Layton, Parrish set to speak at 
anti-Bush rally 
by Romeo St. Martin

[PoliticsWatch Updated 4:15 p.m. November 29, 2004]

OTTAWA — NDP Leader Jack Layton and outspoken Independent MP Carolyn Parrish are two of the bigger names in politics that are scheduled to speak at an anti-war protest on Parliament Hill on the day U.S. President George W. Bush is in the capital.         

The No to Bush committee has organized a mass demonstration against the U.S. war in Iraq for 5 p.m. on Parliament Hill on Tuesday.

The other speakers include a U.S. war resister, labour, arab and missile defence opponents. 

Layton will speak to the protestors just a few hours before he is scheduled to meet with the president at a dinner in Gatineau. The NDP says U.S. Ambassador Paul Cellucci contacted Layton by phone on Monday afternoon to make offer him an opportunity to speak directly with the president at the dinner.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has secured his own private meeting with Bush in Ottawa before the dinner. 

Layton, who is strongly opposed to the U.S. missile defence plan, sees no problem with participating in an anti-Bush rally before meeting with the president.

"The peaceful protests that are going to be going on are attempting to convey the same message that I'll be conveying to the president which is that there is deep concern about the initiation of a news arms race, the possible weaponization of space," said Layton.

Bush and Prime Minister Paul Martin are not expected to discuss missile defence during the working visit.

"The president is well aware that both in Canada and the United States peaceful protest and the expression of points of view are fundamental," said Layton.

Other rallies are set for Ottawa on Tuesday asides from the main one on the Hill. 

The No to Bush committee also has plans for a noon-hour rally 

Meanwhile, RCMP and local police held a news conference in Ottawa Monday afternoon where they provided few specific details about their security plans. 

"The security measures we have are flexible and will be adjusted to the situation we have in front of us," said Jocelyn Mimeault of the RCMP.

However, he refused to disclose how many police are involved in the security operation and wouldn't speculate on how many protestors he expects will be in town.

"It's difficult to estimate protestors," he said. "It's not an exact science. But what's important is we're prepared."

The RCMP, which is the lead police force for the visit, would not directly answer questions about whether premiers and other dignitaries attending a gala dinner in Gatineau will have to go through metal detectors or whether the Secret Service will have their own missile capability while in Canada.

Police officials were clearly concerned about the potential for violence at the protests. Mimeault noted the recent violent protests at the APEC summit in Chile where 690 people were arrested and 20 police were injured. 

"Will it happen here? I don't know. I guess we'll have to see."

On the pro-Bush side, the conservative Web site Free Dominion has organized a pro-Bush rally far away from Parliament Hill in suburban Ottawa. 

Free Dominon's rally will be held at Ottawa South Keys mall beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday. 

"We are not going to the Hill," said Free Dominion's Connie Wilkins in a recent post. "We don't want any altercations with the anti-Bush crowd."

According to Wilkins the decision to rally in the suburbs was "at the request of the RCMP" who are concerned about potential altercations. 

Also getting around downtown Ottawa will not be easy during Bush's visit. 

Police said on Monday the Alexandra Bridge, which links Ottawa and Gatineau, will be closed from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesday. As well, Wellington Street, where Parliament Hill is located, will be closed to traffic between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Tuesday. And Rideau Street will be closed between Dalhousie and Elgin Streets from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. 
  

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