TORONTO, Jan 19: Nearly 20,000 people of all ages marched through the snow-filled streets of major Canadian cities on Saturday to reject war against Iraq with a television survey saying that the US poses more serious threat to world peace than Osama bin Laden and his network.
According to a local television network survey here, most Canadians feel that America is posing a threat to the world peace. Canadians are also saying ‘no’ to Iraq war without UN approval.
Inspite of cold weather across the country, demonstrators gathered in main cities, including Ottawa, Edmonton, Halifax and Toronto.
“George Bush, we know your Daddy was a killer too!” marchers shouted over and over on their way up University Avenue in Toronto.
Addressing the gathering here, a prominent leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) warned: “If there were to be a war in Iraq today it’s estimated on the first day of the attack as many as 10,000 civilians would be killed, followed by many tens of thousands more.”
He told the cheering crowd that protests could make a difference, pointing out public demonstrations had helped end the the US war against Vietnam.
Other speakers said that the American agenda was about oil, not ending “terrorism.”
“It’s time to tell the Americans to put their own house in order and let us find peace in the world,” noted author and educator Walter Pitman, 73, told the demonstrators.
