The September Eleventh Peace Coalition is Launched
[prepared by Council of Canadians]
October 5 2001 - Thirty high-profile national peace, labour, students, religious, women, environmental, cultural and community groups formed a national coalition to oppose Canada's participation in military retaliation and to speak out against racist attacks resulting from the September 11 terrorists attacks on the United States.
The September Eleventh Peace Coalition includes large diverse groups such as the Canadian Labour Congress, End the Arms Race, The Council of Canadians, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Science for Peace, The Canadian Peace Alliance, The Canadian Federation of Students, Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), and many others.
The September Eleventh Peace Coalition statement makes the plea for peace and respect for international law. It reads, "We have come together to plead for a resolution of the present chaos and horror through the framework of law and the equality of people and not the framework of war and racism."
"We mourn the tragic deaths of the people killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks and believe the perpetrators of those crimes must be dealt with under national and international laws. We also call on Canadians to demonstrate respect and tolerance and not to blame any particular cultural or religious groups for such offensive acts," said Jean-Claude Parrot, Vice President of the Canadian Labour Congress.
"Military retaliation will only cause more grief and suffering for innocent people around the world. We believe Canada can lead the way to build a more just and democratic world that helps create stronger international security for all of us," said Peter Coombes, National Organizer for End the Arms Race.
The September Eleventh Peace Coalition will be organizing a cross-Canada campaign to oppose military retaliation. Coalition members said that there are many Canadians across the country who want to do whatever they can to oppose Canada's involvement in war and to promote peace.
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