[van-announce] No FTAA Halloween

[Macdonald Stainsby]

In the beginning of August, a call out from groups in Quebec (primarily 
students in and around the CFS and other non CFS post-secondary 
schools) brought many people to Montreal.

The date of October 31st marks a day where the FTAA government 
ministers and others start their next round of talks.

People across Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia and many other South and 
Central American (not to mention Caribbean) countries from all walks of 
life are going to directly challenge the legitimacy of this plan for 
all of us here in the West. 

People gathered in Montreal from across Canada (BC, Alberta, Manitoba, 
Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Ontario) and of course Quebec itself decided 
to oppose the new round of talks in co-ordination with our brothers and 
sisters in the South. 

In the South, there will be multiple job and student actions, as well 
as counter conferences and large manifestations/demonstrations.

In the nation of Quebec, many of the Student Unions have called for 
demonstrations and student strikes; these are being co-oridinated with 
local groups who also oppose the FTAA.

Here in BC, groups are organising to rally and converge on Victory 
Square in Vancouver's Downtown East Side, where we will then move on to 
the Harbour Centre and "spontaneuously" have several teach-in.

we may choose to rename the different classrooms. We do plan to wear 
our Halloween best. I can even guarantee at least one Astro Boy against 
the FTAA.

To make this the best it can be, we need to have a large amount of 
participation. That means people like you, who are against the FTAA, 
against all of these trade deals, against the possible war on Iraq and 
the global war on living stardards...ala Gordon Campbell, yet another
proponent of corporate-globalisation himself.

most importantly, you see these as all part of the same struggle
and you can spare the time to come help this action!

Tonight(Thursday October 3) at Harbour Centre, 6pm. Look for booking on 
the sign near security. 

It's the perfect night! After the meeting is over you can hear 
Na'eem Jeenah, former anti-Apartheid Activist from South Africa, as he 
explains the case for calling Palestine a nation oppresed by Israeli 
Apartheid.

That's also at HC, at 7pm...

-- 
Macdonald Stainsby,
External Relations Co-ordinator,
Douglas Students Union.
**
In the contradiction lies the hope. --Bertholt Brecht.
***
"`Order rules in Berlin.' You stupid lackeys! Your 
`order' is built on sand. Tomorrow the revolution will rear 
ahead once more and announce to your horror amid the brass 
of trumpets: `I was, I am, I always will be!'" 

-Rosa Luxemburg, 1918.