[antiwar-van] Report on April 10th MAWO Emergency Rally

[Kira Koshelanyk]

Report on April 10th Mobilization Against War and Occupation Emergency Rally. 


April 10th 2004 saw urgent and emergency actions all across the world. Most serious of these, being the action taken by 1000’s of people across Iraq in resistance to escalated offensives against them. On April 7th, Mobilization Against War and Occupation called for an action 3 days later, to take place Saturday April 10th. Within 2 days, many groups from across the city of Vancouver had expressed support and solidarity, including Stopwar.ca. 

 

Angry and compelled to take action on Saturday, April 10th, over 150 people had amassed at the Vancouver Art Gallery. The day was kicked off with the power, music and words of hip hop artists Ndidi Cascade and Emanuel, and DJ Rhiannon. Through the following energy of 10 powerful speakers, the crowd was shown the solidarity of Indigenous nations in Canada with the people in Iraq, the connections between the struggles from Latin America to Palestine to this current escalation in war. Speakers included Indigenous Elders Frank and Helen Telquaa, Mobilization Against War and Occupation organizer Annalissa Magleo, David Morgan of Veterans Against Nuclear Arms, Emilliano of Group of Friends and Relatives of Mexican Political Prisoners, Ray Bob of Native Solidarity Network, Jagdeep Singh Mangat of South Asian Youth Alliance, Phil Lyons co-chair of the Seniors Network of BC, Charles Boylan of CPC-ML and producer of Wake Up with Co-op, and Mobilization Against War and Occupation organizer and
 Emily Carr Student Agatha. 

 

By 2pm, the crowd took to the street with energy, urgency and dynamism. The march was made up of a crowd of people that all shared a connection in their understanding of the seriousness and necessity of this emergency mobilization. Reflected were Iraqi and Middle Eastern communities, Latin American communities and many other people of the third world; as well as young people, families, students and indigenous people. 

 

On April 10th, our voices joined together with every step that fell, and as we marched down Robson and Burrard st, we knew that in our hearts and minds we were marching to Fallujah with 1000’s of oppressed people across the US, across Eurpoe, across Asia, across Latin America, across Africa, across the Middle East ...  across Haiti, Afghanistan, Palestine, and Iraq.      

 

When we arrived at the US consulate, MAWO co-chair Shannon Bundock made a short speech and read a resolution that was passed by the rally which condemned the US/UK criminal military machine and called for end to the occupation an war. The energy remained high and chants continued, echoing through the streets and against the sides of surrounding buildings. Suddenly and Iraqi man ran from around the corner waving an Iraqi flag. He had come from Victoria and was searching for the march. He climbed up the stairs of the consulate and spoke to crowd through the megaphone, ending with; “My people have a great history of 7000 years! My people will not be occupied!”

 

Our presence on the street of Vancouver, though small in isolation, was part of a major movement. As the US/UK attacks increase, and as the resistance also grows, our role becomes more important as well. The global antiwar movement must respond with the passion and urgency of the Iraqi people with no delay and no hesitation. We must be on the street as long as Palestinian people resist despite their children are being beaten and killed at the hands of Israeli Defence forces. We must be on the street as long as the women of Afghanistan demand “OCCUPIERS OUT!” We must be on the street as long as Indigenous people in Canada are fighting for Sovereignty. We must be on the street, until we, as poor and working people, we as women, we as youth, we as the oppressed people of the world are fighting back. 

 

 All are welcome and invited to join us as we organize our struggle for the movement against imperialism, war and occupation. A reminder that the next meeting of Mobilization Against War and Occupation is this Tuesday, April 13  @ 6:30pm at the Britannia Community Centre (Commercial Drive at Napier).

 

In Fighting Solidarity,

Kira Koshelanyk & Shannon Bundock

Mobilization Against War and Occupation Co-Chairs

 

more info: www.mawovancouver.org




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