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29 November 2004 |
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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/... |
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Protest organizers are pulling out all the stops as they try to gather crowds in time for a visit to Canada by U.S. President George W. Bush. Mr. Bush comes Tuesday to a nation where many people are deeply unhappy about his policies. He can expect major protests in Ottawa and reportedly cancelled plans to address Parliament because of the likelihood of being heckled. His pending visit was the source of lively exchanges Monday in the House of Commons, where opposition politicians pressed the government to use the opportunity to push trade and security issues. Bloc Leader Gilles Duceppe and NDP Leader Jack Layton sought assurances that Canada would not participate in missile defence if it involved placing weapons in space. "By accepting not to discuss the matter of the anti-missile shield with George Bush, the Prime Minister actually is not doing his duty, because most Canadians and Quebeckers are opposed to Canada's participation in such a project," Mr. Duceppe charged. Prime Minister Paul Martin retorted that Mr. Duceppe knew "full well" that his government is against weapons in space but that such discussion is "premature" with the details of missile defence still to be worked out. His argument drew mockery from Mr. Layton, who said the government position was like "eating a Big Mac while [pretending] you're a vegetarian." Mr. Bush's two-day visit was announced only a few weeks ago, leaving little time to rally demonstrators. But protest organizers, who say their intentions are peaceful, hope to get thousands of people into the streets. The visit will be marked by a major security effort, with restricted airspace and a huge deployment of police officers and bodyguards. Alex McDonough, an MP from Halifax, was furious Monday with what she saw as government efforts to stifle dissent. "I am aghast that the Parliamentary Secretary for Canada-U.S. relations would urge Atlantic Canadians to 'take a pause from expressing our view' during Mr. Bush's visit," she said. Travelling with his most senior advisers, Mr. Bush will first pay a courtesy call to Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson on Tuesday. He will spend the rest of the day meeting with senior government officials, setting aside time to speak to Conservative Leader Stephen Harper. Mr. Harper has long criticized the Liberal government for not stamping out anti-Bush sentiments in its ranks. He has warned that public criticism of the Bush White House has slowed the resolution of trade disputes. Polls through the summer and early fall showed that the majority of Canadians were opposed to Mr. Bush's foreign policy and would have preferred that he lose the election at the start of this month. A new poll out Monday, commissioned by Friends of America, suggests, however, that Canadians value the national relationship with the United States and do not confuse it with personal differences between leaders. A survey of 1,000 Canadians, conducted by GPC Public Affairs, showed that 71 per cent thought the United States was our closest friend and that about the same percentage believe that "opposing the policies of President Bush is not the same as being anti-American." Talks on Tuesday are expected to focus on trade and security issues, with an emphasis on reopening the U.S. border to Canadian beef. The border slammed shut in the spring of 2003 after a single Alberta cow was found to have BSE, more commonly known as mad-cow disease. According to a report Monday from the Bank of Montreal, Canadian cattle producers have lost an estimated $5-billion since the border closed. "Cattle producers have been hit by lower output, weaker prices, and narrowing margins," said Rick Egelton, senior VP and deputy chief economist of BMO's Financial Group. "In economic terms, the closing of the border has been devastating to Canadian ranchers and their families." Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew said on the weekend that his government has been given "signals" that Mr. Bush's visit would set in motion a clear timetable for opening the border. Highlighting the urgency of the issue, Mr. Bush will be fed Alberta beef at his dinner Tuesday evening. Mr. Bush will finish the day with a private meeting with Prime Minister Paul Martin - to "review the day's work," as the PMO puts it - and a dinner and official reception hosted by Mr. Martin. The U.S. President will travel Wednesday to Halifax, planning to thank residents of the East Coast for taking in air passengers stranded by the events of Sept. 11, 2001. At every stop, Mr. Bush can expect protesters. Although they concede the difficulty of raising a crowd in the middle of the week, with temperatures expected to remain locked in the single digits, protest organizers are predicting thousands of demonstrators. They are planning varied events, including a mock trial of Mr. Bush under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act. "We are supporting the millions of American citizens and people around the world who, like us, want an end to the illegal war and occupation of Iraq," the Halifax Peace Coalition (HPC) said in a statement. "While we may be dismayed, angry and frustrated, these actions will be non-violent and reflect our support for peace and social justice, self-determination, the environment and other people."
