“I believe that the momentum that is going to come out of this day’sactivities around the world, with unprecedented numbers of people cominginto the streets not in defence but out of hope — a belief that a differentroute should be taken and that we can actually stop the momentum that hasbeen built up by George Bush and abetted by Tony Blair. I think there is asense of hope here that is quite extraordinary. And I think it will stiffenthe backbone of the French and the Germans. Maybe it will even create abackbone in the Canadian government. That is what we need desperately nowbecause if Canada joined with the French and the Germans and spoke outstrongly, this would transform the debate. Canada needs to be a clarioncall for peace. That’s what we need and that’s what Canadians want to see.Look at the numbers here, it’s phenomenal.”
Jack Layton,
Leader of the Federal NDP
“We’ve seen so much coverage of the war — but we’re talking about warwithout talking about death. We started to talk to our daughter about it, andher feelings are very strong. She came up with the words for our sign ‘warkills kids like me.’ It’s so obscene that it feels so imminent. It shouldn’tbe. I hope we make a difference today.”
Ann Curry-Stevens and her five-year-old daughter Michele
“Workers are out here today because we understand the economic intereststhat are driving this war are the interests that are not going to be in ourfavour at the end of the day. That’s quite outside what is wrong with thisparticular war in Iraq, that this is about the struggle of domination of onesuperpower to impose its interests on every human being around the world.We’ve seen that in the globalization struggles, and we actuallyunderstand at the end of the day that this is about control of oil. And wealso understand the role the energy companies and the arms industry is verymuch a part of why George W. Bush is going to take our world into war.Working people are the ones who get killed in war and working families arethose who suffer the most. The millionaires and the corporate owners aresitting in their comfortable towers making record profits while little kidsand mothers and fathers are slaughtered.”
John Cartwright,
Toronto and York Region Labour Council President
“We’re here because we don’t believe that George Bush should be behavingthis way, and we don’t believe in the war. It’s amazing to me the dollarsthat we can raise for the war effort but the dollars that we can’t raise tohelp people who are homeless, people who are starving. It’s a shame.”
Nancy Pridham,
Ontario Public Service Employees Union Executive Board member
“There’s been over 25,000 OPSEU members laid off since [former OntarioPremier Mike] Harris was elected. [The Ontario Tories] support the Bush agenda ofderegulation, tax cuts and increased military spending. It’s all part of thecontinuum of the law and order agenda. It’s got to stop and the way to stopit is by taking to the streets.”
Jan Borowy,
Ontario Public Service Employees Union Executive employee
“My daughters and I came today to support both the movement for peace andthe people of Iraq because Islam is for peace. I think it is good to jointhe demonstrations; even if it doesn’t make a difference, at least thepeople of Iraq know that others are supporting them.”
Fareeda Amin, with her daughters Saajida Khadim (11) and Salliha Khadim (9)
“We don’t want war. We don’t want people to die. It doesn’t matter whichreligion, what colour you are, we don’t want any people to die. We want peacein the world, not just in Iraq but all over the world. I am so happy that weare all together as one against the evil war. So many people are sufferingin the world, not just in Iraq but in other parts of the world too,especially children and older people, they don’t understand why they aregetting killed or are hungry or sick or can’t find medicine. So I don’t like warat all. We are all sisters and brothers. We must live in peace.”
Guler, a Muslim woman from Toronto who marched with her friends
“Students are out here today partially because anti-war movementshave always been student anti-war movements. We have always recognized thatthis is the world that we are going to have to inherit, and I think youngerpeople often care more about the future and making the world a more peacefulplace. But on top of that I think it boils down to basic economics. Ourtuition is going up, they say there is not enough money for health care, butthere’s enough money for war. Students don’t want helicopters. We don’t wantbombs. We want health care. We want education. We want social programs. Ithink that is why a lot of students are out here against this war.”
Alex Artful-Dodger,
University of Toronto Students’ Administrative CouncilExternal Commissioner
