Photos of the Toronto rally for US war resisters, part I (dial-up warning)

[JeffR]

The War Resisters Support Campaign and the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War held a rally yesterday in support of Jeremy Hinzman and other US soldiers seeking asylum in Canada.

Last November, the Supreme Court of Canada refused to hear appeals from war resisters, essentially clearing the way for their deportation. On December 6, Parliament's Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration passed a motion by a vote of 7 to 4 to recommend that the government drop all deportation proceedings and allow the resisters and their families to remain in Canada.

Yesterday's rally at a downtown church drew about 300 people, some of whom were draft dodgers who've lived here since the Sixties.

Some of the young soldiers spoke movingly about their previous experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. One commented that he didn't realize what a functional representative democracy looked like until he came to Canada.

Some photos from the event follow. Part II can be found here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2774091

The church filling up:







Reminiscences of the Vietnam era:



Former Ontario Premier Bob Rae:



Jeremy Hinzman, who served with the 82nd Airborne in Afghanistan:



The fellow in the second row on the aisle is Bill King, musician, broadcaster & photographer, & Vietnam war resister:

[babylonsister]

1. Thank you, Jeff! Do you have a link for part II? And that church is

beautiful. Has anything changed in Canada for the resisters?

[JeffR]

3. Just edited in the link!

The next step is what the government does about the Citizenship & Immigration Committee's recommendation. That. I believe, will depend on pressure from the opposition parties. I assume Harper's inclination would be to escort the resisters personally to Gitmo as a gift to his buddy W.

[Yael]

2. Thanks!

[Change has come]

4. K&R

:kick:

[malaise]

5. Very nice

Thanks.

[jhain]

6. Beautiful, JeffR

Wish I could have been there. I did sign the letter available at IVAW .

Thank you for all your time and devotion.

-Jude




*IVAW Updates
Support war resisters in Canada - this Friday and Saturday

Since the beginning of the Iraq war, many soldiers who refuse to fight have crossed the border into Canada seeking refuge. Some of them make up our Toronto chapter, and all of them live with the knowledge that they may soon be deported back to the US to face trials, incarcerations, or worse, for standing up for what is right. These men and women deserve our respect and our support, and there are several ways you can help their cause today and in the coming months.

Today is the day to join this cause and take a stand for the men and women who are resisting this war.

Courage to Resist is pushing for a provision of sanctuary for U.S. war resisters in Canada that would allow them to avoid deportation. On January 25th, vigils and demonstrations will be held in the United States, and delegations will be sent to local Canadian consulates to demonstrate that many Americans support a vote in the Canadian Parliament that would provide for that sanctuary. You can join local actions in Washington D.C., New York, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Minneapolis, and you can help organize in other parts of the country as well.

Joining this movement is a concrete way that you can show support for those who resist this war. Here's what you can do to help:
o Join an action on January 25th and 26th
o Sign the letter “Dear Canada: Let U.S. War Resisters Stay!” and encourage others to sign.
o Organize a delegation to a Canadian Consulate near you.
o Host an event or house-party in support of war resisters.

Go to www.couragetoresist.org to find out more and get involved today!

[JeffR]

8. Thanks for the Courage to Resist link!

I forgot to mention that pressure can be brought to bear on Harper through actions in many American cities.

[democrank]

7. Bless them, one and all.

~PEACE~

[RedSock]

9. great stuff jeffr

Great shots!

BTW, I'm the partner of the woman behind the shirts/dvds table who was asking you about possible pictures, because our camera had no flash!

It was great to meet you! Great event!!

[RedSock]

10. How anti-war people in the US can help

Anyone who wants to support the men and women who have decided to follow international law and defy the US's illegal invasion/occupation of Iraq should write a quick letter to Stephane Dion, the leader of the Canada's liberal party, telling him to support the current resolution before Parliament calling for:

- an end to all deportation proceedings against resisters
- a provision so the resisters can apply for legal residence in Canada

The other two minority parties, the NDP and the Bloc, support the resolution. The main reason behind the rally yesterday was to increase the pressure on the liberals to do the right thing. Right now, they are acting like jellyfish, afraid to stick their necks out and go against the conservatives (sound familiar?).

Information on who to write to in Canada can be found here.

[JeffR]

11. Thanks!

Great to meet you too!

I haven't felt so positive at an antiwar event in a long time. The crowd was great, the speakers were compelling and the stories from the resisters were very touching. The War Resisters Support Campaign is doing incredible work. Congratulations to all of you for your efforts!