March 18 MAWO Picket Action Report

62th Picket Action Demanding Canada/US/NATO Out of Afghanistan Now!

For the 62nd time in five years, Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO) organized a picket demanding CANADA/US/NATO OUT OF AFGHANISTAN NOW! The picket took place at the Canadian Forces Recruitment Centre and received a lot of support from passersby who honked and gave the peace sign throughout the picket.

MAWO Co-Chair Andrew Barry MC’d the picket, beginning by reading the MAWO press statement on the war in Afghanistan. This led to an energetic first round of picketing as people came together to chant “CANADA OUT OF AFGHANISTAN NOW!”

The second speaker of the day was Kerri Goodwin, a MAWO Executive Committee member and an Indigenous activist. Kerri opened her talk by describing the third-world conditions of Indigenous reserves in Canada.

“How does the government of Canada expect to convince people that it is going to improve the lives of Afghans while they have made the lives of my people so terrible for centuries?” Kerri asked the crowd.

Kerri’s talk was followed by a second round of loud chanting and picketing, accompanied by a clamour of honking by passing drivers. The picketers then heard from David Whittlesey, a veteran of the civil rights and anti-Vietnam war era. David connected the imperialist wars and occupations of today to the US war on Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s.

Alison Bodine, a Co-Chair of MAWO, spoke next via cell phone from New York. Alison could not be at the picket in person due to a political targeting of her in 2007 that forced her out of Canada. Alison informed people of “Camp: Out Now” in Washington DC where anti-war activist and “peace mom” Cindy Sheehan has been leading a camp in front of the White House protesting the US wars and occupations.

A final round of picketing followed Alison’s talk. Janine Solanki, an Executive Committee member of MAWO, gave the final talk of the picket. Janine spoke of the civilian killings in Afghanistan, and how the resistance movement in Afghanistan is getting stronger and stronger.

With picket signs raised high, there was a call for more action. Mobilization Against War & Occupation will continue to picket and protest the war in Afghanistan until it comes to an end. Join MAWO for our monthly pickets in calling for an end to this criminal war drive.

CANADA/US/NATO OUT OF AFGHANISTAN NOW!
TROOPS OUT NOW!