For nearly four years, the U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition has continuously bombed the people of Yemen. The indiscriminate Saudi bombing has targeted hospitals, homes, farms, schools, water infrastructure, markets, and a school bus. On January 28, 2019, Saudi bombs even targeted a camp for displaced persons, adding eight to the death count of over 60,000 people. In addition to the bombs, Saudi Arabia has imposed an air, sea and land blockade on Yemen preventing desperately needed food, fuel and medicines from reaching the Yemeni people. The United Nations has declared Yemen the “world’s worst humanitarian crisis” as over 20 million Yemeni people, or two-thirds of the population, face severe food insecurity.
Throughout this bloody war, the U.S. government has quietly supported the Saudi-led war, providing logistical and intelligence support. In 2017 U.S. President Trump signed a deal for $110 billion in arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The government of Canada has also continued its arms sales to Saudi Arabia, including a $15 billion deal for vehicles armed with heavy guns and cannon.
On February 5, 2019, Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO) held a protest action in front of the U.S. Consulate in downtown Vancouver, demanding “U.S./Saudi Arabia Hands Off Yemen!” Protesters raised picket signs and chanted while picketing in front of the U.S. Consulate. In between rounds of picketing, protesters gathered together and heard speakers call for an end to the brutal Saudi-led war on Yemen and condemned the governments of the U.S. and Canada for their support of the war. The action wrapped up with a group photo of protesters holding picket signs and banners against the war in Yemen, under the building sign for the U.S. Consulate. This photo was shared on social media worldwide, and photos and videos of the action were shared with Yemeni media.
The action also called attention to the recent attempted coup in Venezuela. Just two weeks earlier, the government of the U.S. and Canada tried to install Juan Guaidó as the new self-declared “interim President” of Venezuela. The U.S. has led an economic war and crippling sanctions against Venezuela for two decades, as well as a demonization campaign against the democratically elected President Nicolás Maduro since 2013. This failed coup is a dangerous step in the imperialist campaign against Venezuela, and activists at the MAWO action on February 5th took the opportunity of being in front of the U.S. Consulate to demand, “Hands Off Venezuela!”
Mobilization Against War and Occupation will continue educating, organizing and mobilizing against war and imperialist aggression, from Yemen to Venezuela! To find out about upcoming events and actions visit www.mawovancovuer.org, or follow on Facebook and Twitter @MAWOVan
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