March 18, 2006 was a day of international action and mobilization, as it marked the third anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Hundreds of demonstrations took place worldwide in a call to stop the war.
In Toronto, protestors gathered in front of the U.S. Consulate on University Avenue. Calling for an end to the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, they insisted that Canada’s current role is not as the peacekeeping nation, but as the aggressor in a U.S.-led goal for dominance in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Harper and U.S. President Bush were portrayed as warmongers during the speeches, and on signs that were displayed throughout the crowd. One speaker, a U.S. war resister now living in Canada, Patrick Hart said “My enemy is not foreign. My enemy is domestic. His name is George W. Bush.”
Union, student and activist organizations marched alongside each other to show their opposition to American hegemony by proceeding through downtown Toronto in complete harmony. Their only purpose was to show the world that Canadians do not support any war being waged in their name.
Adam Bemma is a journalist, humanitarian, and media consultant based in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Adam Bemma 
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