Tamils Protest in Toronto!

It wasn't too long ago that I expressed distaste for my inaction to help the people back home. I have since been preoccupied with reading article after article about our war. I can't but feel inspired by the many voices raised against the war in Srilanka. Of course, this is mainly done by the many people who have voiced their thoughts on articles through the commentary section. I have also ventured to post some comments on my own, and I hope that you will too. In the meantime, while I was driving to work I heard this young man on the Tamil radio station CMR FM 101.3 . He was being interviewed by the broadcaster. I didn't even catch his name, but I was memorized by him. He spoke passionately, and he spoke intelligently. He urged all Tamils and Canadians alike to come show their support in denouncing the Srilankan government and the killings of innocent civilians in Vanni. He went on to say that at the beginning there were only 25 students outside the consulate, then it grew to 50, then 100, and now there were over 2000 people protesting outside in the bitter cold, and said they will be outside the consulate until someone answers their plea, no matter how long it takes. There was even an apparent confrontation between the protesters and the staff inside the consulate. The staff had denied the protesters to have a peaceful sit-in inside their compound claiming that every SINGLE of the protesters outside were LTTE supporters and called them terrorists. This had caused rather understandable tension during the peaceful demonstration. And that's all I gathered from the short interview.

As soon as I logged onto my computer at work I did some digging. To my dismay, none of the mainstream media had covered this story except for The Toronto Sun, and 680 News. I have a sense of gratitude towards them for this simple gesture that the other major news broadcasters and papers had curtly ignored. Click here for a video of the protest from The Toronto Sun and click here for the article. And now, (the decision was made today) I am planning to go and join my fellow people in the protest tomorrow outside the Srilankan consulate. It has become too hard to hide behind the veil of ignorance any longer. To be sure, I am not going because I want to support the LTTE, or even to denounce the Srilankan government. I am simply going to stand among the thousand others that are already there pleading for lasting peace.

*If not now, when?
Srilankan Consulate, 40 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto (Young St. & St.Clair)!