TORONTO - Canadians must stand up and make their voices heard if politicians are to be convinced to end the military mission in Afghanistan, protesters said Friday as they drummed up support for rallies in 20 communities across the country this weekend.
Protesters in big cities and small towns plan to speak out against the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and Thursday's vote in the House of Commons to extend Canada's presence in the country until at least 2011.
"We want to make sure that voices we have not been hearing in the debate that has occurred over the last few days around the extension of the mission in Afghanistan are heard,'' said Sid Lacombe, national co-ordinator for the Canadian Peace Alliance.
Canada should end its combat role in Afghanistan and adopt a new approach of providing aid under the United Nations instead of NATO, said New Democrat MP Peggy Nash.
"To find ourselves here again debating another extension is very troubling,'' she said. "And it makes me wonder if in another few years, will we be having the same debate again?''
Canada has always been viewed internationally as a balanced, moderate mediator, which should be the role the country strives for, said Mohamed Boudjenane of the Canadian Arab Federation, who is the NDP member of the legislature for Etobicoke North.
"Canada's strengths are not in its military force,'' he said. "Let's not (kid) ourselves -- we're not a power.
"Our ability and our force and strength are in our moral authority as a peacekeeper.''
Members of Parliament voted 198 to 77 in favour of extending Canada's mission in Afghanistan. But for Canadian troops to remain in Kandahar, Ottawa has demanded that NATO provide a minimum of 1,000 reinforcements, which the United States and other allies have quietly suggested will happen.
Protests are scheduled for Saturday in Calgary; Castlegar, B.C.; Charlottetown; Edmonton; Fredericton; Grand Forks, B.C.; Guelph, Ont.; London, Ont.; Mississauga, Ont.; Montreal; Nelson, B.C.; Ottawa; Sarnia, Ont.; St. John's, N.L.; Toronto; Vancouver; Victoria; Whistler, B.C.; Windsor, Ont.; and Winnipeg.
Since 2002, 80 Canadian soldiers and one diplomat have been killed in Afghanistan.
