[Stopwar-l] War Resister Rodney Watson's 4th year in Sanctuary

[StopWar]

**Please forward widely**

War Resisters Support Campaign - Vancouver

Dear friends,

This September will mark the fourth anniversary of Iraq-War resister
Rodney Watson's arrival seeking sanctuary at First United Church. To
commemorate this anniversary, we want to honour the sacrifice Rodney has
made for his beliefs and renew our demand that the Canadian government
allow Rodney and the other Iraq-War resisters to live freely in Canada, so
that Rodney can get on with his life with his Canadian wife and son.

Please join us on Saturday Sept 14 from 4pm - 7pm at First United Church -
320 E Hastings St.

Speakers will include:
Rodney Watson, Iraq war veteran and war resister,
Libby Davies, Member of Parliament for Vancouver East,
Stephen Gray from First United Church and
Sarah Bjorknas on behalf of the War Resisters Support Network.

A light dinner will be served. (contributions gratefully accepted)


While serving in Iraq Rodney saw the truth of the war and decided he would
not return. Rather than go to prison in the US while the criminals who
started the war remained free, he came to Vancouver in 2006. With the
assistance of the War resisters Support Campaign, Rodney appealed for
refugee status on the grounds that he faced persecution in America for his
refusal to take part in an illegal occupation that involved war crimes
against the people of Iraq.

The minority Conservative government ordered Rodney to leave Canada on
September 11, 2009. Rodney appealed to the First United Church for
sanctuary, and given the injustice of the Canadian government's decision
to send him to prison in America, the church accepted his request. He has
lived inside the church building ever since then.




-----------------------------------------
War Resisters Support Campaign Vancouver

vanresisters at yahoo.ca

http://vancouverwarresisters.org

Tel: 604-349-5027

c/o 1143 E Pender St
Vancouver BC V6A 1W6







-- 
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for Justice and Peace

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