A rally at the University of Lethbridge on Friday morning is just the first of two planned to protest tensions between the U.S. and Iran.
Student organizers say they also are outraged that the Canadian government has not taken a stand against the actions of the Trump administration.
“An attack on one NATO ally is an attack on all of them,” student organizer Sorcha Deheen said.
“We could get dragged in under Article 5 if the States tries to. We were able to avoid it in Iraq, for the most part, but it’s not necessarily going to happen the same way this time.”
Deheen says the small group assembled Friday morning is not alone in the fight.
“We have social action groups, women’s centres and newspapers saying that, you know, this is everyone’s issue too,” she said.
Joining that fight on Friday were Lethbridge’s own Raging Grannies advocacy group, singing politically charged songs that urged peace and tolerance.
The grannies say this protest is personal.
“We have lived wars,” said Barb Phillips.
“My father was in World War I… and we don’t want to see it again because wars escalate very quickly. What happened with President Trump… Things like that are what will escalate very rapidly and we’ll all get pulled into it. We don’t want to go there.”
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The grannies actually invited themselves to Friday’s protest, which student organizers say is exactly what they are hoping to inspire.
“We just want to make it clear that students, as well as community members, aren’t OK with Canada engaging in these events,” Sorcha Deheen said.
“We are working on a petition that will be circulated online that will hopefully go to the federal government.”
A second rally is planned for outside Lethbridge City Hall on Saturday morning, starting at 11 a.m.
That rally coincides with Global Day of Protest which brings together multiple anti-war initiatives and peace organizations each year.
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