CBC
Mon, October 23, 2023
Pro-Palestinian protesters in Regina and Saskatoon are asking for an immediate ceasefire as the Israeli military continues its nearly two-week siege on Gaza.
More than 1,400 Israelis were killed in Hamas's Oct. 7 assault, and according to the Gaza Health Ministry the latest death toll in Gaza is 4,385, plus 13,561 wounded since Israel declared war on Hamas.
The Saskatoon chapter of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East organized a protest in Saskatoon Saturday.
"Our aim is to bring attention to the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza and to shed light on the devastating loss of innocent lives," said a news release from the organization.
As hundreds of protesters filed into the Saskatoon city hall courtyard, one of the organizers told CBC that people will continue to protest until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.
"This is [the] least thing we can do for the people who get killed every single minute," said Mohammad Abushar.
"There's no food, no electricity, no water, no Internet, so that's the least we can do, and we need to push for the politicians, the government, to push for ceasefire."
For the first time since the war started, aid was allowed into Gaza, with 20 trucks entering on Saturday and more than a dozen on Sunday, but Abushar said it's not enough for the 2.3 million people who live there.
Muhannad Alzaza, left, and Ahmed Becai walk in the march through downtown Saskatoon on Saturday. Alzaza is from Gaza and his parents live there. (Liam O'Connor/CBC)
Muhannad Alzaza, who is Palestinian and from Gaza, said he was at the protest to show support for his parents who live in Gaza. For the first time in days, he made contact with them on Saturday.
Alzaza said he was able to confirm his parents were safe, but "no place is safe."
"Maybe they were safe like maybe 10 minutes ago. I don't know what, after 10 minutes, what would happen to them. I'm always worried about them," Alzaza said.
City of Regina Ward 3 Coun. Andrew Stevens speaks at a pro-Palestinian rally outside the Saskatchewan Legislature on Sunday in Regina. (CBC)
On Sunday in Regina, protesters convened outside the Legislature. Andrew Stevens, City of Regina councillor for Ward 3, spoke at the event.
"We can't be comfortable simply calling for the safe passage of Palestinians out of Gaza. That will lead to displacement," Stevens said.
"We must aim for the return of residents to their homes with the presence and assistance of the United Nations."
Another pro-Palestinian protest was also held in Saskatoon on Sunday.
CBC
Sun, October 22, 2023
Calgary police have made three arrests in relation to protests related to the Israel-Hamas war that took place at Olympic Plaza on Sunday.
Police said an initial protest planned by those supporting Gaza was met by a smaller counter-protest of Israel supporters. Approximately 900 people gathered downtown altogether, said a spokesperson for the Calgary Police Service.
In a statement, Calgary police said the arrests ranged from charges of breach of peace to one arrest for assault with a weapon.
"We maintain that we police behaviours and not beliefs, and in the last two protests we have seen increasingly escalating behaviour that has required police intervention," it said.
Police were unable to confirm what group those arrested were supporting.
Muhannad Ayyash, a professor of sociology at Mount Royal University who was at the protests, said the demonstrations seemed peaceful for the most part.
"These are simply [protests] in support for the Palestinian struggle to be free and to have human rights like everyone else, and to stop the genocide that is being directed toward the Palestinian people at this moment in Gaza," said Ayyash.
"This was one of the largest demonstrations for Palestinian freedom in the city of Calgary that I have ever seen."
Previous protests peaceful
The Canadian government has previously said does not recognize Israeli actions against Palestinians as genocide.
Rallies in support of Gaza were also held last weekend in the city. Police said those protests had remained peaceful.
Over the weekend, two convoys of trucks carrying aid were allowed to enter Gaza, but humanitarian workers say the amount of aid entering the region is inadequate. Israel cut supplies to the territory after Hamas militants crossed the border into Israel and conducted a series of deadly attacks and kidnappings against civilians on Oct. 7.
Ayyash, the professor, called the aid convoys a "publicity stunt."
"[It's] for Western countries to pretend that they are doing something but it's not putting a dent into the need."
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Saturday that the death toll in the enclave has reached 4,385, while 13,561 people have been wounded.
More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, mostly in the initial attack, according to the Israeli government
CBC
Sat, October 21, 2023
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators and a contingent of pro-Israel demonstrators held concurrent rallies near the Manitoba Legislature Saturday afternoon.
Tensions ran high at points between participants, who faced off against each other on opposite sides of Broadway in front of the legislative grounds, as the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas reached the two-week mark. However, no arrests were made and all parties left without incident, the Winnipeg Police Service said in a statement.
"Hopefully both of our communities can stay safe in Canada," said Ramsey Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba.
"We do live in a democratic country where people have the right to expression, right to free speech. At the same time, everybody needs to feel safe."
