War Criminal George W. Bush recently spoke in Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Montreal Canada, and was met with determined protest at each stop. The following articles are brief accounts of those protests.
Edmonton
While former U.S. president George W. Bush talked about democracy inside a downtown Edmonton conference centre on Tuesday, hundreds of protesters were outside exercising their right to free speech with signs, songs and screams.
"Stop the killing, stop the war," the protesters chanted to the beat of a drum. They held signs that said "Bush is a war criminal;" "Bush lied, 1,000s died;" and "Canada is not Bush Country."
Several dozen police officers kept protesters away from the front of the Shaw Conference Centre and as the crowd grew, metal barricades went up between the police and the crowd.
Marilyn Gaa, who holds both American and Canadian citizenship, held a three-metre-tall black-clad Grim Reaper with a sign on his back that said: "GWB I am your biggest fan" and on the front, "Thanks for 8 great years."
Montreal
Five people were arrested at a Montreal protest against former U.S. president George W. Bush, who addressed the city’s chamber of commerce on Thursday.
Hundreds of people were drawn to the downtown demonstration outside the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, where the exclusive speaking event took place.
A Montreal police riot squad was on hand in full gear to hold back the crowd of shoe-tossing protesters, who gathered to show their disdain for Bush. Several officers on horseback also patrolled the demonstration.
Protesters tossed shoes toward the hotel, as an Iraqi journalist did at Bush in a notable case last December, and chanted "George Bush, terrorist" as dozens of television cameras stood by. Five people were arrested and would most likely face charges including mischief and disturbing the peace, said Montreal Police Const. Raphaël Bergeron. "A lot of objects were thrown [at] police officers," he said.
Organizers said nearly 1,000 people paid $400 apiece to hear Bush speak about his presidency and future global challenges.Guests were asked to pass through airport-style metal detectors before entering the conference hall. Hundreds of protesters greeted Bush in Saskatoon on Wednesday at another speaking engagement, and a similar demonstration met his speech Tuesday in Edmonton.
Saskatoon
A noisy but peaceful crowd of 300 assembled in downtown Saskatoon on Wednesday to protest a speech by former U.S. president George W. Bush.
But protesters hoping to boo him in person were disappointed. Bush, in town for a noon-hour speaking engagement at TCU Place, was taken inside the building earlier in the morning and avoided any encounters with the crowd.
Security was tight, with dozens of RCMP, Saskatoon city police and U.S. Secret Service agents in the vicinity. Barricades were set up and protesters were kept across the street from the venue, where Bush was speaking to a paying audience of about 2,000.
Some of the people in the crowd on the street said they were protesting Bush’s role in the invasion of Iraq and the detention of prisoners.
It was a varied group that included mothers with small children, students and seniors. Many people carried signs denouncing the Bush years.
"Harper, Bush: Twins," "End the Occupation of Iraq" and "Greed, War, Barbarian" were among the slogans.
A carnival-like atmosphere prevailed. As they watched the ticket-holders across the street file into the auditorium, the crowd was treated to hip-hop performances, street theatre and speeches. Meanwhile, in the auditorium, Bush spoke before an appreciative audience, cracking jokes as he looked back at his eight years in office.
He talked about Canada-U.S. relations, warning about the dangers of trade protectionism. He referred to his own darkest days as president after the invasion of Iraq when the suspected Iraqi weapons of mass destruction were never found.
He drew applause when he talked about how Canadian soldiers have carried a disproportionately large share of the burden in Afghanistan. When he finished, he received a standing ovation. Outside across the street, by 1 p.m. the crowd had mostly dispersed.
A similar reception from protesters awaited the former president the day before in Edmonton, where he also had a speaking engagement.
Articles on Montreal and Saskatoon from CBCnews.CA.; article on Edmonton from the blog Docudharma.