Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
August 29, 2013
The Hamilton Coalition To Stop The War (HCSW) announces that it will hold an informational picket at the Federal Building, 55 Bay Street North, from 10:30 to noon on Labour Day, Monday, September 2, 2013, to send a message to the Harper government of Canada that it should not participate in any US-led military attack on Syria. Rather, it should insist on a thorough investigation by UN weapons inspectors of the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government. Our main slogan will be “Harper: Hands Off Syria!”
We note that demonstrations in the UK persuaded the British Parliament to outvote, by a two-to-one margin, a Conservative motion to support US military action vs. Syria, without waiting for the results of the UN investigation.
The HCSW also wishes to hold Foreign Minister John Baird to his official position that a political – not military – solution is preferable to end the Syrian crisis.
In addition, the HCSW will call for the Harper government of Canada to withdraw from the so-called “Friends of Syria” organization, which organization funds, arms, and organizes foreign mercenaries to fight for the overthrow of the Syrian government and has also coordinated punishing sanctions against the Syria people, outside the framework of the UN Security Council. In fact, the Harper government recently hosted in Ottawa a meeting of the “Friends of Syria” sanctions sub-committee.
Finally, in recognition of the right of Syrians to self-determination, we will ask the government of Canada to recognize and support the Musalaha (national reconciliation) movement in Syria and seek to bring together the government of Syria and the Syrian domestic opposition in an effort to help achieve peace.
The HCSW will support a demonstration at the US Consulate by our sister group, the Toronto Coalition To Stop The War, on Saturday, August 31, 2013 at 2 pm across from the US Consulate in Toronto. We are trying to organize carpooling from Hamilton for that event.
The HCSW is a member organization of the Canadian Peace Alliance. The CPA statement, “Don’t Attack Syria”.
For more info, please call Ken at 905-383-7693 or e-mail.
Please find below the statement by Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire regarding the US plan to attack Syria. Ms. Maguire led the Musalaha Mission to Syria in May 2013.
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The Peace People, 224 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 6GE, Northern Ireland
Phone: 0044 (0) 28 9066 346 Email The Peace People
Press release 26th August 2013
Mairead Maguire, Nobel peace laureate, today appealed to the Rt. Hon. William Hague, British Foreign Minister, and M. Laurent Fabius, French Foreign Minister, to stop calling for military action against Syria which, she said, will only lead the Middle East into even more violence and bloodshed for its people.