[news] 1, 000 in Vancouver urge end to foreign occupations in Middle East

[resist]

-----Forwarded Message-----
From: shniad at sfu.ca
To: shniad at sfu.ca
Subject: [pr-x] 1,000 urge end to foreign occupations in Middle East
Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2003 10:30:40 -0700


Vancouver Sun	   Monday, September 29, 2003

1,000 urge end to foreign occupations in Middle East

Anti-war protest part of international day of action
 
Amy O'Brian 

About 1,000 people gathered on the sunny lawn of the Vancouver Art Gallery
Sunday afternoon to demand an end to the foreign occupations of Iraq,
Palestine and Afghanistan. 

The rally -- which drew seniors, toddlers, university students and teenagers
-- was part of an "international day of action" that included much larger
demonstrations in Athens, Paris, New York, San Francisco and London, where
about 20,000 people gathered after marching through the city. 

In Vancouver, rainbow flags mingled with communist banners as an impromptu
marching band gathered to energize the crowd before a march along Georgia,
Granville and Robson streets. 

Although the lawn was bustling with people before the march, the rally did
not attract nearly the same number of people as the monthly demonstrations
held before and during the U.S.-led bomb attacks on Iraq. On Feb. 15, an
estimated 30,000 people gathered on the streets surrounding the art gallery
in solidarity with millions of other protesters around the world. 

Organizers were not surprised by the smaller crowd at Sunday's rally, saying
people were disheartened by the lack of effect earlier protests seemed to
have on the war in Iraq. "We knew not to expect the huge numbers we had [in
the winter and spring]," said rally organizer Derrick O'Keefe.

"When there were such huge protests and [U.S. President George W.] Bush and
[British Prime Minister Tony] Blair went ahead with the war anyway, I think
a lot of people got depressed or demoralized."

But O'Keefe said the goal of the rally is to let people know the issue is
not dead and that the occupations of middle eastern countries are synonymous
with war. 

"The situation isn't as clear as it was before the bombing, but I think the
occupation is a continuation of the war," he said. 

The continuing American occupation in Afghanistan is crystal clear for Kabir
Hamid, who left his parents in Afghanistan nearly four years ago when he
fled the country for a better education. 

Hamid, 21, now a student at the University of B.C., said he is frustrated by
those who think an end to Taliban rule and the presence of American troops
means a better life for the people of his country.

"Famine is still as bad as it ever was. There are millions of people dying
of starvation.... Women's rights are still as bad as they ever were because
you need a cultural change. You don't change the way people feel about women
by bombing a country." 

He said he feels privileged to be getting a good education in a democratic
society, but will never forget his home. "Every day is a day of despair.
Every day something in your memory or in your experience reminds you what is
happening to your people." 


http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=4d2a0ad3-a9fe-4e92-a493-136f96020
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