Anti-war protesters took to the streets and vented their anger at the Conservatives and Liberals Saturday. They held rallies across Canada against the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, and shouted their opposition to Canada's decision to keep its military in the country until at least 2011.
Demonstrators organized protests in 20 communities, including Montreal, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.
The sizes of the crowds varied from location to location, with cities like Montreal and Toronto having protesters numbering in the hundreds. Other sites, such as Halifax, had only a few dozen demonstrators.
In Calgary, some protesters wore two hats. One minute they were demonstrating against seal hunters. But minutes later they swapped their placards for anti-war signs.
At the Toronto rally -- where about 1,000 protesters showed up -- they shouted, "End it, don't extend it," in reference to Canada's military mission in war-torn Afghanistan.
The protests come after Parliament voted 198-77 on Thursday to extend the Afghan mission until December 2011. They also marked the upcoming fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion on March 19.
Both the Conservatives and Liberal parties voted to extend Canada's Afghan mission. That triggered anger among demonstrators in city after city, many of whom were upset at the Liberal acquiescence.
"I thought geez, the Liberals are upholding the Conservatives," protester Christine Schmidt told Â鶹´«Ã½.
"I kind of wonder when we're going to have an opposition in Parliament speak up against the war."
The NDP and Bloc Quebecois opposed the extension, and NDP Leader Jack Layton joined demonstrators at the Ontario legislature in Toronto.
"Canada should be on a path towards peace in Afghanistan," he told Â鶹´«Ã½ at the rally.
"We should be a voice calling for the end to this kind of conflict, but instead our government is prolonging it -- and that's wrong."
Hundreds of demonstrators marched through Montreal streets, singing and chanting.
"I'm here because I'd like our government to divert all that spending and all those brains to find peaceful solutions," said Maureen Adelman, 74.
She fears military action is doing more harm than good for Afghans.
"Young men and women are getting killed. Innocent people in Afghanistan are getting killed," she said.
But not everyone disagreed with Canada's position on Afghanistan. In Calgary, Merle Terlesky held a sign stating: "Fight terror -- Support NATO!!"
"When these people call for an end to the coalition and the troops out now it would mean abandoning the people of Afghanistan," he said.
"That's what these peaceniks want them to do and I will not allow that to happen."
Canada has 2,500 soldiers serving in southern Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Stabilization Assistance Force (ISAF). Eighty Canadian soldiers have been killed during the mission.
Extending Canada's Afghan mission is contingent upon NATO providing an additional 1,000-soldier battle group plus equipment like medium-lift helicopters and unmanned aerial drones. The U.S. and other allies have suggested the additional help will be forthcoming.
