FEBRUARY 15TH PEACE MARCH
AND RALLY
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE FEBRUARY 15TH PEACE MARCH
AND RALLY - NO WAR ON IRAQ
George W. Bush continues to defy intelligent thought and beats the
drums of war louder, ever louder! European Peace activists are calling
on people around the world to make Saturday, February 15th, 2003 another
major International Day of Opposition to War on Iraq. We intend to
join with them and demostrate that Canadians have a strong voice among
the world's peoples.
As each day and each week passes, more and more people across
Canada, around the world and within the United States are speaking
out for Peace and saying No to War on Iraq. France and Germany are
joined in opposition to Bush's war. Because they know their respective
populations adamantly stand for Peace and oppose war. In Britian,
George W's 'poodle', Tony Blair, continues to back the ill fated
US war plans despite the opposition within his own Labour Party
and the popular opposition to war increasingly expressed by the
British people. In Canada, the effects of public action and opinion
are shaping the political landscape: Defense Minister McCallum floats
the trial balloon that Canada might join the US, with or without
a UN mandate. Public opinion boils over in disgust. Letters, telephone
and talk show calls flood in. Days pass and Chretien 'clarifies'
Canada's position that Canada would require a united UN position
prior to war action. We are begining to win the battle for the hearts
and minds of Canadians to oppose war and wage peace, and because
of that, the electoral opportunism of the political apparatus is
responding, but not fast enough. We need to turn up the political
pressure. We need to increase our public presence in the streets.
We owe it to the people of Iraq. For Peace, Justice and Morality,
we can do no less!
The November 17th Peace Coalition in Greater Vancouver, will join
with like minded Canadian in towns and cities across the country,
with our Brothers and Sisters in Europe, in solidarity with the
men, women and especially the children of Iraq and the Middle East
to turn up the political heat, to increase the public pressure.
How? A February 15th March and Rally to say
No to War On Iraq.
Saturday, February 15th, 2003
No War On Iraq March and Rally
Assemble at Canada Place Trade and Convention Centre at 12:30 pm
- just west of the Sea Bus/Sky Train Terminal on Cordova.
March from Canada Place at 1:00 pm
Rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery 2:00 pm
If you were at the November 17th or the January 18th Peace March
and Rallys you know how elated and powerful it feels to be part
of thousands of people in the streets speaking out for Peace and
Justice. We only have 3 weeks to organize this next important action.
We ask that you help us spread the word far and wide to make the
February 15th Peace March and Rally - No War On Iraq a success.
Send this email to family and friends, co-workers and more. We will
have a poster available by next Wednesday for distribution. If you
want a PDF - Printable Data File version of the poster which you
can download, print out and distribute it - in your organizations,
in laundromats, around high schools, major bus stops, anywhere that
people gather, let us know. Kate Roussos, from the Unitarian Church,
has generously agreed to staff the End the Arms Race office at the
Maritime Labour Centre, which EAR has graciously made available
to the November 17th Peace Coalition, from January 30th - tel: 604
687-3223, fax: 604 687-3277.
Our November 17th Peace Coalition Meetings take place on Wednesdays,
from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Maritime Labour Centre, 111 Victoria
Drive, Vancouver - at Pandora, 2 blocks north of Hastings Street.
(Enter from the parking lot)
In Solidarity,
Jef Keighley,
CAW Canada & November 17th Peace Coalition
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