Rankin Inlet (Mar 26/03) - Make war no more.

That was the rally cry of more than 30 anti-war demonstrators who came out to a peace rally in Rankin Inlet this past Thursday.

The rally protesting the U.S.A.-led invasion of Iraq was held next to Rankin's famous Inukshuk overlooking the community.

Protest organizer Liz Girard said co-organizer Janet Onalik received an e-mail from a peace coalition group in Iqaluit, passing along information on protests taking place around the world at 5 p.m. on March 20.

She said from there staff at the Rankin Inlet Learning Centre decided to stage a peace rally in Rankin, as well.

"We put together a press release announcing the peace rally and faxed it out to everyone in town we could think of," said Girard.

"We were really impressed by how many people turned out for the rally.

"We were originally concerned only a few people we knew would come, so we were pleased to see so many take part."

Girard said everyone realizes the Rankin gathering will do little, if anything, to affect any change in world politics.

She said the peace rally did, however, affect the participants as human beings in their own community and how they feel about things.

"It gave us a sense of being able to lend our voices towards the issue and to talk about it amongst people in the community."

Bernie Tutanuak was one of the demonstrators to attend the peace rally.

She said not only is she concerned for the well being of innocent people in Iraq, but also the impact the war is having on local youth.

"There are kids in our community who are being scared by what they're seeing on the TV with this war, even though it's way over there a long way from us," said Tutanuak. I'm worried about the impact this may have with violence in our communities."

Peace demonstrator Sue Shirley said this war is a case of the U.S.A. using its superior military might to get what it wants through force.

"To me, it seems to be a case of a strong country (USA) using its strength in an unfair way," said Shirley.

"The U.S.A. is engaged in this without the support of enough of its own citizens to justify doing it."