[antiwar-van] Intl day of Action Report Back: MAY 20 Hands Off Cuba & Venezuela (Vancouver, BC)

[Tamara Hansen]

* * * * * * *
VANCOUVER EVENT REPORT BACK: 
Hands Off Cuba & Venezuela International Day of Action

Saturday May 20th 2006

- Rally & March
- ALSO: Media Coverage!
* * * * * * *
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Rally & March
===============

For full report and photos visit:
http://www.vancubasolidarity.com/060520reportback.html

The streets of downtown Vancouver were louder, more
energetic and definiately revolucionario on Saturday,
May 20th 2006. A broad coalition of 80 unions, student
groups, NGO’s, grassroots organizations, academics,
writers and artists mobilized over 300 people as part
of rallies around North America demanding, “Hands Off
Cuba & Venezuela!”

The rally began with chants from co-MC’s Wilson Munoz
of the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian
Church and Tamara Hansen of Vancouver Communities in
Solidarity with Cuba (VCSC). 

The program included many important and knowledgeable
speakers with: former Vancouver City Councillor Tim
Louis, who opened the rally discrediting the recent US
campaigns against Venezuela and Cuba; Fred Muzin,
President of the Hospital Employees Union (HEU) who
gave a fiery speech calling on all people living in
Canada to begin exercising the active democracy seen
in Cuba and Venezuela; and a special greeting of
solidarity came from Reverend Lucius Walker, Executive
Director of the Pastors for Peace, who phoned from the
May 20th rally in Washington, DC.

There was also passionate words shared from the stage
by: Leonor, from the Other Campaign Vancouver and
Organizations in Solidarity with Atenco; Marysol
Torres of the Vancouver Internationalist Bolivarian
Circle “Bob Everton”; Colleen Glynn, an executive of
the Richmond NDP; Andrew Berry from Victoria
Solidarity with Venezuela; Noah Fine, of the Free the
Cuba 5 Committee – Vancouver; Lindsay Clarke, Social
Justice Coordinator for the Capilano Students’ Union.

Part way through the list of speakers people flooded
the streets chanting “Hands Off Cuba! Hands Off
Venezuela! Viva Via Cuba! Viva Viva Venezuela!”
marching to the US Consulate where co-MC Tamara Hansen
read a statement written by the Hands Off Cuba &
Venezuelan May 20th Coalition to bring the demands of
the rally directly to the Consulate. The march then
returned back to the art Gallery for the final
speakers. The rally wrapped up on a musical note with
DJ Contradiction. 

>From there people carried the message of solidarity
back to their homes, communities, and workplaces, as
part of a growing movement demanding: Hands Off Cuba
and Venezuela!

After the rally & march there was also a very
successful fundraiser, "Songs of Solidarity with Cuba
and Venezuela."

For full report and photos of the fundraiser visit:
http://www.vancubasolidarity.com/060520_celebrept.html

===============
Media Coverage!
===============
To see the full coverage visit: 
http://www.vancubasolidarity.com/060523_24hrscoverage.jpg

PROTEST: Protesters stand up for the Americas

John Pigeon, 
24 hours

Fidel Castro has never got a Christmas card from the
White House, so Hugo Chavez shouldn’t feel bad. 

The Venezuelan president is making waves in South
American and has been branded as a dictator by the
U.S.

But according to hundreds of protesters in downtown
Vancouver this weekend, North Americans could learn
from Cuban and Venezuelan governance.

The organizer of a Hands Off Cuba and Venezuela rally,
Marysol Torres, said the West hasn’t given Cuba or
Venezuela credit for excellence in health care,
education and international relief efforts.

“Chavez was in London last week and offered low-price
heating to the United Kingdom,” said Torres said, who
is with the Vancouver International Bolivarian Circle.
“What good things are the United States doing: Sending
soldiers to Iraq?”

Chavez has also provided oil relief to seven South
American states.

“They have got to stop looking at the left as some
evil source of power,” said Venezuelan Capilano
College student Enrique Perez.



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