[antiwar-van] For Imm Rls: ANTI-WAR RALLY TO OPPOSE DEATH OF 10 YR OLD AFGHAN BOY (Aug 26 Van)

[Kira Koshelanyk]

Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO)
www.mawovancouver.org | info at mawovancouver.org
Ph. 604-322-1764 | Fax. 604-322-1763

August 23, 2006
Vancouver BC

NEWS ITEM: For Immediate Release

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!

-------------------------------------
PROTEST MARCH AND RALLY
“Canada out of Afghanistan! US/UK Out of Iraq! Israel out of Lebanon and 
Palestine!”
SATURDAY AUGUST 26TH
3pm
Vancouver Art Gallery (Robson and Hornby St, downtown Vancouver)

Organized by: Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO)
www.mawovancouver.org
-------------------------------------

VANCOUVER: On Tuesday August 22nd, the 28th Canadian military death in 
Afghanistan was followed immediately 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 their ‘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-

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