[antiwar-van] *Report Back from ICAW/MAWO "No War on Iran" Picket Action

[Kira Koshelanyk]

*** Report Back from ***
>> Urgent Picket Action
"NO WAR ON IRAN!"
December 10, 2007 at the US Consulate in Vancouver BC

Co-organized by the Iranian Committee Against War
(ICAW) and Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO)
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VANCOUVER PICKET ACTION DEMANDING "NO WAR ON IRAN!"
"US HANDS OFF IRAN!"

~~> WATCH THE VIDEO of the picket at:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=B1pOb36rs_Q
~ OR ~
http://mawovancouver.org/nowaroniran.html

VANCOUVER, BC - In the winter chill of the late
afternoon, more than 90 people picketed and marched
in front of the US Consulate in Vancouver demanding,
"No War on Iran!". The urgent picket action was a
show of opposition and anger by Iranian community
members and many other Vancouver residents to the US
Government’s increasing threats of military
aggression on Iran.

Picket MCs Janine Solanki, MAWO Co-Chair, and Ali
Yerevani of the Iranian Committee Against War, opened
the picket action with a round of picketing and
chanting "No War on Iran!" Janine rallied the
participants by stating that they had all come to the
streets that day to show the importance of opposing,
protesting and stopping the US military, destructive
attack on Iran. She emphasized how important it was
for people all over the world, Iranian and all
others, to defend the people of Iran against this
vicious attack.

Ali also spoke and read a statement to the picket
explaining that the US government has  used the
accusation that Iran is developing nuclear weapons to
justify international  isolation, sanctions and
attacks on Iran for years. While the Iranian
government has never  accepted the accusation or
claimed to be doing so, last week the National
Intelligence  Estimate (NIE) reported that Iran
stopped any nuclear arms work or research in 2003.
Ali  said that, despite this blow to the US war
drive’s rhetoric against Iran, George Bush maintains
that Iran is still a "danger to the world" and the US 
will keep "all options on  the table" - statements
that bring a terrible threat against the people of Iran.

Picketers marched, waving signs, shouting, "U.S.
Hands Off Iran!" Many new faces joined from the
sidewalks, soon building a picket line that was twice 
the length of the U.S. Consulate building. As the
evening turned darker, picket placards could still be
seen from the streets, as rush hour traffic showed
support by honking their horns and waving to
protesters.

The picket speakers included David Whittelesey, a
MAWO organizer and veteran of the US Civil Rights and
of the Vietnam antiwar movement; Brad McCall, a
former US soldier turned 'war resister' who left the
US Army and fled to Canada in opposition to the
occupation of Iraq; Aaron Mercredi, a Métis youth
organizer with the Indigenous Rights and Action
Project and MAWO, who explained that the current era
of war and occupation is an extension of a long
history of genocide against Indigenous people in
North America; and finally, Payvand Pevjack of the
Iranian Committee Against War and a student Simon
Fraser University. Payvand said that we have not
"turned a blind eye" to the years of brutal US
occupation in Afghanistan or Iraq, and that we won’t
turn away as the US now sets its crosshairs on Iran:
a country of 72 million people, rich in human history
and culture, that has been independent of US control
since the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Amidst cheers, she
said that we must continue to defend the Iranian
people to stop any attacks.

After several more rounds of picketing and chants,
the picket was wrapped up by words from the Co-MCs of
the picket who emphasized the necessity for an
expanding and ongoing campaign of action to oppose,
protest and stop US military aggression against Iran.
The protestors shouted their words that rang out
again among the buildings around the US Consulate "No
to War on Iran!"

In response to these increasing attacks on Iran’s
sovereignty, MAWO and ICAW called this urgent picket
action as part of a worldwide campaign of growing
importance: to defend Iran and its people against US
military aggression. We encourage all those opposed
to this threat to join us and get involved!

Reminder - Vancouver Emergency Action Plan: In the
case that the US starts bombing or marching on Iran,
come to the US Consulate (1075 W Pender @ Thurlow St) 
on the day of attack at 4pm, and for the next week at 
the same time, with daily protests for the first
week. This action plan is being called by the Iranian
Committee Against War and is endorsed and supported
by MAWO.

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