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Pastors For Peace Border Crossing a Huge Success!
Report Back from June 30th 2007 Pastors for Peace B.C. Border Crossing
The immoral US blockade on Cuba was confronted in a big way on June 30th, as 150 people from Washington State and BC travelled to the Peace Arch Park at the US/Canada border to support the send off for the 18th annual Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba! For the last 18 years caravanistas from the US and Canada have taken medical aid, sports equipment, computers and many other items to Cuba, which is illegal under immoral and inhuman US laws. In Vancouver over 60 people met in the morning of June 30th to board a yellow school bus that would drive to the border to meet up with other social justice activists to protest the US blockade on Cuba. As the bus arrived at the Peace Arch Park, dozens of other cars and vehicles were pouring into the park (from both sides of the border!) to begin what was ultimately a very successful send off event for the Caravan.
This exciting and energizing day was introduced by the harmonic music performed by Solidarity Notes Labour Choir. Randy Caravaggio, who works with Victoria Goods for Cuba and works as the co-ordinator of the Caravan in Canada, was the MC for the day and helped lead a big welcome for the Raging Grannies who sang from their hearts against injustice and US aggression towards Cuba. There were Raging Grannies from Victoria, Vancouver, Seattle, and Bellingham!
After the Grannies revved up the crowd, Randy introduced Nancy Abbey of the Santa Cruz Cuba Study Group who is on a speaking tour in BC talking about the Caravan and how it challenges the blockade on Cuba. The next two speakers were Tamara Hansen, the co-ordinator of Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba, and Reverend Al Dale who is a main organiser with Bellingham Friends of Cuba.
Anne Feeney, a long time social justice musician originally from Pittsburgh, was the next up to the microphone, and she sang inspiring songs for the big crowd at the Peace Arch. Popular Victoria musician Art Farquharson was the next up, and he brought the message of internationalism through music.
Rick “The Bus Driver” who is a long time Cuba supporter and has been a bus driver for the Caravan for many years now was the next to speak about the US blockade on Cuba. Noah Fine, the co-ordinator of the Free the Cuban 5 Committee-Vancouver was the next and spoke about the struggle for freedom for the 5 Cuban Heroes. After Noah, two main organizers with the Friendship Caravan to Cuba Committee-Saltspring Island group, Tanya Lester and George Taylor spoke. The next three speakers were Nino Pagliccia, an organizer with the Canadian Cuba Friendship Association-Vancouver, Tom Warner with the Seattle Cuba Friendship Committee, and Charles Boylan from the Wake Up With Co-Op radio show. Sophie Ziner, an organizer with Vancouver Communities in Solidarity with Cuba and the route co-ordinator for this year’s caravan, spoke about her past experiences on the Caravan and what she’s looking forward to this year. The last part of this portion of the day was introducing this years’ caravanistas which allowed for them to say a few words. Nine people in total were leaving from BC this year to join the Caravan!
After this, five cars full of humanitarian aid and everyone attending the event joined the line up at the border to enter the US, preparing to openly defy the US blockade on Cuba. The crowd of protesters held signs, denounced the blockade, and talked to many different people crossing the border that day. The aid went through the border without a hitch, and immediately the aid from the cars was loaded onto the bus in Washington State. The caravanistas got all of their bags together, loaded onto the bus themselves, and people said their goodbyes as the 18th Caravan to Cuba began its mighty tour across the United States to challenge this immoral US blockade on Cuba!