Israel supporters gathered in front of the Manitoba Legislature as pro-Palestinian demonstrators rallied in Memorial Park, across the street. (Zubina Ahmed/CBC)
Thousands have died in Israel and the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, when Hamas militants launched surprise attacks in Israel, crossing into Israeli towns and firing a barrage of rockets.
Israel has responded with a series of airstrikes in Gaza.
The Israeli government has said more than 1,400 people were killed in the initial Hamas attacks. More than 200 people were also taken hostage, according to Israel, and more than 300 of its soldiers have been killed since Oct. 7.
More than 4,300 people have been killed in the airstrikes on Gaza, according to a figure released Saturday by the territory's Hamas-run Health Ministry. The United Nations says more than a million have been left homeless.
Ramsey Zeid, president of the Canadian Palestinian Association of Manitoba, speaks at Saturday's rally. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)
"My family was from there," said Sabrina Saad, who was at Saturday's rally in support of Palestinians.
"I still have family ties there through relatives and friends, and we're just hoping that it ends soon."
Seeing Winnipeg's Palestinian community come together "feels amazing," she said.
"It helps knowing we have community support for this cause."
Counter-demonstration
While hundreds of pro-Palestinian supporters made their voices heard at Memorial Park, a small contingent of pro-Israel supporters held a counter-demonstration across the street, in front of the legislative building.
"Today's rally is just again to show up and show support for Israel under these very difficult times," said rally organizer Ron East. "There's a war going on in our region and we're here just to [show] support for Israel."
However, he also said no one wants to see the "death of any innocent people, whether they be Israeli, Palestinian or other."
"As human beings we don't like seeing the suffering of any people," said East.
Ron East organized Saturday's pro-Israel rally. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)
In a Facebook post Friday, the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg said while rallies "are an effective tool to increase visibility, helping to send messages to decision-makers and spread awareness to the public," counter-protests "are not an effective tool to change minds and only inflame tensions and polarization between both sides."
The statement added if community members are compelled to attend they should do so safely and "not engage directly with the other side."
Zeid said the city's Palestinian community's message is a call for peace and humanity as the war continues.
"How many thousands of people have to be killed, how many children have to be killed, before somebody says anything?" said Zeid.
"The longer this carries on, the more hate the Palestinian people in Gaza will have for Israel."
Thousands of Canadians rallied in cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver as the Israel-Hamas war entered its second week.
Chris Stoodley
·Lifestyle and News Editor
Updated Sun, October 22, 2023
Thousands of people across Canada took to the streets over the weekend to protest devastating Israeli airstrikes on Gaza amid the on-going Israel-Hamas war.
Since Friday, people in cities including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver have expressed their anger with Israel's bombing, following Hamas' deadly Oct. 7 incursion.
In photos and content posted to social media over the weekend, people can be seen chanting and holding Palestinian flags, while others hold signs that read demands like "end the siege on Gaza" and "stop Israeli war crimes."
During a pro-Palestinian rally at Toronto's Queen's Park on Friday, demonstrators called on the Ontario government to reconsider a motion that passed the day prior. The motion condemned Hamas and affirmed Israel's right to defend itself.
"We're calling on the provincial government to reconsider the vote that it took yesterday. It was a vote whereby the government refused to include anything that had to do with breaking the siege on Gaza, with allowing humanitarian aid in. It was one that was continuing this trend of erasing Palestinians really across the board," said demonstrator Dalia Awwad, according to CBC News.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, people shared footage of demonstrations that took place in support of Palestine, including several clips showing protesters chant while blocking downtown streets.
In downtown Calgary on Sunday, police shared around 330 people gathered in the Olympic Plaza park — some supporting Israel and others supporting Palestine.
"There have been incidents of violence and we are asking the public to avoid the area as we work with both groups to de-escalate the conflict," Calgary police shared on X, adding in a follow-up post that multiple arrests were made.
Other parts of the world also saw large demonstrations in support of Palestine, with thousands gathering in countries including France, Brazil, Belgium and Sweden.
More than 30 MPs in Canada — 23 of whom are Liberals — have written a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, urging him to advocate for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
After Israeli warplanes struck targets across Gaza, two airports in Syria and a mosque in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, threats of a widened war grew. Israel has also been trading fire with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group since the war began.
An estimated 700,000 people have fled northern Gaza amid an expected ground offensive by Israel. However, supply shortages are impacting hospitals and forcing doctors to ration treatment, as Palestinians run low on food, drink dirty water and suffer from cases of chickenpox, scabies and diarrhea.
On Saturday, Israel allowed 20 trucks to enter Gaza through the Rafah border crossing shared with Egypt, in the first humanitarian aid shipment since the siege began.
Israeli authorities said late Sunday they had allowed a second batch of aid into Gaza at the request of the United States, according to the Canadian Press.
Since the conflict began two weeks ago, more than 4,600 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. More than 1,400 people in Israel have also died, most of whom were killed during Hamas' initial Oct. 7 attack.
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