Hockey Fans to Protest Don Cherry’s “Pro-War” Commentary

Puck-loving peace activists will demonstrate outside Saturday's Vancouver Canucks game and challenge the Coach’s Corner pundit to a debate on the Afghan war.

The Hockey Night in Canada commentator has devoted a lot of air time recently to discussing Canada’s military, a topic that for many viewers seems out of step with the program’s billing as a sports show. Now an activist group named Hockey Fans for Peace has announced plans to protest what they call Cherry’s pro-war stance, calling on the CBC to either tone down his military commentary or allow one of its members to debate him on air. The demonstration will take place outside the CBC broadcast of the Vancouver Canucks-Detroit Redwings game this Saturday at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena. Cherry recently courted political controversy when, speaking at the inauguration of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, he called Ford’s political opponents “pinkos.”