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Rage on the Streets in Calgary as Bush Visits
CALGARY - The rage on the man's face was evident as he berated police officers preventing him from entering the building where former U.S. president George W. Bush was making a speech Tuesday.
A woman holds a protest sign outside the Calgary convention centre where former U.S. President George Bush was making a speech to the business community in Calgary, Alberta March 17, 2009. (REUTERS/Todd Korol) ‘‘There is a war criminal upstairs that has committed murder,'' screamed the man, who identified himself only as Splits the Sky. ‘‘If I try to get in there you will arrest me. What is wrong with you?
‘‘I am going in there and make a citizen's arrest,'' he said as he attempt to push past police. ‘‘Arrest George Bush. Arrest George Bush.''
A few minutes later he was handcuffed and hustled past a long line of Calgary's business elite waiting to get inside the Telus Convention Centre.
Protest organizers say at least four demonstrators were arrested at Tuesday's event.
About 60 Calgary police officers were on duty outside to control between 200 and 300 people carrying signs that read ‘‘No to U.S. Crimes Against Humanity,'' ‘‘Indict Bush For War Crimes'' and ‘‘Canada Is Not Bush Country.''
Another sign read ‘‘Shoe Him The Door'' - a reference to the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoe at Bush during a news conference in Baghdad in December.
Two Calgary men showed up at the demonstration to support the former U.S. president. Their signs read ‘‘The World Is Safer Because of George W. Bush.''
‘‘Thank you, George Bush. Thank you, George Bush,'' they chanted.
‘‘He doesn't sit down and negotiate with terrorists,'' shouted one of the men, who identified himself as Merle.
‘‘Try doing this in Cuba,'' he said as he pointed to the jeering protesters.
There were shoes everywhere during the protest. A young woman wearing a hood, orange jumpsuit and a name tag that said ‘‘Club Gitmo'' was pulling a shoe cannon along with a target festooned with pictures of Bush.
An obviously amused police officer told her to leave.
Some of those opposed to Bush's visit have said he should be arrested as a war criminal because of alleged torture at military prisons in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay.
Tuesday's speech was one of the first public appearances Bush has made since leaving the presidency in January with a dismal approval rating and much of the blame for his country's collapsing economy. The speech was closed to the media.
‘‘It's not too late to turn back. Walk away,'' the demonstrators yelled to some of the 1,500 guests invited to hear Bush speak to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.
A couple of hundred people lined up early to go through a special security screening room before entering the hall where Bush was speaking.
A few said the former president has to take some of the responsibility for what has happened in the United States, but also has the right to talk about his administration.
72 Comments so far
Show All""""A couple of hundred people lined up early to go through a special security screening room before entering the hall where Bush was speaking.""""
So, w, you still selecting your audiences? Well, I hope a real shoe chunker got in anyway and nailed you good.
BOYCOTT ALBERTA and any other venue that pays for a Dubya appearance.
The global economic depression that Dubya left us with assures that merchants will be more concerned about boycotts than they have in the past.
Oh but haven't you heard, Obama and the Democrats are responsible for the economic depression. Just ask Dick Cheney.
Alberta is the Canadian version of Alabama north and is full of right-wing rednecks. The minority conservative PM Harper is from Calgary, hence the decision to invite the war criminal Bush. Alberta also has the dubious honor of creating toxic environemtal mess in North America with its polluting TAR SANDS that produce 40% of Canada's CFC gases. Alberta's economy is imploding as the global demand for oil drops. The greedy polluting oil lobby invited the idiot Bush. Americans and all sane people need to wake up to the Alberta environmental disaster.
I'd say Alberta is the Texas of Canada. The oil industry in Alberta was developed largely by US multi-nationals, that were based in and sent employees up from places like Dallas and Houston. That influence continues to be felt.
It is definitely the most american province, has even threatened to break away from Canada if central canada ever threatens to intervene in any way that would control emissions, regulate the industry, impose higher taxes, etc.
But you're right. Definitely full of right-wing rednecks, no doubt about that.
Actually there quite a pronounced divide in Alberta North To South. The Southern part of the province are very Conservative while the North tends to have more Liberals.
The Contrast between Calgary and Edmonton is significant.
That said Calgary is OFF the cities i will ever pass through again. I used to catch the odd football or hockey game down there or make visits when enroute to other places for vacation.
I cant see myself spending a single cent there now given their chamber of commerce hosted a war criminal.
Politically I can see why it hard to get the apparatus to move to arrest GW Bush.
That said there no rational reason in the world a Chamber of commerce shoudl have invited this war criminal into our country.
