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Bush basher

Protesters at the Art Gallery

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Allah peace

January 22, 2003

money frivolously on war in order to “spread democracy”
and “free the people of Iraq” it is estimated that a mere $six
billion could solve our world hunger problem. It is no
wonder why 20,000 people marched for peace in
Vancouver against this fagade of a war.

There was a wide range of people marching that after-
noon, some chanting anti-war mantras such as “No blood!
No oil! No war on Iraqui soil!” and “The people united,
will never be defeated!” Others were singing the slogans,
some even cheerleading (and yes, they had pom-poms).
There were political ideologies ranging from Greenpeace,
the Green Party, the NDP, the Vancouver Raging Grannies,
the Communist Party of Canada, the Palestine Solidarity
Group, the Emily Carr Students Against the War Coalition,
Jews for a Just Peace, to name just a few of over 100
endorsers for the event. However, despite the awesome
turnout, some, like David King, a student from UBC, were
disappointed. “There’s not enough students here.” He, like
many others believe that it’s important to activate oneself
against such an important issue instead of simply doing
nothing.

The march started at Library Square with the sun trying
to light its way through the fog, and ended at the Art
Gallery where we were greeted with the screams of the
punk band DOA. After the band’s performance, the par-
ticipants were encouraged to sing along with the Vancouver
Folk Song Society to lyrics such as, “If your IQ’s nearly
zero, bomb Iraq!” sung to the tune of “She'll be coming
around the mountain,” poking fun at President Bush, yet
again. Speakers such as Libby Davies MP, Hemsa Nosh
and Dr. Saren Azer really aroused the public’s passion,
speaking truth of what's really going on; something presi-
dent Bush and his Cabinet ministers should learn to do,
Azer, from the International Society for Peace and Human
Rights, opened his speech with a unique spiritual approach:
“l applaud your courage,” he told the audience. “Your pres-
ence here today, is a living proof of an elevated conscious-
ness on this planet. An elevated consciousness that says
peace and says no to atrocities and says no to genocide.”
He goes on from there, as did the other speakers, enlight-
ening the listeners about the lies the people are being told,
and also what the people aren't being told.

The truth is, Bush’s family has been linked to big business
oil and energy interests like Arbusto, the Texas oil compa-
ny, for generations. Vice President Dick Cheney is also
linked to oil interests as he was once CEO of the huge ener-
gy company Halliburton, which has branches from Dallas
all the way to Kazakhstan. There is an estimated 200 bar-
rels of oil in the Caspian Sea region and the US has been
negotiating for years prior to 9/11 with Saudi Arabia for
that oil, since US oil reserves are depleting fast with
demand increasing. Well, what better way to gain control
over Saudi Arabia than with a war and imposed sanctions?
On the 12th anniversary of the start of the Gulf War under
the command of George Bush Senior, George Bush Junior
is desperately trying to follow in his father’s footsteps,
except this time, he has something new to worry about: the
democratic voice of the people. With more people united
against Bush’s capitalist regime, the harder it will be start
this war. So as the saying goes, like Libby Davies MP stat-
ed in her speech, “When the people lead, the leaders, they

will have to follow.”

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