org/photos/060826rally_7.jpg) Dave Diewert, members of the Christian community and local activist, speaks in defence of Palestine
![](http://www.mawovancouver.org/photos/060826rally_8.jpg) Hadar Aziz, Iraqi Muslim leader, al-Kowther Community Assoc.
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![](http://www.mawovancouver.org/photos/060826rally_12.jpg) Bijan, of the Iranian-Canadian Committee Against War & Occupation speaks against threats to Iran
![](http://www.mawovancouver.org/photos/060826rally_13.jpg) Jane Ivanova, of the Free the Cuban 5 Committee Vancouver
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