Protestors at Toronto Air Show reject presentation of war and its brutality as ’entertainment’

Oppose the Militarization of Culture! Make Canada a Zone for Peace!

Anti-war activists held a protest on September 5 at the Toronto annual air show held at the Canadian National Exhibition Grounds. The air show is a venue for weapons manufacturers to showcase their armaments, including Lockheed Martin, lead sponsor, to advance its bid to sell its F-35 jet to the Canadian military and was broadcast live by 680 news. It is also a venue to promote the military’s role in the Covid pandemic, a public health crisis, codenamed Operations Inspiration and Laser. On Labour Day, September 6, the RCAF Snowbirds overflew a CFL game held at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, the Labour Day Classic. Previously they participated in airshows in London, Ontario, Abbotsford, BC, and Camrose, Alberta.

Day of Action: ‘Strike for Climate Peace, No New Fighter Jets’

On July 24, there were 18 demonstrations held in 13 cities across Canada for the National Day of Action, “Strike for Climate Peace, No New Fighter Jets” organized by Voice of Women for Peace, World Beyond War and other anti-war activists demanding that the Canadian government abandon its plan to buy 88 fighter jets.

Oppose spending another $19 billion to support US aggression

The Justin Trudeau Liberal government plans to spend $19 billion buying 88 fighter jets from a not-yet-chosen foreign war contractor to replace Canada’s aging CF-18 fighter fleet. This works out to about $216 million per aircraft. The war contractors had until the end of July 2020 to submit their bids, a deadline first extended from May 2019 to March 2020, then to June 2020. So far Boeing (U.S.), Lockheed Martin (U.S.), and Saab (Sweden) have entered the competition. The Trudeau government is expected to announce the chosen contractor by 2022, with the first aircraft delivered by 2025. On July 24 vigorous protests against the purchase plan were held at 18 MPs’ offices across Canada.

NATO is a threat to the climate

Vigorous picket held in Toronto outside the NATO Association of Canada headquarters, 44 Yonge Street, on December 3. The action condemned the 70th Anniversary NATO Summit being held in London that day.

By TAMARA LORINCZ

Last week, the 29 leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) went to celebrate their alliance’s anniversary in London, but snubbed the opening of United Nations climate conference where the other 164 world leaders and their delegations are meeting in Madrid. 

Despite several scientific reports urgently warning about the devastating impacts and security implications of rising carbon emissions, climate change was not even on the NATO agenda. 

Instead, the alliance leaders discussed Russia and China as adversaries, space as a new warfighting domain, greater warfare readiness and more defence spending.

NATO Summit: Rearmament despite dissension

NATO increases operational readiness and targets China

BERLIN/BRUSSELS (german-policy-com) – In spite of fierce internal conflicts, NATO is enhancing its operational readiness, is preparing its next expansion and is setting its sights on China as a new “challenge.” These are the main results of the war alliance’s anniversary summit, which ended in London yesterday, with the participation of the heads of states and governments of the member countries. As early as next year, NATO will be able deploy 30 army, air force and naval units in a war within a 30 day maximum. At the London summit, North Macedonia, which is about to join the Alliance, was represented for the first time. In the future, NATO will extensively concern itself with China, however not exclusively confrontational, as Washington would have wanted. The conflict with Turkey did not escalate, even though the dissension between Ankara and various other allied states, by no means, had been resolved. In fact, the Turkish government has implicitly been given a blank check for its heavily criticized activities in the occupation of Northern Syria.

US primes NATO to confront Russia, China

By M. K. BHADRAKUMAR

(November 27) – The December 3-4 summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) in London resembles a family reunion after the acrimony over the issue of military spending by America’s European allies. 

The trend is up for defence spending across European Allies and Canada. Over $100 billion is expected to be added to the member states’ defence budgets by end-2020.

More importantly, the trend at the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting at Brussels on November 19-20, in the run-up to the London summit, showed that despite growing differences within the alliance, member states closed ranks around three priority items in the US global agenda — escalation of the aggressive policy toward Russia, militarisation of space and countering China’s rise.

The question is not which fighter jet but who controls Canada’s air defence

By GEORGE ALLEN

The monopoly media announced on June 5 that the Justin Trudeau Liberal government plans to buy an unknown number of Super Hornet fighter jets from war contractor Boeing as a temporary measure to replace Canada’s aging CF-18 fighter fleet. In May, Defence Minister Hajjit Sajjan claimed that there was a pending gap in Canada’s military capabilities and that this called for swift action. Sajjan, who recently visited Australia, a country which bought 24 Hornets five years ago, warned that Canada’s CF-18s “need to be replaced now.” He indicated the government planned to move quickly on the deal, and that the purchase of the Hornets would take place without competitive bidding.

For your information: Canadian contribution to the ‘War on Terrorism’

By TONY SEED,

Shunpiking Magazine. December 2001 – January, 2002, No. 40

HALIFAX (19 December 2001) – CANADA is the third largest contributor to the “war on terrorism” after the US and Britain. By mid-February 750 Canadian troops will be deployed in Kandahar “and in outlying areas with a higher chance of conflict,” news sources say. A Department of National Defence (DND) official said the troops, members of the 3rd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, will work with US troops to secure transportation routes, de-mine roads and help with humanitarian aid.