PROTESTERS DRAWN TO OTTAWA

PEACENIKS, POT puffers, raging grannies and gays are all planning to
give a cold Canadian welcome to President George W. Bush. Protesters
wearing black armbands and lighting up big joints will converge on
Parliament Hill to dump on the recently re-elected U.S. leader.

Satellite demonstrations are also organized coast to
coast.

"There will be solidarity actions from Vancouver to Halifax," said
James Clarke of the Toronto Coalition to Stop the War. "It won't be
something that's just concentrated in Ottawa and Quebec, but also in
places like Flin Flon, Man., and Prince Albert, Sask."

Protesters will vent anger and frustration by rolling out "unwelcome
mats" with anti-Bush slogans. The heat will also be on Prime Minister
Paul Martin to reject requests to join missile defence and to help out
in Iraq.

B.C. marijuana activist Marc Emery will show his disdain for Bush by
lighting up a foot-long joint below the Peace Tower. The huge doobie's
big enough to share with about 100 protesters, he said.

"It's to clarify that we want an independent drug policy," he said.
"We feel the biggest push is coming from the U.S government to
maintain criminal sanctions."