[OPIRG-EVENTS] "End Occupation" March - Sat Sept 27 - 1PM

[Paul Smith <psmith@web.ca>]

END THE OCCUPATION OF IRAQ
FREEDOM FOR PALESTINE

DEMONSTRATE ON PARLIAMENT HILL
1:00 PM 
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2003

If this is victory, what would defeat look like? Three months after the
war in Iraq, the US has admitted its soldiers are embroiled in a full
guerrilla war. The Iraqi people are subjected to a colonial military
occupation. Despite the billions being spent on the war and occupation,
the Iraqis are suffering shortages of water and electricity, and face
total disruption to their everyday rights. After years of dictatorship,
they are denied any democratic voice or say in the running of their
country.

Contrary to everything that Bush and Blair told us, the Iraqis did not
welcome the military forces as liberators and every day there are
demonstrations in Iraq asking them to leave.

WOT, NO WMDS? Everything that the anti-war movement said about this war
has proved to be true. We were told that the war was to disarm Saddam
Hussein, but no weapons of mass destruction have been found. Evidence that
Iraq bought uranium from the African state of Niger has been shown to be
forged. Tony Blair is continuing to claim that British intelligence had
such evidence, but even the CIA has denied this.

Despite talk of the 'special relationship' between Britain and the US,
George Bush clearly doesn't care enough to even release the prisoners from
Guantanamo Bay.

Our movement nearly stopped the war, with millions taking to the streets,
including thousands in Ottawa - the largest locally-based demonstrations
ever. Now we have to redouble our efforts to push our government to help
bring the US and UK to account and to immediately end the occupation of
Iraq.

At the same time, we have to draw attention to the continuing erosion of
civil rights here in Canada with the execution of "security certificates"
and the arbitrary detention of people who are not even accused of
committing a crime. We also denounce the international advance of
militarism, violence, and state terror in places as diverse as Palestine,
the Philippines, and Colombia.

NOWAR-PAIX, the Ottawa/Outaouais Network to Oppose War and Racism, along
with the Global Peace Coalition of Ottawa University and Carleton
University, joins the international peace and anti-imperialist movements
in calling an international day of protest for September 27. Help make it
a huge protest that our government - and the US/UK governments - cannot
ignore.


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