Your Chance To Say Thanks To The Troops

September 23, 2006 Rally in Toronto to back troops

By JOE WARMINGTON

Thousands of supporters wearing red wave Canadian flags and placards at a rally in support of Canadian troops, in Ottawa yesterday. (Tony Caldwell, Sun Media)

Next week, it will be our turn to see red.

And even Jack Layton is invited. Every Torontonian who cares is. No politics. We've had all we need of that. Just support for our men and women fighting for freedom.

The only requirement (and even that is optional) is to wear something red to send a message to our soldiers in Afghanistan that Canada's largest city cares. All of us. Left, right, centre. Canadians.

The momentum began yesterday in Ottawa as thousands flocked to Parliament Hill in the first pro-troop rally. Some estimates had it at 10,000. I am so proud. I knew a lot of people were solidly behind our fighting men and women.

It doesn't have to be as big, but I am hoping we can do something like that here. A lot of people have told me they didn't hear about the rally in Ottawa until my last column and they would like to show their support too.

Now many of you know I couldn't organize a drunk-up in a distillery, so if somebody wants to help do this in a bigger way, e-mail me and we'll do it.

Nothing fancy. We're just going to do our part.

Big or small, either way, I will be at Yonge-Dundas Square between noon and 1:30 p.m. next Friday wearing red and white and saying thank-you to the service men and women in Afghanistan. And thank you to those who have already died. Join me.

FILL THAT SQUARE

I know some people will show for sure. I have a lot of Toronto Police pals who have indicated they will. And I have a lot of friends in the media who said they will too.

And Sun readers are the best. I'm betting I'll see you there in droves. It would be nice to fill that square.

But even if it's just me, standing in the square alone, I'll be damned if I let the first rally in this town be the so-called anti-war crowd -- chanting for Canada to bring the troops home.

I hear they are organizing one and they certainly can have their rally and protest. Theirs will be more organized. It will probably be huge. But I am hoping it won't be first.

Now I was talking with Christine MacLean, facilities and events co-ordinator for Yonge-Dundas Square, and she said normally there is a $500 fee for the square and there must be a permit purchased and all that. Somebody's got to pay for that new dump I guess.

But I did find out the leftist-driven Car Free Day down there yesterday had its permit granted for free by city council so I am hoping this will be the case for our rally.

"Any city councillor can arrange this," she said.

The Car Free Day also managed for free to get Yonge St., from Shuter to Dundas, shut down from traffic for most of the day for play zones and a trick bicycle show. Amazing.

MOMENT OF SILENCE

In other words, they have some pull. The city was behind their cause and I didn't see anybody wearing red there. Hopefully, Mayor David Miller and his pals will don red and come to this too.

But we don't need city co-operation to show we are behind the troops. The square is public, and with or without an organized effort I think we can go out there for our lunch hour, have a moment of silence and send the word back to the men and women on the ground that we are with them. Maybe some of my homeless pals can find something red to put on.

Everything we do over here helps the people over there. When you are at war and you are facing death daily, the little things mean so much.

"They look for symbols," Senator Colin Kenny, chair of the standing senate committee on National Security and Defence, said of the troops in Afghanistan.

Symbols like Prime Minister Stephen Harper going to visit them. Symbols like Layton calling for them to come home. Symbols like a bunch of Canadians just getting off their butts to let them know we over here have not forgotten them. And we will not.

So next week a lot of us will be wearing red and the military will be seeing red. A Toronto Red Friday will be the symbol. See you there.