Chants of “Enough of War, No Blood for Oil” filled the avenue as the march proceeded eastwards to Gazebo Park

By Tamir Abu As-Su`ood & Waleed Najmeddine, IOL Canada Correspondents

EDMONTON, November 18 (IslamOnline) - Calls for the end of American threats to invade Iraq were heard down Whyte Avenue in Edmonton, Canada on Sunday, November 17, as around 700 people of various religious and cultural backgrounds marched in a peaceful demonstration in support of helpless Iraqis.

The march down one of Edmonton’s busiest avenues began around 12:00 in the afternoon at Corbett Hall on the University of Alberta campus.

Chants of “Enough of War, No Blood for Oil” filled the avenue as the march proceeded eastwards to Gazebo Park. Marchers carried Iraqi and Canadian flags as well as signs denouncing American invasions of Iraq and the demand for investigation of weapons of mass destruction.

In the beginning, the organizers distributed leaflets showing the NDP (New Democratic Party) Jack Layton's call on Canada at September 10, 2002 to oppose Bush's Iraq Plans.

"George Bush can't have it both ways," said Layton. "He can't thumb his nose at the world on climate change, the international criminal court and the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty and then demand the world to support his plans for invading Iraq because it ignores the world.

"The United Nations isn't a passport of convenience and selective multilateralism is a dangerous trend that Canada must oppose," said Layton. "We must oppose Canadian involvement in or support of reckless American Plans to invade Iraq, and be a powerful voice for our multilateral answers to global problems. George Bush is wrong and we should be unafraid to say so."

The theme of the rally, organized by The University of Alberta Coalition against War and Racism, was “No for War on Iraq - End the violence” and called for America to give up the idea of attacking Iraq, as a precursor to a just and sustainable peaceful future.

"This has felt like a war on us," said Gamal Abdel-Shehid, a University of Alberta professor, said for many Canadians of Middle Eastern or South Asian descent.

"Racial profiling and harassments at airports have increased exponentially. These are very disturbing developments," Gamal added.

The focus of the rally was to open the eyes of Canadians and the government to the double standard policy that America is adopting in dealing with the Middle East and to demand human rights for the Iraqi people. Representatives of most local news media were present and the march met with honking horns, claps and shouts of encouragement from passers by. The Edmonton Police Service escorted the 90-minute march down Whyte Avenue.

In Ottawa, around 500 demonstrators rallied on Parliament Hill to oppose what they call an "immoral" potential war on Iraq, demanding the Canadian government provide no support for military action.

The theme of the rally was “No for War on Iraq – End the violence”

"We in British Columbia are here today to send a message to our government, to send a message to Jean Chretien, that Canada must not be part of an immoral, illegal war on Iraq," said Robinson.

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