4,000 gather to support Iraq operation
Paula McCooey
The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, March 30, 2003
Raymond Robinson was one of thousands who gathered on Parliament Hill yesterday despite the rain. Before dispersing, those gathered sang God Save the Queen, accompanied by the blaring of car horns.
Nearly 4,000 people gathered yesterday on Parliament Hill to express their support for the U.S. and its partners in Iraq. Organizers urged the crowd to sign a petition to be delivered to the prime minister.
Supporters of the war in Iraq grabbed their opportunity yesterday to voice their approval of the U.S.-led coalition forces' efforts to remove Saddam Hussein from office and liberate the Iraqi people, while a smaller crowd rallied for peace outside the U.S. Embassy.
Nearly 4,000 supporters of the U.S. and coalition forces weathered the rain to relay their opposition to Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's decision to exclude Canada from the 45 nations listed as allies.
Signs piercing the sea of red, white, and blue read "God Bless America" and "Shame to Chrétien."
The ralliers, many of them more senior than their "peace" opponents, stood before the Peace Tower to hear words that validate their convictions.
"We have to stand by the people of operation Iraqi Freedom," Debbie Jodoin told the crowd.
Ms. Jodoin, a member of an anti-Liberal group "Free Dominion," organized the rally. Strong backers of Free Dominion and the pro-war rally included members of the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservative parties, as well as personalities such as CFRA talk show host Lowell Green.
Mr. Green stood with his hand on a boy's shoulder in front of the soaked crowd.
"I want to introduce to you to Ahmed," he said, as the crowd cheered.
"Ahmed is an Iraqi who had to flee his own country. And with God's will and the allies of the coalition, Ahmed may soon be able to go back to his own land and live in freedom."
The ralliers responded by yelling "free Ahmed."
Ontario Conservative Ottawa-West Nepean MPP Gary Guzzo said speakers and citizens alike were standing on the parliamentary lawn to differentiate "what is right and what is wrong in this world."
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the coalition forces who are today in danger, protecting our freedom, and our thoughts and prayers are more importantly with the captured soldiers and we hope and pray for their safe return," Mr. Guzzo said, emphasizing his approval of Ontario Premier Ernie Eves' and Alberta Premier Ralph Klein's support of the war.
Bernard Phipps, 72, a Vietnam war veteran sporting military medals, stood waving a U.S. and an Ontario flag.
He said the road U.S. President George W. Bush is taking is the only path to free the Iraqi people. This, he says, is because the U.S. and British forces know Mr. Saddam's game.
"I feel that there's no other way to get rid of Saddam and his party," said Mr. Phipps.
"The way the organization is set up, no one else can get to him, only the U.S., British forces and the allied coalition."
Mr. Phipps said he believed the peace ralliers who criticize the U.S. for going to Iraq without proof that the country has weapons of mass destruction and chemical and biological weapons were "uninformed."
Mr. Phipps said he believes Mr. Saddam had hidden the weapons below his 47 palaces, confounding the UN weapons inspectors charged with uncovering them.
In a brief appearance before the crowd, Canadian Alliance leader Stephen Harper repeated the message he has been hammering home to the Chrétien government since the conflict began.
"We should support the military personnel we already have in the theatre," Mr. Harper said.
Before summing up, Ms. Jodoin urged the crowd to sign a petition posted on a Canadian Alliance Web site.
She said she plans to personally present the signatures to Mr. Chrétien on Parliament Hill.
As ralliers dispersed, they sang God Save the Queen. Cars with U.S. flags flapping out windows honked horns along Wellington Street.
Meanwhile, close to 100 anti-war demonstrators stood in front of the U.S. Embassy on Sussex Drive. One protester burned a U.S. flag, while demonstrators gathered.
"I am here to protest this immoral, illegal war," said Amira Maaruf, 31, in front of the embassy.
"The U.S. is serving its own interest, as always," Ms. Maaruf said.
"It wants control, it wants oil, it wants domination of the region, the Middle East, the world. It has nothing to do with democracy, and it has nothing to do the with the people.
"Brainwashed," was how Ms. Maaruf characterized those rallying on the Hill.
"So far there is no evidence of any mass destruction weapons in Iraq. There is no imminent threat from him (Mr. Saddam). There is more of a threat from North Korea. I just don't think they have the full picture."
Ottawa police said they made no arrests at either rally.
