2,000 Too Many - Candlelight Vigil in Toronto Canada

I arrived at a quarter past 5 pm and met Stan, who had learned of the vigil through the afsc website, and thereafter another vigilkeeper who learned of it through the United For Peace and Justice Website.

Stan planned to recite the Hebrew Prayer for The Dead during the vigil.

We began at 5:30 pm and spread our 'End The Occupation' banners (which you can see in our photo weblink) as well our 'Toronto Coalition to Stop The War' banner.

Several passers-by smiled and automobiles honked their horns in support as they drove by.

We then created a giant '2000 TOO MANY' sign on the sidewalk by taping simple cash register lengths of paper into the outlines of the letters (which you can see in our photos).

Alex of TVAC (Toronto Video Activist Collective) filmed much of the vigil for a future feature.

As in the Viet-Nam era, many U.S. War Resisters are finding their way north of the U.S. border and seeking asylum here in Canada. A number of them are in Toronto. We have an active ongoing War Resisters Support Campaign for them, providing legal, housing, and financial/employment assistance.

Canada is complicit in the Occupation of the Iraq by proxy. Canada has ground troops in Afghanistan and police forces in Haiti. Our troops there mean U.S. troops and supply lines are freed up for use in Iraq.

With the passage of time, Afghanistan may grow to become Canada's own Iraq-like quagmire.

Our Candlelight vigil here in Toronto being outside of the United States, is our way of letting the American People know that your friends to the North have not forgotten about you nor your just fight to end this unjust war and illegal occupation.

Our vigil ended at 6:30 pm, which was was 10 minutes past sunset time, and time for me to open my fast up the street at Masjid Toronto.

I'm glad this vigil came together on such short notice, and am sad that it had to be held at all.