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29 November 2004 |
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VOW Opposes George Bush Visit from Coast to Coast. VOW co-founder and Canadian Peace icon, 96 yr old, Muriel Duckworth, to lead march in Halifax. The Canadian Voice of Women for Peace [VOW] is mobilizing, along with the entire Canadian peace movement, to oppose the visit of George W Bush to Ottawa on November 30th and Halifax on December 1st. VOW Co-Chair Janis Alton says: "We are most concerned about his crimes against humanity and war crimes especially the Nuremberg Tribunal's 'supreme international crime' of waging an aggressive war against Iraq in defiance of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, systematic and massive violations of the Geneva Conventions Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War and Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. We fear his visit may be misconstrued as Canada's support for his illegal actions in Iraq and around the world ." The Voices across the country will be marching, mourning with black arm bands, and performing in mock trials to show George W Bush he is not welcome. Members of the Nova Scotia Voice of Women will be convening in the Parade Square in front of city hall to take part in a rally to oppose Mr. Bush's presence in Halifax when he speaks at Pier 21 on the waterfront on December 1st. National VOW Co-Chair, Dr Janet M Eaton, also a media team member for the Halifax Peace Coalition says: "This will be a peaceful rally with all ages represented including one ofCanada's oldest and most revered and respected peace activists, VOW member, 96 year old, Muriel Duckworth, who will be at the head of the march in her wheelchair along side Halifax Peace Coalition organizer, Tamara Lorincz who will be accompanied by her 4 month old infant son." The Voice of Women calls upon Mr Martin to resist any pressure from Mr Bush to sign on to the misguided and ill-fated US Ballistic Missile Defence and instead insists that he ensure and enact an independent foreign and defence policy for Canada, consistent with Canadian values, long held principles of peace, order and good government, and respect for the rule of international law. Contact:
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28 November 2004 |
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http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/... |
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Even though U.S. President George Bush doesn't arrive for his first bilateral visit to Canada until next week, demonstrations against the U.S. ballistic missile-defence system were already underway in Ottawa on Saturday. More than 100 people wore white overalls. They laid down on Parliament Hill's front lawn to spell out "NO BMD" and a peace sign with their bodies. Individuals who were to speak at the rally include: Missile defence researcher Sara Kemp; Maher Arar's wife Monia Mazigh of the federal NDP party, and speakers from groups such as Physicians for Global Survival and the Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade. Thousands of demonstrators are also planning rallies in Halifax and Ottawa against the war in Iraq and Bush's missile-defence system during his two-day visit. Martin "is leaving Canadian citizens no choice but to attend the peaceful rallies and marches that are going to be held because he does not intend to raise issues on their behalf quite clearly, particularly the most important one in international affairs today,'' NDP Leader Jack Layton complained Friday. Bush's agenda for his first official working trip to Canada is packed. "Lots of anticipation on that meeting, Martin has a pretty tight agenda," CTV's Rosemary Thompson said from Burkina Faso, where Martin is wrapping up the annual Francophone summit. "He wants to talk about trade irritants like softwood lumber and the mad cow disease. He wants to talk about the security at the border, as well as North American security and he wants to talk to George Bush about his vision of a multilateral world where countries work together rather than work against each other or are isolated." Thompson said, "They had a good meeting in Chile a week ago, they want to build on that momentum." Later Tuesday night, Bush will dine with provincial premiers, diplomats and cattlemen desperate to reopen the U.S. border to Canadian at the Museum of Civilization. On Wednesday, the U.S. President will fly to Halifax, where he is expected to thank Atlantic Canadians who opened their doors to U.S. travellers stranded during the Sept. 11 attacks.
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