Pro-China rally in Ottawa attracts 10,000, organizers say
Close to 10,000 people rallied outside parliament hill in Ottawa yesterday. I observe that the mainstream media are not as interested in reporting this event as they did on the Olympic Torch run disruption last week. Many newspapers put that story on their front pages.
For the pro-China rally yesterday, CTV did a report, so did National Post, Ottawa Citizen, CBC, and CP. I couldn’t find anything in the Globe, at least not the online version. In contrast, the disruption of the torch run last week made it to the front page of many newspapers, including the Vancouver Sun.
I’d like to include some points that have been covered in the Chinese media (Canadian Chinese media, not the state-owned media in China) but not in the mainstream media, just to share with my MSM friends.
- Rally organizers initially rented 45 school buses from Laidlaw. The organizers were expecting a turnout of about 3000 people on Sunday (Apr 13).
However, Laidlaw told the organizers on Friday (Apr 11), in the afternoon, that it would not rent out a single bus to them. - The organizers held an urgent press conference at about 5pm Friday, urging people to strive to go to the hill on their own, carpooling etc. And they showed regret for Laidlaw’s sudden refusal. There had been numerous rumours that Laidlaw might be under political pressure.
- Staff at Laidlaw’s Mississauga office said they got an order from the headquarters that not a single bus would be rented to the organizers. Laidlaw did not return media calls.
- After the press conference, calls to offer help flooded to the organizers. By late Friday night, the organizers managed to recruit 50 buses.
- On Sunday, about 100 cars driven by ordinary people volunteered to take the demonstrators to Ottawa.
- The turnout was amazing. The organizers estimated close to 10,000 people participated at the demo at the hill. Police estimation was at 3000. CTV says 6000.
- Cops in the field said the demonstrators have shown great restraint and they appreciated that.
- One pro-Tibet lady said she was shocked by the huge number of demonstrators, and said “perhaps I should also listen to the voice of people who are against Tibet independence?”
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Short URL: http://www.chineseinvancouver.ca/?p=6411
Hey SN-
Can you and the Ming Pao do a piece on why Vancouver’s Chinese community is so quiet on all of this?
Frankly, I am really surprised at the lack of noise from so many of Vancouver’s self appointed “community leaders”
When places like Dublin, Auckland, Edinburough, Sydney, Melbourne etc etc have seen demonstrations of upwards of 10,000 people (Ottawa)… what gives with Vancouver? Don’t this over rated city claim one of the largest Chinese Canadian communities?
What gives?
Can you and your paper ask this simple question. Ask my immigrant cousins, that I, as a Canadian born wants to know what happen to this community’s sense of pride and where it’s objectiveness has gone.
If the “western media” has been portraying this ethnicity as a bunch of evil doers (a Bush’ ism)… then why haven’t there been some intelligent discussion on this?
I need to understand how Vancouver’s Chinese Canadian community has been neutered. Or is it just me? Some of us would like to know how to respond to a “Free Tibet” debater …
It sucks to be associated with Vancouver’s apathetic Chinese Canadian community.
I had posted this thought on my blog … and had attracted much discussion. I now would like to hear from my fellow Chinese-Canadians who are their insular Chinese speaking community.
I’ve heard a lot from English speakers. It would be nice to hear from the Chinese speaking community in Vancouver… (and to understand their discussion in English)