On the eve of the deployment of 450 additional Canadian soldiers and 15 Canadian leopard tanks to the occupation of Afghanistan, over 300 protesters gathered in Vancouver at the September 16, 2006 rally organized by Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO) to show their opposition to the Canadian war drive.

Coast Salish elder Kelly White officially opened the rally with a welcome to the protesters to the traditional, unceded Indigenous territory on which Vancouver sits. She also extended solidarity as an Indigenous person within Canada to the Indigenous people facing occupation in Afghanistan, Iraq and around the world.

Asif Ali Shah, an organizer with the United Muslim Alliance and MAWO spoke next about Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon and against the war of imperialist countries on people in the Middle East. He was followed by Saida Osman, a student organizer with the Students of Colour and Social Justice Committees of the Capilano Students Union and the May 2007 “Feminisms: Strengthening the Ties” Conference. Saida spoke about how war lays a much heavier attack on women and people of colour, people already oppressed by “peacetime” society – she said we should all unite to bring the troops home from Afghanistan and end the occupation.

Dr. Warif Leila, a Lebanese organizer with Adala-the Canadian Arab Justice Committee and antiwar organizer spoke in support of the people of Lebanon and their fight to kick out the invading and occupying forces from Israel. She encouraged people in Canada not to be silent but to stand up and be active in defense of people under attack in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Esteban Gonzalez, a MAWO organizer and high school student spoke next about Canada’s losing war on people in Afghanistan and how the resistance against the occupation is made up of regular, working people in Afghanistan and we should support their fight. Wilson Munoz, Chair of the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver spoke and said we should be spending billions of dollars on healthcare and education, not on war. He eloquently informed listeners that to make change that will benefit humanity, we must all become activated against the occupations.

Returning again to the perspective of people who have suffered directly under occupation here in Canada, Aleyna May, a young Metis activist in Vancouver spoke. She addressed the important challenge of uniting Aboriginal youth against war and for social change. Aleyna was followed by MAWO Co-Chair Kira Koshelanyk who spoke about the real motivations behind the imperialist war drive in the world: profit and strategic control for profit. She also called for unity and support for people struggling against occupation using whatever means they have – that the interests of those of us on the streets of Vancouver match those of people in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan and all oppressed people.

The rally was closed with a resolution read by MAWO organizer Janine Solanki which passed with cheers from the crowd and stated: “Be it resolved that we, as youth, elders, as people of color, as women, as poor and working people, will continue to fight back and will unite in resistance to demand self determination for all oppressed people and for an end to imperialist war and occupation!” Following Janine was a performance by “Fully Faded” a Lower Mainland antiwar hip hop duo who brought spirit and music to add to the resistance of the rally.

The diversity of the speakers represented on the stage and in the crowd at the rally showed the widespread and growing opposition to the Canadian war drive within Canada itself. Students, women, Indigenous people, immigrants, refugees and working people all took the stage to denounce Canada’s war in Afghanistan, the US/UK occupation of Iraq and the era of imperialist war and occupation threatening the world today. MAWO will be continuing to organize as the October 16-27 5th Student Week Against War & Occupation approaches and leads up to the October 28th International Day of Action.