DISARMAMENT AN 30,000 march, Photos speak and sing for peace Photos clockwise from top left: rall and Carmela Allevato lead the march as it comes over Burrard Bridge; Allevato addressing Sunset Beach rally; children’s choir from L’Ecole Bilingue; Dr. William Epstein addressing the crowd; demonstrator with pointed message. y co-chairs Frank Kennedy Mass effort wi Continued from page I Beach at 12:30 and marched across the Burrard St. bridge, passing through downtown Vancouver on their way to rally at Sunset Beach park on English Bay. The marchers were still leaving Kits Beach when those leading the parade arrived at Sunset Beach. While young people predominated throughout, thousands more middleaged and elderly people provided living testimony to the often repeated chant, ‘‘peace is everybody’s business.”’ unionists, high school students and punk rockers marched side by side, while many passersby waved and cheered their approval. Cars were held up for lengthy periods as wave after wave of peace marchers passed through key in- tersections. But many motorists, Stalled in the traffic or passing in the opposing lanes, honked their horns and flashed the peace sign. The presence of numerous signs and banners drawing attention to the Canadian government’s plans to allow testing of the U.S. Cruise missile in northern Alberta gave some clue as to why this year’s march drew so many. But there were other reasons why the anti- nuclear event emphasized world peace so strongly and met with such: an overwhelming response this year. From late February to the pre- sent the city and district has seen almost weekly peace events. Cam- puses and churches throughout the area have hosted weekend meetings and marches where British Colum- bians from a broad spectrum of society have come together in agreement over demands for an end to nuclear arms proliferation. Thousands of high school Students marching this year gave testimony to the efforts of young - Church-goers, trade ~ peace activists who have been Organizing in the city’s schools. Their presence was_ highlighted when representatives from Van- couver’s largest secondary school, Eric Hamber, and the Ideal alter- native school stood on stage and saw their petition calling for a nuclear-free Canada unanimously adopted by the huge crowd assembled at the park. The increasing involvement of organized labor in the peace move- ment, was symbolized by Van- couver and District Labor Council president Frank Kennedy, who as co-chairman of the march’s organizing committee together with B.C. Place Council president Carmela Allevato, introduced the speakers and musical performers. This year placards and banners from the VDLC and participating unions testified to the hundreds of trade unionists who swelled the ranks of the marchers. And this year’s event received an added boost from the daily media, which gave unprecedented pre- march coverage with full-page newspaper articles and nightly spots on broadcast news. This was in sharp contrast to the almost total absence of coverage given to some key peace events earlier this year. “‘Why is labor involved?”’ Ken- nedy asked the crowd, ‘‘Because like everyone else, we want to live,”’ he said to prolonged cheers. The positive effect of labor’s in- volvement was not lost on Chiang. In a remark reminiscent to that made by fellow American peace ac- tivist Sydney Lens who addressed the Coalition for World Disarma- ment’s rally in March, Chiang praised Canadian labor for being “out in front” of the peace move- ment. The Seattle professor also prais- ed the leading role of church and Student groups, whose contribu- PACIFIC TRIBUNE* APRIL 30, :1982— Page 4. , tion made the “peace movement of the eighties much stronger” than the massive Vietnam war protests of the sixties. While Canada’s peace forces are concentrating on the key demands of a ban on weapons testing and no increase to the military budget, American activists are getting behind the proposal for a freeze on nuclear weapons manufacturing and deployment, said Chiang. That growing movement saw the largest demonstration in Seattle and in the history of Washington state the weekend before, he said. The rally was given festive air with the inclusion of numerous musical acts and other forms of entertainment. The popular Cana- dian political folk group String- band played, while the first mar- chers to enter the grounds were greeted by the pounding rythms of Katari Taiko, a Vancouver-based, Japanese drum group. “I came from New York expec- ting 10,000 people and I’ve been told there’s more than three times that amount. It’s a great day for Canadian survival and world MAY DAY GREETINGS End the arms race Stop cruise missile tests B.C. Peace Council peace,’’ said Dr. William Epstein, a Canadian disarmament director for the United Nations. “*There is a great deal of rubbish about who has. nuclear superiority,’’ Epstein declared, saying there could be no limited or protracted nuclear conflict, only “fan all-out war which no one can win. “I see now that there’s a real chance to stop this mad race to oblivion,” he said, surveying the huge crowd packing the natural ampitheatre of the park. Epstein was followed by a choir of 24 children from Vancouver’s L’Ecole Bilingue, whose songs dealt mainly with children’s perspectives on nuclear war and world peace. - Canadian parliamentary op- position to the federal government’s increasing involve- ment in the U.S. war machine was given voice by NDP MP Pauline Jewett and Paul McRae, Liberal MP for the Ontario riding of Thunder Bay-Atikokan. With’ fellow MPs Walter McLean (Waterloo), Bob Ogle (Saskatoon ll ‘stop the race to oblivion’ East), Terry Sergeant (Selkirk- Interlake) and Conservative MP Douglas Roche the Edmonton Conservative who opposes the Cruise missile testing at Cold Lake, Alberta, they cut across party lines to form the dissenting group of Parliament’s committee on exter- nal affairs and national defence. In aminority report the MPs cal] for Canada to work internationally for a nuclear freeze, for no Cruise testing in Canada, and for all na- tionals to pledge against first use of nuclear weapons. Canada should also devote $7 million of its defence budget to disarmament efforts, their report States, noting the 32 municipalities holding disarmament referendums this year. Rally organizers are also looking to the future: a rally June 12 at Peace Arch Park, set to coincide with the UN special session on disarmament could bring 60,000 people. And if the peace movement continues to grow as it did before last Saturday’s march, it could be many, many more.