Update on the rally against prorogation Jan. 23 Lethbridge

An Update on the rally at Rick Casson's office on Saturday, Jan 23rd.
Thanks to Bev Mündel-Atherstone for this report and to Henning Mündel for photographs.

Thanks to the approximately 100 participants who came out in cold blustery weather to show their disgust and opposition to the Conservatives and the P.M.'s prorogation of Parliament. People marched in a circle chanting, "No prorogation--Listen to the Nation", while holding the coffins high. CTV and Global filmed the rally for their early evening news. Ric Swihart of the Lethbridge Herald interviewed many of the participants. His story is on the front page of Sunday's Herald. Staffers of the U of L Students newspaper, "The Meliorist" were also on hand, taping interviews.

Many people brought their own creative signs. We had two coffins symbolizing the "death of democracy". Someone brought a huge Canadian flag.
Tom Moffatt reminded the crowd that we must vote. Over 40,000 people in Lethbridge did not vote in the last election. Everyone must vote if we want change.

Mark Sandilands, our newly acclaimed Lethbridge Federal NDP candidate, pointed out that 36 bills were killed when Parliament was prorogues. Some of these were Mr. Harper's favorites on his getting tough on crime policies. Some were to protect consumers from the lead and cadmium in products, most especially toys produced in places like China. But, no matter, these bills were killed as Mr. Harper doesn't really care about Canadians.
The amount of effort, time, money and energy, never mind all the work that the various parties put in together to create these bills, was in naught. Four months of
work, lost! From January 25th, when Parliament was to resume, until March 3rd, another 5 weeks of work is lost. Then when Parliament begins, those same bills will have to start from scratch. How efficient is that to redo all that same work all over again? This is a waste of tax payers' money, our Parliamentarians time, and everyone's effort.

Thanks again to everyone for the terrific support.

Thanks to Bonnie at the Round Street cafe for the donation of the hot coffee and hot chocolate to the participants. Thanks to Sheila Rogers for organizing the bull horn and one coffin, which she and her partner James made. Thanks to Tom Moffatt for making the second coffin.

You can find a slide show of a power point by Henning Muendel of his photos of the event, here.

Thanks again,

Bev Muendel-Atherstone and Tom Moffatt, Organizers