------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the April 3, 2003 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
HOCKEY FANS BOO WAR FLAG
By Josina Dunkel
Hockey, a sport of body checks and sanctioned punches, is now a venue for protest. During the last Canadians-Islanders game in Montreal, fans booed the "Star Spangled Banner" when it was played before the game. This was not an act of team rivalry but rather showed Canadian anger against the war in Iraq.
In opinion polls, popular protests and even government actions, Canadians have shown themselves to be overwhelmingly anti-war.
Quebec has distinguished itself as the most anti-war province. In its largest city, Montreal, over 200,000 people marched against the war and got barely a mention in the U.S. media. But the simple action of a large portion of the 20,000 hockey fans caught the eye of the American news media. This apparent act of disrespect, the hurt feelings of the Islanders' goalie, and the fact that the Montreal team apologized were all highlighted. However, some Russian-born players on the Islanders team reportedly did not see anything wrong with the booing.
A year ago, U.S. pilots bombed a group of Canadian soldiers in Afghan istan, killing four. The pilots had taken amphetamines to stay awake-- standard Air Force policy. Canadians were angered by President George W. Bush's slowness to apologize for the accident.
In Canada, hockey is political--it is the national sport and a powerful symbol of Canada. Canadians were particularly proud that both their men's and women's Olympic teams beat their U.S. rivals. But it is unusual for Canadians to show their objections to U.S. foreign policy during a hockey game. It is simply one measure of the level of disgust Canadians feel about this unjust war and the way the U.S. government treats them. n
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