Don’t attack Iran!
The Canadian Peace Alliance is calling for a pan-Canadian day of action on Saturday, January 11 to oppose war and sanctions on Iran. Anti-war actions are also expected to take place in countries around the world on January 11.
In addition, the Canadian Peace Alliance is calling for a second pan-Canadian day of action on Saturday, January 25, as part of the Global Day of Protest: No War on Iran!
On January 3, the United States conducted airstrikes near the Baghdad airport in Iraq, killing seven people, including Qassem Soleimani, a leading military figure in Iran’s government. We call on the Government of Canada to denounce this assassination, which has been condemned widely as a war crime and a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty. This recent airstrike is just the latest in a long line of military attacks the US has inflicted on Iraq, despite the official end of hostilities.
In recent days, the US has been moving rapidly to a full-scale war, as President Donald Trump threatens to bomb dozens of locations all over Iran. The situation is extremely volatile and could escalate into war in a matter of days.
If the US starts a war on Iran, the devastation and destruction would be far worse than what happened in Iraq almost 17 years ago. When the invasion first began in 2003, the US also had its sights on Iran, but was never able to expand the war once it got bogged down in Iraq. In the years that followed, over 1.5 million Iraqis died as a result of decades of sanctions and war in their country.
Months before the Iraq War began in 2003, the Government of Canada had left open the possibility of joining the US-led attack, but was forced to oppose it at the last minute because of a mass anti-war movement, especially in Quebec.
We urgently need to build the same kind of anti-war movement now. If we can force the Government of Canada to oppose a war on Iran, we increase the chances of isolating the US and forcing it to back down—stopping the war before it starts.
But we must act immediately.
If a rally has been called in your location for January 11, we urge you to join it.
If no rally has been called, we encourage you to organize whatever anti-war action is possible: distribute anti-war leaflets, put up anti-war posters, or deliver an anti-war petition to the constituency office of your Member of Parliament.
Following Saturday’s day of action, we call on all supporters of peace and justice to initiate or reactivate a local anti-war network in their respective communities. The Canadian Peace Alliance is engaged in the same process of renewal, as we attempt to rebuild our movement in the face of another war.
We hope you’ll join us. Email us about anti-war actions in your community: info@peacenotwar.ca.
For more information, please visit peacenotwar.ca.