To many conservative business people he is not a war criminal, but the protector of our wonderful and sanctified way of life. Without him we would have had countless 9/11s, And he represents absolute wisdom when it comes to finances. It must have been liberal democrats who caused the present depression, who managed to subvert Bush's plan of freewheeling capitalism with no checks or balances. I know all this sounds completely insane, but I'm just trying to get into their heads. It's sort of like George Burns trying to figure out the logic of Gracie.
Prairie Bible Institute is in Alberta. Google it of you want to know what it represents. I was sent there for my junior year of High School, so I know something about Alberta. Bush should think of retiring there if he ever gets tired of Texas.
Thanks for the context on Alberta, Condor. I've just been to Vancouver and have no idea what the rest of Canada is like.
-TIA
"A few said the former president has to take some of the responsibility for what has happened in the United States, but also has the right to talk about his administration."
Yes, and Canadians have the right to protest Dubya's admittance into this country and to demand that our government deny him access on legal grounds.
criminals like bush can speak in their jail cells. he can't put together a coherent paragraph anyway.
for peace and sustainability
Thanks, Condor for letting us know that the Alabama North is in Calgary and Alberta.
Bush couldn't appear here without the chance of being shot for his war crimes.
'the speech was closed to the media'............says it all. george wanker bush has a 'shoe' fetish/phobia now............
and they have lots of horseshoes in Calgary! Ouch!
No Canadian loggers brought corks (spike soled boots loggers wear to climb trees)to toss ?
where's mordechai shiblikov................?????
I'm right here. Can't get pissed off today due to prior commitments (my girl friend's "health insurance" company is denying her the treatment she needs) but good for those Canadians who called George Wanker Bush what he is and will always be.
bless you mr. shiblikov and your girlfriend...........hope it all works out for you and her............
and hope the 'wanker' gets his 'just desserts'.... or in his case 'deserts'.
ie: chokes on the sand and shoes..............
coco, I don't know who you are but my girlfriend was greatly touched by your thoughts. Many thanks.
Well, I hope the old boy gets the idea -- that this is what he'll have to put up with for the rest of his life if he so much as crosses the border into Canada, much less flies to any other country (with the possible exception of Israel; I can't imagine any other country reachable by air that would welcome him with open arms).
No doubt he enjoyed the presidency when he had it, because his retirement will be an awfully lonely one. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
Couldn't happen to a *better* guy, now, could it? (Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk ...)
"He doesn't sit down and negotiate with terrorists"
Chimpy doesn't sit down and negotiate with leftists either. This means that leftists are terrorists. God Bless The United States of America and Canada too!
"The speech was closed to the media."
Hilarious! To protect the people from their own rage, block them from hearing the conference of elites. The market shares of small businesses everywhere are under the elite's crosshairs today.
But have no fear! O'Bama plans to giver you a meal ticket, to cushion the blow. You may buy Cargill petro-tortillas with that! God Bless The North American Free Trade Agreement!
You didn't want your own small business anyway, didja?
Bush never negtiated with anyone. Remember, he polarized the US with "You are either with us, or with the terrorists". Bush was a divider, never a uniter.
Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in their moccasins - Native American proverb.
It's sickening that Canada hosted the Village Idiot of World politics on his first public outing.
It's even more sickening that it was business people who paid the high admission charge to hear the war criminal speak. That shows the strong, incestuous connection between right-wing politicians and capitalism.
Instead of being paid to speak, Bush should be serving jail time.
www.dangerouscreation.com
Yes, good point about capitalism.
VERY WELL PUT!
Bush and his rights...ummmm that's an interesting puzzle.
Bush should only have the same rights he gave the teenagers and average citizens caught up in the sweeps in Iraq, then imprisoned for years at Gitmo... With no HOPE OF SEEING DAYLIGHT, LIKE THE TEENAGER WHO KILLED HIMSELF TWO WEEKS AFTER HE WAS SUPPOSE TO BE RELEASED... HE WAS NEVER TOLD AND NEVER RELESED. UNTIL HE DID IT HIMSELF...
ARREST BUSH ARREST BUSH ARREST BUSH ARREST BUSH ARREST BUSH ARREST BUSH
And I'm sick and tired of hearing about how he kept us safe... when the only thing he was trying to do was secure oil to line his cronies pocket books...
I couldn't agree more!
...and that's what he's doing in Alberta. Secure oil for his cronies...why else would he be there? Most of the contractors at the Alberta tar sands are American. The royalties Alberta gets are about the smallest of any royalties anywhere. Alberta is not an oil producer - it is an oil colony.
The Canadians did not have the balls to enforce their own laws. They had the ability to refuse entry to Canada and they had the ability to charge Bush with war crimes.
They are usually the first to complain about the US. I guess they really are santimonious pussies after all.
Our Prime Minister, Harper, continues his Bush fellatio.
The only unanswered question is: When Bush drops his pants, is Harper kneeling in front of him or behind him?
Euwwwww, gross! But appropriate.
Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins - Native American proverb.
Yeah it seems the whole western world is giving head to George W.
Perhaps my good friend Annette Shwartz the xxx pornstar (who was just bestowed w/the "cocksucker of the year award" by the AVN -- this is no joke -- would like a turn with old George W. At least Annette knows how to do it right!
Annette does know how to do it right! And yeah she did win that award -- no joke you can check it out by going to her website at "totallyannette.com" It's really too bad (I make jokes about it but...) Annette is a brilliant young girl from Germany (she's 25 yrs. old) who speaks 4 languages, is or WAS a nurse (until the sins of the flesh got at her), and has a minor in physcology. Annette hon, what the hell are you doing? You could do so much more with your life. I tried real hard to explain this to her in an email I sent her. She wrote me back (we've been in touch numerous times actually) stating that she was glad that I cared about her but that she was happy doing porn and well... who am I to judge? She probably could make old George W. Bush's days a little brighter 'though!
Grow up a bit and learn to spell. Canada is not a nation full of heroes but the country refused to follow Bush in Iraq. They now have a hard right-wing Prime Minister over there who only has a minority gov't (weak, unstable, and likly gone in less than 2 years). Stephen Harper is a neo-fascist who gets down on his knees and opens wide whenever he's in the presence of Bush. Expecting him to arrest Bush is way past ridiculous.
Regardless, it's silly and juvenile to expect Canada to arrest Bush when his own country basically treats him with kid gloves.
If the present Prime Minister, Harper, would have been Prime Minister then, Canada would have gone to Iraq. Harper was all for Canadians going to Iraq.
Yes, Harper is a neo-con-fascist and an ideologue. He worships unfettered capitalism and if he had his way, Canada's health care would be privatized, so would everything else like schools, and even social programs. He is trying very hard to privatize everything he can.
Harper's days in power are counting down. The neocons in the west are being removed. Bush in the US, Blair in the UK, Howard in Australia. Their days are over. If ever there was a time to declare a national holiday it will be when the last of the neocons have been shown the door (with a boot in the ass).
Never criticize a man until you've walked a mile in his moccasins - Native American proverb.
"The Canadians did not have the balls to enforce their own laws."
Actually, we in the U.S. don't have the balls to enforce our laws either. Torture, pre-emptive war, wiretapping/searches and seizures without a warrant for a few examples are FELONIES meaning grossly illegal under U.S. law, yet the bastard remains free as a bird.
Maybe it's not BALLS that we need. I'd like some EARS, then I'd send them to Congress so they could hear what the people are saying, because they just aren't listening to us AT ALL.
And since we're on the topic of balls, has anyone else seen their neighbors hanging large PLASTIC TESTICLES from the rear end of their jacked-up four by fours? I am so not kidding here. A whole new experience in freeway driving. Can't wait to see the female version...
Yeah, really -- when you see the female version let us all know! I do prefer the real thing myself though!
"Santimonious pussies" -- that's funny. But let us not insult the female gender, I happen to love pussy!
Give bushie what he gave millions across Iraq & what he deserves-or at least shackles, an orange suit, a hood, grueling heat, electrodes, dogs, waterboardking, and no lawyer. LOCK UP BUSH, CHENEY, WOLFOWITZ, RICE ET AL! They are WAR CRIMINALS! What's to debate here?
You're forgetting PELOSI & REID, who gave him the power to invade, and OBAMA AND HILLARY who voted to keep funding the carnage.
Do not forget Rove and Rumesfield !!!
It is only a wishful thinking to bring them to justice. It is not going to happen.
Only the poor, sick, helpless and powerless get to have that honor !!!
and don't forget the >90% who supported him back in '01 & '03.
SHAME ON YOU BARACK OBAMA FOR NOT PROSECUTING BUSH AND CHENEY. YOU HAVE BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS AS WELL.
THEY MOST CERTAINLY DO INDEED HAVE BLOOD ON THEIR HANDS!
SHOUT OUT TO SPLITTING THE SKY FOR ATTEMPTING TO ARREST THE CRIMINAL BUSH
FIRST NATION WARRIORS
MITAKUYE OYASIN
ALL MY RELATIONS
While they hosting the war criminal Bush, Canada has given a deportation date of March 26th to war-resister Kimberly Rivera, mother of three young children, the youngest of whom is 4 months old and is still nursing.
If the family returns to the U.S., the U.S. government is threatening to imprison her husband as well for aiding and abetting his wife. This would mean that the children would placed in foster homes during their parents' prison terms. Destroying this family is cruel and senseless.
Kimberly's story is heartrending. Check out Courage to Resist http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/689/1/
and then contact Minister of Immigration Kenney and Prime Minister Harper and ask them to intervene to immediately stop the deportation of the Rivera Family.