Canadian marchers wave the red, white and blue
Last Updated Sat, 29 Mar 2003 18:25:15
OTTAWA - Pouring rain didn't stop thousands of people from gathering on Parliament Hill Saturday for a rally in support of the U.S.-led war in Iraq.
INDEPTH: Iraq: Canada's Perspective
The protesters said Canada should be a more supportive ally. They argued that Americans need to know that a "silent majority" of their northern neighbours support the use of force to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.
"Our allies are going to win this war, they're going to win it with the silent majority of Canadians behind them," Canadian Alliance Leader Stephen Harper told the cheering crowd.
Several people waved both American and Canadian flags. Some banners showed the two flags intertwined. One banner said, "Thank-you Liberal Party of Canada for shaming our country.''
"The government of Canada has really betrayed the United States, our greatest friend and ally," said one man.
"They (antiwar protesters) don't speak for the majority of Canada. They have no guts. They have no guts," agreed a woman. "These are our friends and neighbours. If your friend was in a fight, you'd go help them."
The crowd heard from several Opposition politicians, but Liberal MPs who were invited to participate didn't show up. Smaller rallies were held in several other Canadian cities.
Alliance MP Peter Goldring said it was time the "silent majority came out" after several weekends of antiwar rallies. "This is not a pro-war rally. This is a pro-freedom rally to support our allies," he said.
On Friday, about 300 people held a pro-Washington rally in Picture Butte, Alta., a small town just north of the U.S. border.
FROM MARCH 25, 2003: U.S. ambassador rebukes Ottawa for lack of support
Read Paul Cellucci's statements
The rallies followed a speech U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci gave to the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto last Tuesday in which he said Americans feel disappointed by the Canadian decision to stay out of the war in Iraq.
Written by CBC News Online staff |
