seattle peace activists say "thanks, canada!"

Peace activists held a "Celebration Vigil" in front of the Canadian Consulate in downtown Seattle today. They were celebrating this week's vote in the House of Commons in support of Iraq War resisters in Canada.

Gerry Condon, a Vietnam-era war war resister and long-time anti-war activist, said:

We are here today to thank the Canadian people for providing shelter to our war resisters. You have provided them with homes, with food, with friendship, with legal representation and with political support. We especially want to thank the Canadian unions, churches, artists and activists who make up the War Resisters Support Campaign, which has worked so hard to ensure that war resisters are treated as refugees and not as criminals. Peace-loving people in the United States will be forever grateful.

But this will be a hollow victory if the Conservative government is allowed to flout the will of the Canadian people and act more like a surrogate for George Bush. We demand an end to deportation proceedings against Corey Glass and all war resisters.

Gerry runs Project Safe Haven, an advocacy group for Iraq War resisters. Project Safe Haven plans to present the Canadian Consul with a cake that says, "Thank You, Canada," and a t-shirt reading, "Support Our AWOL Troops."

Gerry again:

George Bush does not support our troops. He has lied to them, and he is using them as cannon fodder in a war that never should have happened. The taxpayers are paying billions of dollars for this war, much of it going to US corporations. But George Bush says we cannot afford a decent GI Bill.

Is it any wonder that opposition to the war is growing among active duty GIs? These brave Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen have the power to bring an end to the illegal U.S. occupation of Iraq.

Gerry, Canada thanks you back!