In February 2018, the U.S. military budget was increased to a record $700 billion. The U.S. has led a new era of war and occupation which began with the invasion and occupation of Afghanistan in 2001, and has continued with the wars and occupations against Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yemen and Palestine. In addition to outright military interventions, the U.S. has threatened and sanctioned Iran, North Korea and Venezuela. How much more death and destruction does the U.S. government have in store for oppressed nations around the world with even more funding for their war drive?
The U.S. is also continuing to fund the over 70-year continued Zionist Israeli occupation of Palestine with a staggering $38 billion over 10 years in military “aid.” Most recently, in the one month following the March 30 Palestinian demonstration and peaceful protest campaign, the Israeli Defense Forces massacred 111 Palestinians and injured more than 12,733 who were demanding their basic human rights and self-determination.
Alongside the U.S., the government of Canada also has a role in these wars and occupations. Since 2015, Canada has approved more than $284 million in exports of Canadian weapons and military goods to the countries bombing Yemen, most of which has gone to Saudi Arabia. This is in addition to Canada’s $15 billion arms deal to supply Saudi Arabia with so-called “light” armoured military vehicles. With the backing of Canada and the U.S, Saudi Arabia has been at war again Yemen for the past three years, and destroyed the country with an indiscriminate bombing campaign and a crippling air, sea and land blockade that has prevented aid from reaching what the United Nations calls “the worst man-made humanitarian crisis of our time.”
Here in Vancouver, Canada, Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO) is out on the streets in protest every month, demanding an end to the new era of war and occupation. On June 15th, antiwar activists and peace-loving people came together in downtown Vancouver and made an impression on anyone walking by with an information table, picket signs and large banners reading “Don’t Attack Syria! U.S. Out of Syria and the Middle East!” “U.S./Saudi Arabia Hands Off Yemen!” and “Self-Determination for Palestine!” People walking by stopped at the info table to talk with organizers and collect antiwar literature, and to learn more about MAWO’s ongoing antiwar events and actions. Teams of activists took to the busy downtown street and collected signatures from passers-by on a petition demanding that Canada end its $15 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia.
MAWO is committed to continuing monthly antiwar rallies and petition campaigns, as well as public forums and other educational antiwar events and protest actions. To find out about MAWO’s upcoming actions visit www.mawovancouver.org or follow on
Facebook and Twitter @MAWOVan
