The Sunshine Coast Peace Group held its 200th weekly Bring Our
Troops Home Now Vigil in Davis Bay on Saturday, Nov. 13.
Volunteers put up about 200 doves on bamboo poles and banners along the Davis Bay waterfront promenade in an effort to build awareness regarding the effects of the War in Afghanistan. The doves bear photos of fallen Canadian soldiers as well as civilian casualties who are mostly children. On the occasion of the 200th vigil, the group handed out free pins bearing a peace sign with a Sunshine Coast scenery background.
Eighty-two-year-old Yvonne Bain, a lifetime peace activist, past Gibsons Golden Girl and member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, said people need to become involved or the government will keep our troops in imperialistic projects overseas indefinitely.
Libby Hyde, who has been helping to set up the vigils along Davis Bay on a regular basis despite having to be on oxygen, put it succinctly: "Bring Our Troops Home Now and resolve conflict non-violently. Violence just begets more violence. We cannot solve Canadian issues or other nations' problems by imposing our will at the barrel of a gun."
The group vowed to continue the vigils and to launch a Christmas postcard to politicians campaign to encourage MPs to work to repatriate the troops.
-Submitted
