A local anti-war group says its plans to hold an “alternative” Remembrance Day ceremony — featuring a wreath made of white poppies — is not intended as a slight to veterans.
“We believe soldiers are victims of war, the same as civilians,” said Ian Harvey, of the Ottawa White Poppy Collective.
“If you are really looking out for the best for human beings, you want to … vow to work for more peace and figure out ways to avoid more wars. That’s how you honor veterans.”
The group will host a ‘white poppy’ wreath laying on Nov. 11 that would follow the “socially-sanctioned” event at the National War Memorial, said Brenda Vellino, another member of the collective.
“We feel that when there are remembrance commemorations, they shouldn’t focus solely on those who lost their lives in battle, but also the civilians who get caught in the crossfire,” she said.
White poppies caused a stir in 2006 when another anti-war group, Edmonton Women in Black, began distributing them in competition with the red poppies that honour Canada’s war dead. The group soon ran afoul of the Royal Canadian Legion, which viewed white poppies as an insult and a trademark infringement.
Legion remembrance coordinator Steve Clark said veterans remain just as “protective” of the trademark now. Rather than politicizing a symbol dedicated to soldiers, Clark said the group should be seeking its own symbol.
“If they were looking at distributing something to promote the peace movement then something closely associated with peace, such as a dove or an olive branch, might be a more appropriate symbol.”
Clark said the Legion would “follow up” on any campaign that infringes on its trademark.
Vellino said the group would dispense white poppies for free. “If they wanted to come after us, as private citizens who aren’t selling the poppies, and charge us with copyright infringement, the publicity that would create would be really interesting.”
